Chapter 5 Vocab

Front 1

Psychophysics

Back 1

The study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their psychological intensity and our psychological experience of them.

Front 2

Absolute threshold

Back 2

The minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time.

Front 3

Signal detection theory

Back 3

A theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus amid background stimulation assumes that there is no single absolute threshold and that detection depends partly on a person's expectation, motivation, and level of fatigue.

Front 4

Subliminal

Back 4

Below one's absolute threshold for conscious awareness.

Front 5

Difference threshold

Back 5

The minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time. We experience the difference threshold as a just noticeable difference.

Front 6

Weber's law

Back 6

The principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage (rather than a constant amount)

Front 7

Sensory adaptation

Back 7

Diminished sensitivity as a consquence of constant stimulation

Front 8

Transduction

Back 8

Conversion of one form of energy to another. In sensation the tranforming of stimulus energies into neural impulses.

Front 9

Wavelength

Back 9

The distance from one wave length to the next

Front 10

Hue

Back 10

The dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light

Front 11

Intensity

Back 11

The amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we perceive as brightness or loudness, as determined by the wave's amplitude

Front 12

Pupil

Back 12

The adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters.

Front 13

Iris

Back 13

A ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil.

Front 14

Lens

Back 14

The transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina

Front 15

Accommodation

Back 15

The process by which the eye's lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina.

Front 16

Retina

Back 16

The light sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones plus layers if neurons that begin the prcoessing of visual information.

Front 17

Acuity

Back 17

The sharpness of vision

Front 18

Nearsightedness

Back 18

A condition in which nearby objects are seen more clearly that distant objects because distant objects focus in front of the retina.

Front 19

Farsightedness

Back 19

A condition in which faraway objects are seen more clearly than near objects because the image of near objects is focused behind the retina.

Front 20

Rods

Back 20

Retinal receptors that detect black, white, and grey; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, wheb comes don't respond.

Front 21

Cones

Back 21

Receptor cells that arr concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions. They detect fine detail and give rise to color sensations.