Psych chp. 6/3

any aspect of the world that could potentially affect our behavior or conscious experience

the process by which sensory receptors recieve and represent stimuli

transferring genetic material from one cell to another 

the process of organizing, recognizing, and interpretting sensory information

can look at the face but can't recognize it

"face blindness"

starts with elements and builds the whole

sensation --> perception

experience, knowledge, and expectations guide the process

expectation --> perception

minimum amount of stimulation that can be detected 50% of the time

change in the stimulus that will be noticeable is a constant ratio of the original stimulus

frequency and color

height of wave and brightness

light enters the through this clear, protective structure

the light passes through this after ther cornea 

light rays are focused on the back of the eye by the

sees colors, and are used to see in the fine detail

sees darkness, and helps with peripheral vision

cones are located here and the visual notice is really high

the 3 colors (red, blue, green) all mis with each other in their cones to make certain colors

• blue/yellow perception
• red/green perception
• shows the opposites

the opposite of colors stay after the image is gone and the color switches

tight membrane that vibrates in response to sound waves

inner ear contains a coiled, fluid-filled tube called

line the surface of the cochlea and they bend and transduce sound waves into action potentials

sense of the position and movement of your body parts

detects the position and movement of your body parts

receptors for pain and they send signals down two different pathways

sensitively to pain is influenced by the opening or closing of neuroligical "gates" in the spinal cord

• salty
• sweet
• bitter
• sour
• umami

influence of one sense on another

cross sensory experience

theory that synthesia is normal in infancy

tendency to group some sensations into "figure" that stands out against background

grouping together with rows/lines of the same object

group together with color and shapes

path ways and going the way that seems right

finishing a picture with holes in it automatically

• perception of uniform/ linked spots, lines or areas;
• they appear to be in 1 single unit

• due to eyes inches apart the brain sees different pictures cause if the retina moving
• increases with distance

with close objects the eyes are angled inward ad its a total different image due to retina lengths and it decreases over distance

parallel lines strectch to the horizon, as they connect it means it is farther away

fine detail is up close and when it gets blurry it means it's far away

blocking the view of something else which puts it closer

higher in visual field= further away

• brighter= closer to light source
• dim= futher away

despite different images hitting out retinas, we typically experience objects as having consistent shapes, sizes, brightness, and color

ability to adjust to a displaced or inverted visual field

readiness or expectancy to perceive a stimulus a certain way

the contraversal claim that perception can occur part from sensory input, includes teepathy, clauroyance, and prerecognition

conscious and unconscious attention when letting things into the brain

automatically coming in

only focus on 1 thing at a time

• two messages, one in each ear
• shadow one and ignore the other

ability to pay attention to only one voice among many

failure to see visible objects when attention is preoccupied

24 hour biological clock

hormone involved in sleep

sensory experiences that occur w/o a sensory stimulus

breif bursts of brain activity that occur during stage 2

stage 3+4/ slow+large

90 min. in sleep; eyes darting and brain waves resemble those of stage 1 + wakefulness

lengthening and increasing frequency and depth of REM sleep which occurs after sleep deprivation

keep us from being active during dangerous times

recharge, recover from physical/ mental fatigue

transfer information into long term memory

• impaired function of immune system
• obesity
• increased susceptibility to mistakes

persistant difficulty to fall and stay asleep

uncontrollable sleep attacks

stop breathing during sleep; usually has to do with obesity

• extreme friht; rapid heart beat and breathing
• happens during stage 4

remembered story line of dream

underlying manifest of dreaming

making sense of random neural activity

stimulate meurons; prevent atrophy

memory consolidation

state of heightened ability

suggestion made to a bypnotised person that is specified to an action that could happen after being out of the trance

suggests that hypnosis is simply an extension of normal social behavior, rather than an altered state of consciousness

split of consciousness which allows some thoughts/actions to occur simutamously with others

drugs that alter moods and perceptions

diminishing effect of a drug with the regular use of a dose

person uses a drug to avoid withdrawal effects

person continues to take drug to relieve negative emotions

• reduce activity of nervous system
• slow body functions
• ex. alcohol, barbituates(tranquilizers), opiates (opium, morphine, herion)

• excile neural activity, speeds up body functions
• ex. methamphetamine, caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, MDMA (ecstacy)

• distort perception, may evoke hallucinations
• ex. LSD (acid), THC (marijuana)

documented effects of heredity on use of alcohol

stress, depression, hopelessness, anger, anxiety

peer influence (affects attitudes as well as availibility of drugs)