Chapter 3 - Sensation, Perception, And Conscious Experience

Front 1

sensation

Back 1

The process of receiving sensory data from the environment and translating it to the brain.

Front 2

receptor cell

Back 2

A specialized cell that responds to a particular type of energy.

Front 3

absolute threshold

Back 3

The least amount of energy that can be detected as a stimulation 50 percent of the time.

Front 4

adaptation

Back 4

An adjustment of the senses to the level of stimulation they are receiving.

Front 5

difference threshold or just-noticeable difference (jnd)

Back 5

The smallest change in stimulation that can be detected 50 percent of the time.

Front 6

Weber's law

Back 6

The principle that the jnd for any given sense is a constant fraction or proportion of the stimulation being judged.

Front 7

cornea

Back 7

The transparent protective coating over the front part of the eye.

Front 8

pupil

Back 8

A small opening in the iris through which light enters the eye.

Front 9

iris

Back 9

The colored part of the eye that regulates the size of the pupil.

Front 10

lens

Back 10

The transparent part of the eye behind the pupil that focuses light onto the retina.

Front 11

retina

Back 11

The lining of the eye containing receptor cells that are sensitive to light.

Front 12

fovea

Back 12

The area of the retina that is the center of the visual field.

Front 13

rods

Back 13

Receptor cells in the retina responsible for night vision and perception of brightness.

Front 14

cones

Back 14

Receptor cells in the retina responsible for color vision.

Front 15

bipolar cells

Back 15

Neurons that have only one axon and one dendrite; in the eye, these neurons connect the receptors on the retina to the ganglion cells.

Front 16

visual acuity

Back 16

The ability to distinguish fine details visually.

Front 17

dark adaptation

Back 17

Increased sensitivity of rods and cones in darkness.

Front 18

light adaptation

Back 18

Decreased sensitivity of rods and cones in bright light.

Front 19

afterimage

Back 19

Sensory experience that occurs after a visual stimulus has been removed.

Front 20

ganglion cells

Back 20

Neurons that connect the bipolar cells in the eyes to the brain.

Front 21

optic nerve

Back 21

The bundle of axons of ganglion cells that carries neural messages from each eye to the brain.

Front 22

blind spot

Back 22

The place on the retina where the axons of all the ganglion cells leave the eye and where there are no receptors.

Front 23

optic chiasm

Back 23

The point near the base of the brain where some fibers in the optic nerve from each eye cross to the other side of the brain.

Front 24

feature detectors

Back 24

Specialized brain cells that only respond to particular elements in the visual field such as movement or lines of specific orientation.

Front 25

additive color mixing

Back 25

The process of mixing lights of different wavelengths to create new hues.

Front 26

trichromatic theory

Back 26

The theory of color vision that holds that all color perception derives from three different color receptors in the retina (usually red, green, and blue receptors).

Front 27

color blindness

Back 27

Partial or total inability to perceive hues.

Front 28

opponent-process theory

Back 28

Theory of color vision that holds that three sets of color receptors (yellow-blue, red-green, black-white) respond to determine the color you experience.

Front 29

sound

Back 29

A psychological experience created by the brain in response to changes in air pressure that are received by the auditory system.

Front 30

sound waves

Back 30

Changes in pressure caused when molecules of air or fluid collide with one another and then move apart again.

Front 31

frequency

Back 31

The number of cycles per second in a wave; in sound, the primary determinant of pitch.

Front 32

pitch

Back 32

Auditory experience corresponding primarily to frequency of sound vibrations, resulting in a higher or lower tone.

Front 33

amplitude

Back 33

The magnitude of a wave; in sound, the primary determinant of loudness.

Front 34

timbre

Back 34

The quality or texture of sound; cause by overtones.

Front 35

oval window

Back 35

Membrane across the opening between the middle ear and inner ear that conducts vibrations to the cochlea.

Front 36

cochlea

Back 36

Part of the inner ear containing fluid that can vibrate, which in turn causes the basilar membrane to vibrate.

Front 37

basilar membrane

Back 37

Membrane in the cochlea of the inner ear that responds to vibrations; it contains sense receptors for sound.

Front 38

organ of Corti

Back 38

Structure on the surface of the basilar membrane that contains the receptor cells for hearing.

Front 39

auditory nerve

Back 39

The bundle of axons that carries signals from each ear to the brain.

Front 40

olfactory bulb

Back 40

The smell center of the brain.

Front 41

pheromones

Back 41

Chemicals that communicate information to other organisms through smells.

Front 42

taste buds

Back 42

Structures on the tongue that contain the receptor cells for taste.

Front 43

kinesthetic senses

Back 43

Senses of muscle movement, posture, and strain on muscles or joints.

Front 44

stretch receptors

Back 44

Receptors that sense muscle stretch and contraction.

Front 45

Golgi tendon organs

Back 45

Receptors that sense movement of the tendons, which connect muscles to bone.

Front 46

vestibular senses

Back 46

The senses of equilibrium and body position in space.

Front 47

gate-control theory

Back 47

The theory that a "neurological gate" in the spinal cord controls the transmission of pain messages to the brain.

Front 48

biopsychosocial theory

Back 48

The theory that the interaction of biological, psychological, and cultural factors influences the intensity and duration of pain.

Front 49

perception

Back 49

The brain's interpretation of sensory information so as to give it meaning.

Front 50

perceptual constancy

Back 50

A tendency to perceive objects as stable and unchanging despite changes in sensory stimulation.

Front 51

size constancy

Back 51

The perception of an object as the same size regardless of the distance from which it is viewed.

Front 52

shape constancy

Back 52

A tendency to see an object as the same shape no matter what angle it is viewed from.

Front 53

monocular cues

Back 53

Visual cues requiring the use of one eye.

Front 54

binocular cues

Back 54

Visual cues requiring the use of both eyes.

Front 55

interposition

Back 55

Monocular distance cue in which one object, by partly blocking a second object, is perceived as being closer.

Front 56

perspective

Back 56

Monocular distance and depth cues that involve the convergence of lines, the haziness of images, and the relative elevation of objects.

Front 57

texture gradient

Back 57

Monocular cue to distance and depth based on the fact that objects seen at greater distances appear to be smoother and less textured.

Front 58

shadowing

Back 58

Monocular cue to distance and depth based on the fact that shadows often appear on the part of objects that are more distant.

Front 59

motion parallax

Back 59

Monocular distance cue in which objects closer than the point of visual focus seem to move in the direction opposite to the viewer's moving head, and objects beyond the focus point appear to move in the same direction as the viewer's head.

Front 60

stereoscopic vision

Back 60

Combination of two retinal images to give a three-dimensional perceptual experience.

Front 61

retinal disparity

Back 61

Binocular distance cue based on the difference between the images cast on the two retinas when both eyes are focused on the same object.

Front 62

convergence

Back 62

A visual depth cue that comes from muscles controlling eye movement as the eyes turn inward to view a nearby stimulus.

Front 63

monaural cue

Back 63

Cue to sound location that requires just one ear.

Front 64

binaural cue

Back 64

Cue to sound location that involves both ears working together.

Front 65

consciousness

Back 65

Our awareness of how we think, feel, perceive, and experience the world.

Front 66

waking consciousness

Back 66

Mental state that encompasses the thoughts, feelings, and perceptions that occur when we are awake and reasonably alert.

Front 67

altered state of consciousness

Back 67

Mental states that differ noticeably from normal waking consciousness.

Front 68

daydreams

Back 68

Apparently effortless shifts in attention away from the here and now into a private world of make-believe.

Front 69

circadian rhythm

Back 69

A regular biological rhythm with a period of approximately 24 hours.

Front 70

REM (paradoxical) sleep

Back 70

Sleep stage characterized by rapid-eye movements and increased dreaming.

Front 71

non-REM (NREM) sleep

Back 71

Non-rapid-eye-movement stages of sleep that alternate with REM stages during the sleep cycle.

Front 72

insomnia

Back 72

Sleep disorder characterized by difficulty in falling asleep or remaining asleep throughout the night.

Front 73

nightmares

Back 73

Frightening dreams that occur during REM sleep and are remembered.

Front 74

night terrors

Back 74

Frightening, often terrifying dreams that occur during NREM sleep from which a person is difficult to awaken and doesn't remember the content.

Front 75

apnea

Back 75

Sleep disorder characterized by breathing difficulty during the night and feelings of exhaustion during the day.

Front 76

narcolepsy

Back 76

Hereditary sleep disorder characterized by sudden nodding off during the day and sudden loss of muscle tone, often following moments of emotional excitement.

Front 77

dreams

Back 77

Vivid visual and auditory experiences that occur primarily during REM periods of sleep.

Front 78

psychoactive drugs

Back 78

Chemical substances that change moods and perceptions.

Front 79

substance abuse

Back 79

A pattern of drug use that diminishes the ability to fulfill responsibilities at home, work, or school; that results in repeated use of a drug in dangerous situations; or that leads to legal difficulties related to drug use.

Front 80

substance dependence

Back 80

A pattern of compulsive drug-taking that results in tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, or other specific symptoms for at least a year.

Front 81

depressants

Back 81

Chemicals that slow down the action of the nervous system and its associated behaviors and cognitive processes.

Front 82

stimulants

Back 82

Chemicals that speed up the action of the nervous system and its associated behaviors and cognitive processes.

Front 83

hallucinogens

Back 83

Chemicals that produce a significant disruption in waking consciousness.

Front 84

meditation

Back 84

Any of the various methods of concentration, reflection, or focusing of thoughts undertaken to suppress the activity of the sympathetic nervous system.

Front 85

hypnosis

Back 85

Trancelike state in which a person responds readily to suggestions.