Physcology Chapter 3 - Sensation And Perception

Front 1

Absolute Threshold

Back 1

The minimum amount of energy in a sensory stimulus detected 50 percent of the time.

Front 2

Signal Detection Theory

Back 2

A theory that assumes that the detection of faint senory stimuli depends not only upon a person's physiological sensitivity to a stimulus but also upon his decision critterion for detection, which is based on nonsensory factors.

Front 3

Defference Theshold

Back 3

The minimum difference between two sensory stimuli detected 50 percent of the time. The difference threshold is also sometimes referred to as the use noticeable differene or jnd.

Front 4

Weber's law

Back 4

For each type of sensory judgment that we can make, the measured differnce threshold is a constang fraction of the standard stimulus valtia used to measur it. This constant reaction is different for each ytype of sensory judgment.

Front 5

Steven's power law

Back 5

The perceived magnitude of a stimulus is equal to its actual physicsical intensity raised to some constant power. The constant power is different for each type of sensory judgemnt.

Front 6

Sensory adaptation

Back 6

Our sensitivity to unchanging and repetitious stimuli disappears over time.

Front 7

Wavelength

Back 7

The distance in one cycle of awave, from one crest to the tnext.

Front 8

Amplitude

Back 8

The amount ot energy in a wave its intenisty whcih is the height of the wave at its crest.

Front 9

Frequency

Back 9

The number of times a wave cycles in one second.

Front 10

Transduction

Back 10

The conversion of physical enery into neutral signals that the brain can understnad.

Front 11

Accommodation

Back 11

The focusing of light waves from objects of different distances directly on the retina.

Front 12

Nearsightedness

Back 12

A visual problem in which the light aves from distant objects come into focus in front of the retina, blurring, the images of these objects.

Front 13

Farsightedness

Back 13

avisual problem in which the light waves from nearby objects come into focus behind the retina, blurring the images of these objects.

Front 14

Retina

Back 14

The light sensitive layer of the eye which is composed of three layer s of cells ganglion, bipolar, and receptor (rods and cones)

Front 15

Rods

Back 15

Receptor caells in the retina that are principally responsible for dim light and periphearl vision

Front 16

Cones

Back 16

Receptor cells in the retina that are principally responsible for bright light and color bision.

Front 17

Fovea

Back 17

A tiny pit in the center of the retina filled with cones

Front 18

Dark Adaptation

Back 18

The process by which the roofs and cones through internal chemical changes become more and more sensitve to light in dim light conditions.

Front 19

Trichromatic theory A

Back 19

A theory of color vision which assumes that there are three types of cones each only activated by wavelentg ranges of light corresponding roughtly to blue green and red. It further assujmes that all of the various colors that we can see are mixtures of various levels of activation of the three types of cones. If all three are equally activated, we see white.

Front 20

Additive Mixtures

Back 20

Direct mixtures o different wavelenghs of light in which all of the wavelengths reach the retina and are added together.

Front 21

Subtractive Mixtures

Back 21

Mixtures of vaelenthes of light which some wavelentggths are absorbed (subtracted) and so do not get reflected from the mixtures to the retina.

Front 22

Complementary Colors

Back 22

Wavelengths of light that when added together produce white.

Front 23

Opponent process theory

Back 23

a theory of color vision which assumes that there are three opponent process cell sstems (red green, blue yellow, and black white) which process color information after it has been processed by the cones. The colors in each system oppose one another in that if one color si stimulated, the other is inhibited.

Front 24

Hair cells

Back 24

The receptor cells for hearing. They line the basilar memgrane inside the cochlea.

Front 25

Nerve Deafness

Back 25

Hearing loss created by damgae to one of the structures in the ear responsible for mechanically conductiong the audtory information to the inner ear.

Front 26

Place theory

Back 26

A theory of pitch perceptoin, which assumes that there is a specific locatoin along the basilar membrane which will maximally respond to a particular frequency thereby indicating the pitch to the brain. As this location goes down the basilar membrane from the oval window, the pitch goes down from 20000 Hz to 20 Hz.

Front 27

Frequency Theory

Back 27

A theory of pictuch perception which assumes that the frequecny of the sound wave is mimick ed by the fireing rate of the entire asiilar membrane.

Front 28

Volley principle

Back 28

Cells taking turns firing will increase the maximum firing rate for a group of cells.

Front 29

Sensation

Back 29

The initial information gathering and recoding by the sensory structures.

Front 30

Subtractive Mixtures

Back 30

Mixtures of vaelenthes of light which some wavelentggths are absorbed (subtracted) and so do not get reflected from the mixtures to the retina.

Front 31

Perception

Back 31

The interpretation by the brain of sensory information

Front 32

Complementary Colors

Back 32

Wavelengths of light that when added together produce white.

Front 33

Opponent process theory

Back 33

a theory of color vision which assumes that there are three opponent process cell sstems (red green, blue yellow, and black white) which process color information after it has been processed by the cones. The colors in each system oppose one another in that if one color si stimulated, the other is inhibited.

Front 34

Hair cells

Back 34

The receptor cells for hearing. They line the basilar memgrane inside the cochlea.

Front 35

Nerve Deafness

Back 35

Hearing loss created by damgae to one of the structures in the ear responsible for mechanically conductiong the audtory information to the inner ear.

Front 36

Place theory

Back 36

A theory of pitch perceptoin, which assumes that there is a specific locatoin along the basilar membrane which will maximally respond to a particular frequency thereby indicating the pitch to the brain. As this location goes down the basilar membrane from the oval window, the pitch goes down from 20000 Hz to 20 Hz.

Front 37

Frequency Theory

Back 37

A theory of pictuch perception which assumes that the frequecny of the sound wave is mimick ed by the fireing rate of the entire asiilar membrane.

Front 38

Volley principle

Back 38

Cells taking turns firing will increase the maximum firing rate for a group of cells.

Front 39

Sensation

Back 39

The initial information gathering and recoding by the sensory structures.

Front 40

Perception

Back 40

The interpretation by the brain of sensory information

Front 41

Bottom up processing

Back 41

The processing of incoming sensory information as it travels up from the sensory strucurs to the brain.

Front 42

Top down processing

Back 42

The brain's use of knowlege, beliefs, and expectations to interpret sensory infromation.

Front 43

Perceptual set

Back 43

The interpretation of ambiguous sensory information in terms of how our past experiency have set us to perceive it.

Front 44

Contetual effect

Back 44

the use of the pressent context of sensory info to determine its meaning.

Front 45

Figure and ground principle

Back 45

the gestalt perceptual orgainiztionlal principle that the brain orgainizes sensory info into a figure or figures (the center of attention) and ground (the less distinct background)

Front 46

Closure

Back 46

The gestalt perceptual orgaizational principle that the braine completes (closes incomplete figures to form meaningful objects.

Front 47

Subjective Contour

Back 47

A line or shape that is perceived to be present but does not really exist. The brain creates it during perception.

Front 48

Perceptual Constancy

Back 48

The perceptual stability of the sie, shape, brightenss, and color for familiar objects seen at varying distances, different angien, and under different lighting conditions.

Front 49

Depth perception

Back 49

Our ability to perceive the distance of objects form us.

Front 50

Retinal disparity

Back 50

A binocular depth cue referring to the fact that as the disparity (difference) between the two retinal images of an object increases, the distance of teh object fomr us decrease.

Front 51

Retinal Disparity

Back 51

A binocular Depth cue referring to the fact taht as the dispartiy (difference) between the two retinal images of an object increases, the distance of the object from us decreases.

Front 52

Linear perspcetive

Back 52

A monocular depth cue referring to the fact that as parallel lines recede away from us, they appear to converge the greater distance, the more they seem to converge.

Front 53

Interposition

Back 53

A monocular depth cue referring to the fact that if one object partially bolcks our view of another, we percieve it as closer to us.