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Unit 4

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233278929absolute thresholdminimal amount of energy required to produce any sensation, 50 percent of the time
233278930binocular cuesvisual messages/cues that require two eyes (retinal disparity, convergence)
233278931blind spotplace on the retina out where the optic nerve leaves the eye, no receptors (rods/cones) are located here
233278932cochleasnail-shaped structure in the inner ear; contains fluid that vibrate; attach the oval window and basilar membrane
233278933conesvisual receptor cells; located in retina; works best in bright light; responsible for viewing color; greatest density in the fovea
233278934convergencebinoculars cue; visual depth cue; muscles controlling eye movement as the eyes turned inward to view a nearby stimulus
233278935difference 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 systems
233278936bottom-up processingStarts with basic sensory information; transduction
233278937top-down processingConstructing perceptions based on our experiences and expectations
233278938selective attentionThe focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus, like the cocktail effect (notice your name in a crowd)
233278939inattentional blindnessfailing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere
233278940change blindnessfailing to notice changes in the environment.
233278941huecolor, or aspects of colors
233278942Iristhe color part of the eye; made of muscle that contracts/relaxes to control the size of the people allowing light to enter the eye
233278943kinesthesissense of muscle movement, posture, and strain on muscles/joints; provides information on speed and direction of movement; works with vestibular sense
233278944Lenstransparent 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 lens
233278945psychophysicsThe study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them.
233278946signal detection theoryStates that circumstances, experiences, expectations affect our thresholds
233278947subliminal perceptionSensory information that is detected without our conscious knowledge
233278948primingthe activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one's perception, memory, or response.
233278949sensory adaptationDiminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation.
233278950habituationdecreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation. As infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to a visual stimulus, their interest wanes and they look away sooner
233278951transductionConversion of one form of energy into another. In sensation, the transforming of stimulus energies into neural impulses.
233278952opponent-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)
233278953wavelengthThe distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next. Electromagnetic wavelengths vary from longer/red, shorter/blue
233278954optic nervebundle of axons from ganglion cells that carries messages from the eye to the brain
233278955IntensityThe amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we perceive as brightness or loudness, as determined by the wave's amplitude.
233278956irisA ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil opening.
233278957feature detectorsnerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movement.
233278958monocular cuesdepth cues, such as interposition and linear perspective, available to either eye alone.
233278959perceptionthe mental process of sorting, identifying, and arranging raw sensory data into meaningful patterns
233278960parallel processingThe processing of several aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain's natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision, hearing
233278962pitchauditory experience corresponding to the frequency of sound vibrations, resulting in a higher or lower tone
233278963place theorybrain determines pitch by the place on the basilar membrane, works best for high pitch
233278964pupilsmall opening in the center of the iris
233278965retinathe light-sensitive inner lining of the back of the eyeball; contains receptor cells (rods/cones)
233278966retinal disparitybinocular distance cue; based on the overlay of two retinal fields when both eyes focus on one object
233278967rodsvisual receptor cell; located in retina; respond to varying degrees of light and dark; responsible for night vision and peripheral vision
233278968perceptual accommodationin perception, the ability to adjust to an idea or mind set
233278969sensationthe raw data of experience; sensory stimulation; example are eyes only register light energy and ears only register wave energy
233278970foveaThe central focal point in the retina, around which the eye's cones cluster.
233278971size constancythe perception of an object as the same size regardless of the distance from which it is viewed; example someone height
233278972audtitionThe sense of hearing.
233278973frequencyThe number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time (for example, per second).
233278974middle 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.
233278975conduction hearing lossHearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea.
233278976sensorineural hearing lossHearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea's receptor cells or to the auditory nerves; also called nerve deafness.
233278977cochlear implanta device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve by electrodes threaded into the cochlea
233278978cochleaA coiled, bony, fluid-filled tude in the inner ear through which sound waves trigger nerve impulses.
233278979Young-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, blue
233278980inner earThe innermost part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs.
233278981Place theoryIn hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea's membrane is stimulated.
233278982Frequency 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.
233278983basilar membraneA membrane inside the cochlea which vibrates in response to sound and whose vibrations lead to activity in the auditory pathways.
233278984vestibular senseThe sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance.
233278985olfaction sensesense of smell
233278986taste budsgroups of cells located on the tongue that enable one to recognize different tastes (sweet, sour, bitter, salt)
233278987Weber's lawErnst Weber; the principle that accounts for how one notices the difference threshold for any change must be proportional
233278988Gate-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.
233278989Sensory interactionThe principle that one sense may influence another, as when the smell of food influences its taste.
233278990perceptual consistancyperceiving objects as unchanging (having consistent shapes, size, lightness, and color) even as illumination and retinal images change.
233278991David Hubel - Torsten Wieseldiscovered feature detector groups of neurons in the visual cortex that respond to different types of visual images
233278992Herman von HelmholtzTheorist who both aided in the development of the trichromatic theory of color perception and Place theory of pitch perception.
233278993Depth perceptionAbility to see objects in three dimension although the image that strike the retina are two-dimensional; allows us to judge distance
233278994Visual cliffLaboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals
233278995Phi phenomenonIllusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession
233278996Color constancyPerceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wave-lengths reflected by the object
233278997Perceptual adaptationIn vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field
233278998Perceptual setA mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another
233278999ParapsychologyStudy of paranormal phenomena, including ESP and psychokinesis
233279000Extrasensory perception (ESP)Controversial claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input; telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition
233279001AccommodationProcess by which the eye lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina

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