AP Notes, Outlines, Study Guides, Vocabulary, Practice Exams and more!

RVTM Myers Psychology for AP - Unit 4 Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
194573876absolute thresholdminimal amount of energy required to produce any sensation, 50 percent of the time0
194573877binocular cuesvisual messages/cues that require two eyes (retinal disparity, convergence)1
194573878blind spotplace on the retina out where the optic nerve leaves the eye, no receptors (rods/cones) are located here2
194573879cochleasnail-shaped structure in the inner ear; contains fluid that vibrate; attach the oval window and basilar membrane3
194573880conesvisual receptor cells; located in retina; works best in bright light; responsible for viewing color; greatest density in the fovea4
194573881convergencebinoculars cue; visual depth cue; muscles controlling eye movement as the eyes turned inward to view a nearby stimulus5
194573882difference thresholdJust Noticeable Difference (JND); the smallest change in stimulation that you can detect 50% of the time; differs from one person to the other (and from moment to moment); tells us the flexibility of sensory systems6
194573883bottom-up processingStarts with basic sensory information; transduction7
194573884top-down processingConstructing perceptions based on our experiences and expectations8
194573885selective attentionThe focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus, like the cocktail effect (notice your name in a crowd)9
194573886inattentional blindnessfailing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere10
194573887change blindnessfailing to notice changes in the environment.11
194573888huecolor, or aspects of colors12
194573889iristhe color part of the eye; made of muscle that contracts/relaxes to control the size of the people allowing light to enter the eye13
194573890kinesthesissense of muscle movement, posture, and strain on muscles/joints; provides information on speed and direction of movement; works with vestibular sense14
194573891lenstransparent part of the eye behind the iris; focuses light on the retina (accommodation); change shape to focus on objects;-if object is closed, muscles attach to the land contract to make lens around,-if object is far away, the muscles pull to flatten the lens15
194573892psychophysicsThe study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them.16
194573893signal detection theoryStates that circumstances, experiences, expectations affect our thresholds17
194573894subliminal perceptionSensory information that is detected without our conscious knowledge18
194573895primingthe activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one's perception, memory, or response.19
194573896sensory adaptationDiminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation.20
194573897habituationdecreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation. As infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to a visual stimulus, their interest wanes and they look away sooner21
194573898transductionConversion of one form of energy into another. In sensation, the transforming of stimulus energies into neural impulses.22
194573899opponent-process theorycreated by Edward Hering; alternative theory used to explain after images; suggest that the retina contains three pairs color receptors or cones-yellow-blue, red-green, black-white; pairs work in opposition (thalamus)23
194573900wavelengthThe distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next. Electromagnetic wavelengths vary from longer/red, shorter/blue24
194573901optic nervebundle of axons from ganglion cells that carries messages from the eye to the brain25
194573902IntensityThe amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we perceive as brightness or loudness, as determined by the wave's amplitude.26
194573903irisA ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil opening.27
194573904feature detectorsnerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movement.28
194573905monocular cuesdepth cues, such as interposition and linear perspective, available to either eye alone.29
194573906perceptionthe mental process of sorting, identifying, and arranging raw sensory data into meaningful patterns30
194573907parallel processingThe processing of several aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain's natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision, hearing31
194573908opponent process theoryThe theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green Christmas, yellow-blue Michigan, white-black) enable color vision.32
194573909pitchauditory experience corresponding to the frequency of sound vibrations, resulting in a higher or lower tone33
194573910place theorybrain determines pitch by the place on the basilar membrane, works best for high pitch34
194573911pupilsmall opening in the center of the iris35
194573912retinathe light-sensitive inner lining of the back of the eyeball; contains receptor cells (rods/cones)36
194573913retinal disparitybinocular distance cue; based on the overlay of two retinal fields when both eyes focus on one object37
194573914rodsvisual receptor cell; located in retina; respond to varying degrees of light and dark; responsible for night vision and peripheral vision38
194573915perceptual accommodationin perception, the ability to adjust to an idea or mind set39
194573917sensationthe raw data of experience; sensory stimulation; example are eyes only register light energy and ears only register wave energy40
194573918foveaThe central focal point in the retina, around which the eye's cones cluster.41
194573919size constancythe perception of an object as the same size regardless of the distance from which it is viewed; example someone height42
194573920audtitionThe sense of hearing.43
194573921frequencyThe number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time (for example, per second).44
194573922middle earThe chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing three tiny bones (Hammer, Anvil, and Stirrup) that concentrate the vibrations (conduction) of the eardrum on the cochlea's oval window.45
194573923conduction hearing lossHearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea.46
194573924sensorineural hearing lossHearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea's receptor cells or to the auditory nerves; also called nerve deafness.47
194573925cochlear implanta device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve by electrodes threaded into the cochlea48
194573926cochleaA coiled, bony, fluid-filled tude in the inner ear through which sound waves trigger nerve impulses.49
194573927Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theorycreated by Hermann von Helmholtz; theory of color vision based on additive color mixing; suggest that the retina contains three types of color receptors, cones: red, green, blue50
194573928inner earThe innermost part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs.51
194573929place theoryIn hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea's membrane is stimulated.52
194573930frequency theoryIn hearing, the theory that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone, thus enabling us to sense its pitch.53
194573931basilar membraneA membrane inside the cochlea which vibrates in response to sound and whose vibrations lead to activity in the auditory pathways.54
194573932vestibular senseThe sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance.55
194573933olfaction sensesense of smell56
194573934taste budsgroups of cells located on the tongue that enable one to recognize different tastes (sweet, sour, bitter, salt)57
194573935Weber's lawErnst Weber; the principle that accounts for how one notices the difference threshold for any change must be proportional58
194573936gate-control theoryThe spinal cord contains a "gate" that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain. It's opened by the activity of pain signals traveling up small nerve fibers and is closed by activity in large fibers or information coming from the brain.59
194573937sensory interactionThe principle that one sense may influence another, as when the smell of food influences its taste.60
194573938perceptual consistancyperceiving objects as unchanging (having consistent shapes, size, lightness, and color) even as illumination and retinal images change.61
194573940David Hubel - Torsten Wieseldiscovered feature detector groups of neurons in the visual cortex that respond to different types of visual images62
194573942Herman von HelmholtzTheorist who both aided in the development of the trichromatic theory of color perception and Place theory of pitch perception.63
194574826depth perceptionAbility to see objects in three dimension although the image that strike the retina are two-dimensional; allows us to judge distance64
194577852visual cliffLaboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals65
194577853phi phenomenonIllusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession66
194577854color constancyPerceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wave-lengths reflected by the object67
194577855perceptual adaptationIn vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field68
194577856perceptual setA mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another69
194577857parapsychologyStudy of paranormal phenomena, including ESP and psychokinesis70
194577858extrasensory perception (ESP)Controversial claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input; telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition71
194577859accommodationProcess by which the eye lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina72

Need Help?

We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.

For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.

If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.

Need Notes?

While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!