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Myers Exploring Psychology Chapter 6 Flashcards

Keywords Myers 9th edition

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1284333179sensationthe process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment0
1284333180perceptionthe process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events1
1284333181bottom-up processinganalysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain's integration of sensory information2
1284333182top-down processinginformation processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations3
1284333183psychophysicsthe study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them4
1284333184absolute thresholdthe minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time5
1284333185subliminalbelow one's absolute threshold for conscious awareness6
1284333186difference thresholdthe minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time. We experience the ____ as a just noticeable difference.7
1284333187Weber's LawPrinciple that, to be perceived as different; two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage (rather than a constant amount).8
1284333188sensory adaptationdiminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation9
1284333189wavelengthThe distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next. Electromagnetic wavelengths vary from the short blips of cosmic rays to the long pulses of radio transmission.10
1284333190huethe dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light; what we know as the color names blue, green, and so forth.11
1284333191intensitythe amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we perceive as brightness or loudness, as determined by the wave's amplitude12
1284333192accommodationthe process by which the eye's lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina13
1284333193retinathe light-sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual information14
1284333194rodsretinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, when cones don't respond. They share bipolar cells, sending combined messages.15
1284333195conesretinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions. Detect fine detail and give rise to color sensations. Cluster in and around the fovea.16
1284333196optic nervethe nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain17
1284333197blind spotthe point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a "blind" spot because no receptor cells are located there.18
1284333198feature detectorsnerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movement19
1284333199parallel processingthe processing of several aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain's natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision. Contrasts with the step-by-step (serial) processing of most computers and of conscious problem solving.20
1284333200Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theorythe theory that the retina contains three different color receptors - one most sensitive to red, one to green, one to blue - which when stimulated in combination can produce the perception of color21
1284333201opponent process theorythe theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, yellow-blue, white-black) enable color vision. For example, some cells are stimulated by green and inhibited by red; others are stimulated by red and inhibited by green.22
1284333202color constancyperceiving familiar objects as having ___ ___, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object23
1284333203visual capturethe tendency for vision to dominate the other senses, as when we perceive voices in films as coming from the screen we see rather than from the projector behind us24
1284333205frequencythe number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time (for example, per second)25
1284333207middle earthe chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing three tiny bones (hammer, anvil, and stirrup) that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea's oval window26
1284333208inner earthe innermost part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs27
1284333209cochleaa coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear through which sound waves trigger nerve impulses28
1284333210gate-control theorythe theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological "gate" that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain. The "gate" is opened by the activity of pain signals traveling up small nerve fibers and is closed by activity in larger fibers or by information coming from the brain29
1284333211sensory interactionthe principle that one sense may influence another, as when the smell of food influences its taste. When a hard - of -hearing listener sees an animated face forming the words being spoken at the other end of a phone line, the words become easier to understand30
1284333212kinesthesisthe system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts with sensors located in your joints, muscles, and tendons31
1284333213vestibular sensethe sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance. The biological gyroscopes for this sense of equilibrium are in your inner ear. The semicircular canals,which look like a three - dimensional pretzel and the vestibular sacs,which connect the canals with the cochlea, contain fluid that moves when your head rotates or tilts.32
1284333214figure-groundthe organization of the visual field into objects that stand out from their surroundings33
1284333215groupingthe perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups34
1284333216depth perceptionthe ability to see objects in three dimensions although the images that strike the retina are two-dimensional; allows us to judge distance.35
1284333217visual cliffa laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals36
1284333218gestaltan organized whole. emphasize our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes.37
1284333219binocular cuesdepth cues, such as retinal disparity and convergence38
1284333220monocular cuesdepth cues, such as interposition and linear perspective39
1284333221retinal displaya binocular cue for perceiving depth: by comparing images from the retinas in the two eyes, the brain computes distance- the greater the disparity (difference) between the two images, the closer the objects40
1284333222convergencea binocular cue for perceiving depth; the extent to which the eyes converge inward when looking at an object41
1284333223perceptual constancyperceiving objects as unchanging (having consistent lightness, color, shape, and size) even as illumination and retinal images change. Regardless of the viewing angle, distance, and illumination, we can identify people and things in less time than it takes to draw a breath, a feat that challenges even advanced computers and has intrigued researchers for decades.42
1284333224perceptual adaptionin vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field43
1284333225extrasensory perception (ESP)perception can occur apart from sensory input. Said to include telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition44
1284333226parapsychologythe study of paranormal phenomena, including ESP and psychokinesis.45
1284333227All our senses• receive sensory stimulation, often using specialized receptor cells. • transform that stimulation into neural impulses. • deliver the neural information to our brain.46
1284333228signal detection theorya theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus (signal) amid background stimulation (noise). Assumes there is no single absolute threshold and that detection depends partly on a person's experience, expectations, motivation, and alertness.47
1284333229primingthe activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one's perception, memory, or response48
1284333230perceptual seta mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another. a set of mental tendencies and assumptions that affects (top - down) what we hear, taste, feel, and see.49
1284333231Short wavelengthhigh frequency (bluish colors)50
1284333232Long wavelengthlow frequency (reddish colors)51
1284333233Great amplitudebright colors52
1284333234Small amplitudedull colors53
1284333235foveathe central focal point in the retina, around which the eye's cones cluster.54
1284333236parallel processingdoing many things at once. To analyze a visual scene, the brain divides it into subdimensions—color, motion, form, depth—and works on each aspect simultaneously55
1284333237redgreen's opponent color.56
1284333238ProximityWe group nearby figures together. We see not six separate lines, but three sets of two lines. II II II57
1284333239ContinuityWe perceive smooth, continuous patterns rather than discontinuous ones.58
1284333240ClosureWe fill in gaps to create a complete, whole object.59
1284333241Relative heightWe perceive objects higher in our field of vision as farther away. Because we assume the lower part of a figure-ground illustration is closer, we perceive it as figure60
1284333242Relative sizeIf we assume two objects are similar in size, most people perceive the one that casts the smaller retinal image as farther away.61
1284333243Interposition(overlap) If one object partially blocks our view of another, we perceive it as closer.62
1284659800Light and shadowShading produces a sense of depth consistent with our assumption that light comes from above.63
1284659801Relative motionAs we move, objects that are actually stable may appear to move. If while riding on a bus you fix your gaze on some point— say, a house—the objects beyond the fixation point will appear to move with you. Objects in front of the point will appear to move backward. The farther an object is from the fixation point, the faster it will seem to move.64
1284659802Linear perspectiveParallel lines appear to meet in the distance. The sharper the angle of convergence, the greater the perceived distance.65
1284659803color constancyperceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object66
1284659804size constancywe perceive objects as having a constant size, even while our distance from them varies. We assume a car is large enough to carry people, even when we see its tiny image from two blocks away.67
1284659805shape constancywe perceive the form of familiar objects, such as the door, as constant even while our retinas receive changing images of them from different angles.68
1284659806John Lockeargued that through our experiences we also learn to perceive the world. Indeed, we learn to link an object's distance with its size. To what extent do we learn to perceive?69
1284659807Immanuel Kantmaintained that knowledge comes from our inborn ways of organizing sensory experiences. Indeed, we come equipped to process sensory information. To what extent do we learn to perceive?70
1284659808auditionthe sense or act of hearing.71
1284659809pitcha tone's experienced highness or lowness; depends on frequency72
1284659810auditory nervesends neural messages (via the thalamus) to the auditory cortex in the brain's temporal lobe.73
1284659811auditory hair cells"quivering bundles that let us hear" thanks to their "extreme sensitivity and extreme speed"74
1284659812sensorineural hearing lossnerve deafness75
1284659813conduction hearing losscaused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea76
1284659814cochlear implantthe only way to restore hearing for people with nerve deafness is a sort of bionic ear77
1284659815above 85 decibelsProlonged exposure produces hearing loss78
1284659816How do we detect loudnessthe brain can interpret loudness from the number of activated hair cells.79
1284659817place theoryin hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea's membrane is stimulated. an explain how we hear high - pitched sounds but not low - pitched sounds.80
1284659818frequency theoryThe brain reads pitch by monitoring the frequency of neural impulses traveling up the auditory nerve. The whole basilar membrane vibrates with the incoming sound wave, triggering neural impulses to the brain at the same rate as the sound wave. If the sound wave has a frequency of 100 waves per second, then 100 pulses per second travel up the auditory nerve. a problem remains: An individual neuron cannot fire faster than 1000 times per second.81
1284659819volley principleLike soldiers who alternate firing so that some can shoot while others reload, neural cells can alternate firing. By firing in rapid succession, they can achieve a combined frequency above 1000 waves per second.82
1284659820The pain circuitSensory receptors (nociceptors)respond to potentially damaging stimuli by sending an impulse to the spinal cord, which passes the message to the brain, which interprets the signal as pain.83
1284659821nociceptorssensory receptors that detect hurtful temperatures, pressure, or chemicals84
1284659822Biological influences of pain- activity in spinal cords large and small fibers - genetic differences in endorphin production - the brains interpretation of CNS activity85
1284659823Psychological influences- attention to pain - learning based on experience - expectations86
1284659824Social-cultural influences- presence of others - empathy for others' pain - cultural expectations87
1284659825SweetEnergy source88
1284659826SaltySodium essential to physiological processes89
1284659827SourPotentially toxic acid90
1284659828BitterPotential poisons91
1284659829UmamiProteins to grow and repair tissue92
1284659830Tasteis a chemical sense. uses pores that catches food chemicals. receptors reproduce themselves every week or two.93
1284659831smellis a chemical sense. we ____ something when molecules of a substance carried in the air reach a tiny cluster of 5 million or more receptor cells at the top of each nasal cavity94
1284659832smell and memoryThe brain's circuitry for smell (red circle) also connects with areas involved in memory storage, which helps explain why a smell can trigger a memory95
1284659833embodied cognitionthe influence of bodily sensations, gestures, and other states on cognitive preferences and judgments96
1284659834VisionLight waves striking the eye. Rods and cones in the retina.97
1284659835HearingSound waves striking the outer ear. Cochlear hair cells in the inner ear98
1284659836TouchPressure, warmth, cold on the skin. Skin receptors detect pressure, warmth, cold, and pain99
1284659837TasteChemical molecules in the mouth Basic tongue receptors for sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami100
1284659838SmellChemical molecules breathed in through the nose Millions of receptors at top of nasal cavity101
1284659839telepathymind - to - mind communication102
1284659840clairvoyanceperceiving remote events, such as a house on fire in another state.103
1284659841psychokinesisor "mind over matter," such as levitating a table or influencing the roll of a die.104

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