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Sensation and Perception

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inability to recognize faces
sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment
organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events
analysis that begins with sensory receptors and works up to brain's integration of sensory information
information processes guided by higher-level mental processes; perceptions drawn one experience and expectations
study of relationships between characteristics of stimuli and our experience of them
minimum stimulation needed to detect a stimulus 50% of the time
how and when we detect a faint stimulus amid background noise
below one's absolute threshold for conscious awareness
activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one's perception, memory, or response
minimum difference between 2 stimuli to detect 50% of the time
to be perceived as different, 2 stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage
diminishing sensitivity to unchanging stimulus
transforming of stimulus energies into neural impulses our brain can interpret
distance from one wave peak to the next
the color we experience
amount of energy in light waves (determined by the amplitude, height)
protects the eye and bends light to provide focus
small, adjustable opening through which light enters
ring of colored muscle tissue that controls the size of the pupil
transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to focus images on the retina
light-sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing rods, cones, and neurons that begin processing visual information
process by which the eye's lens changes shape to focus on near or far objects
detect black, white, and gray; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision
near the center of the retina; function in daylight or well-lit conditions; detect color
carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain
where the optic nerve leaves the eye and there are no receptor cells
central focal point in the retina; where the cones cluster
nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus
doing many things at once
localized area of blindness in part of the field of vision
the retina contains three different color receptors (red, green, blue) which, when stimulated in combination, can produce the perception of any color
opposing retinal processes enable color vision
sense of position and movement of body parts
sense of body movement and position, including balance
the theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological "gate" that blocks or allows pain signals to pass on to the brain
amputees feel pain or movement in nonexistent limbs
focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus
ability to attend to only one voice among many
failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere
failing to notice changes in the environment
an organized whole; our tendency to integrate pieces of information into wholes
organization of visual field into objects and their surroundings
perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups
ability to see objects in 3 dimensions although the images are 2 dimensional; allows us to judge distance
depth cues that depend on the use of 2 eyes
binocular cue for perceiving depth; by comparing images from the retinas in 2 eyes, the brain computes distance; the greater the difference between the images, the closer the object
depth cues available to either eye alone

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