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36 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Sensation vs. perception |
Sensation is the act of using our sensory systems to detect environmental stimuli Perception is the conscious recognition and identification of sensory stimuli |
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Sensory transduction |
the process of converting a specific form of environmental stimuli into neural impulses |
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Synesthesia |
involuntary intermixing of sensory systems; "joined perception" (eg. number 9 is always interpreted as turquoise) |
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Psychophysics |
-Combines psychology and physics -studies the relationship between physical characteristics of stimuli and the sensory capabilities |
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Absolute threshold Difference threshold/noticeable difference |
The minimum amount of stimulus needed to be detected by an individual The minimal difference between two stimuli necessary for detection of a difference between the two |
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Signal-detection theory* Weber's law* |
Divides the detection of a sensory signal into a sensory process and a decision process
The just noticeable difference is directly proportional to the magnitude of the stimulus with which the comparison is made (e.g. 1/50 for weight) A difference of 2% before you can notice the difference for weight. |
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Sensory adaption |
the process whereby repeated stimulation of a sensory cell leads to a reduced response (e.g.. scent in a room fading after a long period of time in it) |
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Bottom-up vs. Top-down processing |
Bottom-up processing is perception that proceeds by transducing environmental stimuli into neural impulses that move successfully into more complex regions of the brain Top-down processing is perception processes lead by cognitive processes, such as memory or expectations (Eg. seeing a UFO if you believe in them may be perceived as something different for someone who doesn't) |
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Perceptual set Sensory adaption (Light/dark adaption) |
readiness to interpret a certain stimulus in a certain way |
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Odorants Pheromones Menstrual synchronicity |
airborne chemicals that are detected as odours chemicals secreted in our sweat/other bodily fluids that are believed to influence behaviour of opposite sex, such as triggering sexual interest/excitement. Theory that the menstrual cycle of women in close proximity will have similar timings |
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5 major kinds of taste receptors |
1) Sweet 2) Sour 3) Bitter 4) Salty 5) Umani (MSG) |
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Differences known between taste and smell |
-Humans vary greatly in their ability to detect odour -Females are generally more sensitive to smell (particularly around the time of ovulation) -researchers group people in 3 groups with respect to taste sensitivity; non-tasters (25%) medium tasters (50%) super tasters (25%) -These differences are caused by diverse areas of concentrated taste buds |
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Anosmia Ageusia |
the inability to smell the inability to taste |
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Free nerve endings |
Sensory receptors that convert physical stimuli into touch, pressure, or pain impulses |
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Frequency Pitch |
-The number of cycles the wave completes in a certain amount of time (measured in hertz; cycles per second) -The frequency of a sound wave is responsible for its pitch; the degree of highness/lowness of a tone |
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Amusia Cocktail party effect |
tone-deaf brain can filter out many sounds that are not important, even if they're relatively loud (e.g. carrying a conversation at a noisy party) |
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Cues used to localize sound |
1) General loudness; loud sounds are usually closer to us than quiet ones 2)Loudness in each ear; the ear closer to the sound hears a louder noise 3)Timing; sound waves reach ear closer to the source of sound than the opposing ear 4)Sensory system; vision |
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2 physical characteristics of sound waves |
1)Frequency; number of a cycles a wave completes per second (Hertz Hz) produces pitch 2)Amplitude; strength of a given cycle (loudness/decibels dB) |
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2 major causes of deafness |
1)Genetic 2)physical trauma 3)infections 4)exposure to chemicals 5)abnormalities in auditory system |
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Tinnitus |
Ringing in the ear |
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Blind spot |
the location where optic nerve is completely lacking rods/cones (no visual receptors to respond to light) |
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Dimensions of colour |
1)Hue;whichever way the wavelength is bending produces a colour e.g. green, blue (most basic aspect) 2)Saturation;purity of a colour. How bright/vivid/dull it appears 3)Brightness;how much light reflected/emanates from visual stimulus |
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Young-helmholtz trichromatic theory |
Theory: There are 3 receptors for colour and each type responds to different range of wavelengths. 1)Yellowish-red wavelengths 2)Green 3)Bluish-purple |
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Opponent process theory |
Theory: Colour pairs work together to inhibit one another in perception of colour. Information is analyzed in antagonistic colour pairs |
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Visual agnosia Prosopagnosia Hemi-neglect |
The inability to recognize images visually The inability to recognize faces Completely disregard one side of their visual-field |
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Gestalt principles of form perception |
Our brains are organized to fill missing parts so we can perceive and recognize meaningful stimuli 1)Figure ground;tendency to perceive one aspect as the figure and other as background 2)Proximity;objects physically close together are grouped together 3)continuity;objects that continue a pattern are grouped together 4)closure;the tendency to see a finished unit from an incomplete stimulus 5)Similarity;similar objects grouped together |
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Perceptual constancies of shape/size |
tendency to view objects as unchanging in some ways, even though the actual visual stimulus we receive are constantly shifting Colour constancy;we perceive colour as unchanging even though the light waves are always fluctuating with intensity Size constancy;once learned a size of an object we expect it to stay the same no matter what size the distance makes it appear Shape constancy;we expect shapes to stay the same no matter what angle distorts the image |
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Difference of monocular/binocular cues to perception |
Monocular cues are visual clues about depth and distance that can be perceived using info from one eye exp. relative height (objects higher in our visual plane are seen as farther away) texture gradient (see more details when object is closer) Clarity (see objects closer with more clarity than far away Binocular cues are visual cues about depth and distance exp. retinal disparity (brains use discrepancies between visual info received from both eyes to judge distance) tactile (feel changes of muscles around eyes as we shift to look at various distances) |
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binocular/retinal disparity |
Because our eyes are slightly apart we don't see the exact same thing with each eye. (the slightly different stimuli recorded by retina) |
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Convergence |
inward movement of eyes to view objects close to oneself |
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Size illusion |
The moon illusion: the moon stays the same size all the time, but when we view it close to the horizon, it appears much bigger than when we see it farther from the horizon |
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Muller-lyer & ponzo illusions |
Muller-lyer: /\ \/ take advantage of linear perspective ! ! ! ! \/ /\ Ponzo: train tracks (lines converge) |
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Kinesthetic/vestibular sense |
kinesthetic sense: tells us whether we are still or moving in a particular direction without having to look Vestibular sense: matches body movement and location info with visual info provided by eyes |
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Gate control theory of pain |
Ronald Melzack & Patrick Wall (Canadians) suggests that some patterns of neural activity can actually create a "gate" that prevents messages from reaching parts of the brain where they are perceived as pain. |
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Neuromatrix theory of pain |
neuromatrix theory of pain (Canadian) Ronald Melzack 1980s attempted to explain the strange phenomenon of “phantom limb” pain, this phenomenon shows that pain is not generated by a one-way system. Melzack’s proposed pain is generated by neural activity in a network composed of several different structures in brain, and this network can generate pain even when there is no sensory stimulus to trigger it.
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Biopsychosocial approach to pain |
health is best understood in terms of a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors rather than purely in biological terms.
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