CH4:Sensation & Perception

genetic disorder that prevents an individual from discriminating certain colors

vision usually dominates when there is a conflict between senses

modified neurons (rods & cones) that convert light energy to electrochemical neural impulses at the retina

tiny area of sharpest vision in the retina

the point where the optic nerve exits the eye and where there are no photorecpetors, any stimulus that falls on this area cannot be seen

focused awarness if only a limited aspect of all you are capable of experiencing

perceptual analysis that emphasizes characteristics of the stimulus, rather than our concepts & expectations

perceptual analysis that emphasizes the perceiver's expectations, concept memories, & other cognitive factors

"laws" suggest how our brains prefer to group stimulus elements together to form a percept

gestalt principle that we tend to group similar objects together in our perceptions

gestalt principle that we tend to group objects together when they are near eachother

gestalt principle that we prefer perceptions if connected and continuous figures to disconnected and disjointed ones

gestalt principle that we tend to group similar objects together that share a common motion of destination

information taken in by both eyes that aids in depth perception

information about depth that relies on the input of just one eye

rediness to detect a particular stimulus in a given context

part of a pattern that does not command attention; the background

gestalt principle that identifies the tendency to fill gaps in figures & to see incomplete figures as complete

perception is shaped by innate factors built into the brain

part of a pattern that commands attention, stands out against the ground

the ability to recognize the same object as remaining "constant" under different conditions

chemical signals released by organisms to communicate with other members of their species

sense of taste

maintains that minimum threshold varies with fatigue, attention, expectations, motivations, & emotional distress & from one person to another

recieving messages below one's absolute threshold

a transparent, curves layer in the front of the eye that bend incoming light rays

colored muscle surrounding the pupil that regulates the size of the pupil opening

small adjustable opening in the iris that is smaller in bright light & larger in darkness

the idea that cells in the visual system process colors in complementary pairs

the idea that colors are sensed by three different types of cones sensative to light in the red, blue, & green wave lengths

minimum difference between any two stimuli that a person can detect 50% of the time

structure behind the pupil that changes shape

tiny part of the electromagnetic spectrum to which our eyes are sensative

entire range of electromagnetic energy including radio waves, X rays, microwaves, & visible light

the weakest level of a stimulus that can be correctly detected at least 50% the time

process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting sensations, enabling you to recognize meaningful objects & events

bundle of neurons that carries visual information from the retina to the brain

process by which you detect physical energy from you environment & encode it as neural signals

transformation of the form of energy into another

photorecpetors in the retina that are especially sensative to colors but not to dim light

photoreceptors that detect black, white, & gray movement, sensitive to dim light

difference thresholds increase in proportion to the size of the stimulus

experience of the difference threshold

light sensative surface in the back of the eye containing rods & cones that transduce light energy

temporary decrease in sensitivity to a stimulus that occurs when stimulation is unchanging

the study of the relationship between physical energy & psychological experience

thin strip of tissue sensitive to vibrations in the cochlea, contains hair cells connected to neurons

cells in the cortex that specialize in extracting certain features of a stimulus

a sensory characteristic of sound produced by the amplitude (intensity) of the sound wave

• the sense of body orientation with respect to gravity
• receptor sites: three semicircular canals in inner ear

axons of neurons in the cochlea that transmit sound messages to the auditory cortex of the temporal lobe

eardrum

an explanation for pain control that proposes we have a neural "gate" that can block incoming signal pain, in spinal cord

sense of smell

the quality of a sound wave that derives from the wave's complexity

a sensory characteristic of sound produced by the frequency of the sound wave

• sensory systems for processing touch, warmth, cold, texture, & pain
• receptor site:nerve endings
• connected to somatosensory cortex in the brain's parietal lobe

• primary organ of hearing
• a coiled tube in the inner ear where sound waves are transducted into nerve messages

sensations that linger after the stimulus

• physical strength of a wave
• determines loudness
• measured by decibels

• overall orientation
• controls voluntary & somatic nervous system
• receptor sites: muscles & joints

occurs when the hair cells in the cochlea are damged usually by a loud noise, problem in inner ear

an inability to hear resulting from damage to structures of the middle or inner ear

• number of cycles completed by a wave in a given amount of time (length of a wave)
• determines pitch
• measured in megahertz

the process by which you determine the location of sound