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Psychology chapter 5-6

AP

Terms

undefined, object
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depth perception
the ability to see objects in 3-D although the 2 images that strike the retina are 2-D; allows us to judge distance
inattentional blindness
failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere
waveleght
the 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.
vestibular sense
the sense of body movement and positionnn, including the sense of balance
cones
retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions. The cones detect fine details and give rise to color sensation
subliminal
below one's absolute threshold for conscious awareness
priming
the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one's perception, memory, or response.
blind spot
the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a "blind" spot because no receptor cells are located there.
opponent-process theory
theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, yellow-blue, b-w)enable color vision. For example, some cells are stimuated by green and inhibited by red and others are stimulated by red and inhibited by green.
acuity
sharpness of vision
grouping
the perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups
retina
the light-sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual information
feature detector
nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movement
gestalt
an organized whole. Gestalt psychologists emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of info into meaningful wholes
audition
the sense or act of hearing
gate-control theory
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 info coming from the brain.
transduction
conversion of one form of energy into another. In sensation, that transforming of stimulus energies, such as sightss, sounds, and smells, into neural impulses our brain can interpret.
difference threshold
the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50% of the time. We experience the difference threshold as a just noticeable difference.
intensity
the amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we percieve as brightness or loudness, as determined by the wave's amplitude.
random
random (answer): 8% diff intensity for lights, 2% diff in weight, and .3% diff between 2 tones. This are the ab. threshold for stimulus
pressure, warm, cold, pain
__, __, __, __ are the four distinct skin senses
farsightedness
condition where far away objects are seen more clearly than near objects because the image of near objects in focused behind the retina
retinal disparity
binocular cue for percieving depth, by comparing images from 2 eyebballs, the brain computed distance-the greater the disparitybetween the 2 images, the closer the objects
parallel processing
(pretty much means doing several things at once) processing of several aspects of a problem simulataneously; the brain's natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision. Contrasts with the step-by-step processing of most computers and of conscious problem solving
iris
a ring of muscle tissue thatt forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil opening
cochlea
a coiled, bony, fluid-like tube in the inner ear through which sound waves trigger never impulses
perceptual constancy
percieving objects as unchanging even as illumination and retinal images change
selective attention
the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus, as in the cocktail party effect(the ability to zone in on 1 voice)
color consistancy
percieving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object.
acomodation
the process where the eye's lens change shape to focus near or far objects on the retina
frequency
number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time(for example, per second)
Signal detection theory
predicts 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, motivations, and level of fatigue.
conduction hearing loss
hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea
Red is the only color not absorbed by the tomatoe (red is rejected whereas all the other colors are accepted)
objects appear to have colors because (Answering this question: why is a tomatoe red?)
Weber's law
the principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constart minimum percentage (rather than a constart amount)
Sensory Adaption
diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constart stimulation
psychophysics
the study of relationships between the physical charecteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our pyschological experience of them.
fovea
the central focal point in the retina, around which the eyes cones cluster.
phi phenomenon
an illusion of movement created when 2+ adjacent lights blink on and off in nquick succession
additive color mixing
process of adding wavelengths, like when green blue and red lights are shined, it appears white
sensation
the process where our sensory receptors and nervous system recieve and represent stimulus energies from our environment
sensineural hearing loss
hearing loss caused by damage to the chochlea's receptor cells or the auditory nerves; also called nerve deafness
decibels
measuring ubit for sound energy
absolute thresholds
the mimimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time.
30 minutes
how long before people's ability to catch a faint signal diminishes?
perception
the process of organizing and interpreting sensory info, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events
binocular cues
depth cues, such as retinal disparity and convergence, that depends on the use of 2 eyes
bottom-up processing
analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain's integration of sensory info.
Subtractive color mix
mixing paint is _________ because it subtracts wavelengths from the reflected lights.
prosopagnosia
a condition where one has complete sensation but incomplete perception
visula capture
the tendency for vision to dominate the other senses (like bracing ur self for a rollar coaster before its moving, or watching a movie where the sound is far away from screen but seeing noise coming from there)
place theory
in hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea's membrane is stimulated
middle ear
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 window.
frequency theory
in 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
kinesthesis
the system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts
nearsightedness
a condition where nearby objects are seen more clearly than distant objects because distant objects focus in front of the retina
pupil
small adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters
pitch
a tone's experienced highness or lowness; depends on frequency
figure-ground
the organization of visual field into objects (figures) that stand out against their surroundings (ground)
cornea
protects the eye and bends light to provide focus
optic nerve
the nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain.
hue
the dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of lights; aka blue, green, red, etc
top-down processing
info processing guided by higher-level mental processing, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations
random hearing
ears transform the vibrating air into nerve impulses, which our brain decondes as sound.
rods
retinal receptors that detect black, white and gray; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, when cones dont respond
Young-Helmholtz Trichromatic (3-color) theory
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 any color.
lens
transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina
cochlear implants
a device for converting sounds into rlrctrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through electroeds threaded into the cochlea

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