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70 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
sensation
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the process of detecting a physical stimulus, such as light, sound, heat, or pressure.
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Perception
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the process of integrating, organizing, and interpreting sensations.
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sensory receptors
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specialized cells unique to each sense organ that respond to a particular form of sensory stimulation.
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transduction
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the process by which a form of physical energy is converted into a coded neuronal signal that can be processed by the nervous system.
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absolute threshold
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the smallest possible strength of a stimulus that can be detected half the time.
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Subliminal perception
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the detection of stimuli that are below the threshold of conscious awareness; non-conscious perception
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mere exposure effect
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the finding that repeated exposure to a stimulus increases a person's preference for that stimulus.
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Difference threshold
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the smallest possible difference between two stimuli that can be detected half the time; also called just noticeable difference.
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Weber's law
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the principle of sensation that holds that the size of the just noticeable difference will vary depending on its relation to the strength of the original stimulus.
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Sensory adaptation
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the decline and sensitivity to a constant stimulus. An example being a strong odor such as garlic being able to smell it for a few seconds and then not being able to smell after a few seconds is an example of sensory adaptation.
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Cornea
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a clear membrane covering the visible part of the eye that helps gather and direct incoming light.
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Pupil
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the opening in the middle of the iris that changes size to let different amounts of light in.
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lens
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a transparent structure located behind the pupil that actively focuses, or bends, light as it enters the eye.
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Iris
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the colored part of the eye, which is the muscle that controls the size of the pupil.
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Accommodation
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the process by which the lens changes shape to focus incoming light so that it falls on the retina.
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Retina
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a thin, light sensitive membrane located at the back of the eye that contains the sensory receptors for vision.
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Rods
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the long, thin, blunt sensory receptors of the eye that are highly sensitive to light, but not to color, and that are primarily responsible for peripheral vision and night vision.
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Cones
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the short, thick, pointed sensory receptors of the eye that detect color and are responsible for color vision and visual acuity.
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Fovea
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a small area in the center of the retina, composed entirely of cones, where visual information is most sharply focused.
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Optic disc
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area of the red now without riser columns, where the optic nerve exits of the back of the eye.
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Blind spot
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the point at which the optic nerve leaves that leaves the eye, producing a small gap in the field of vision.
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ganglion cells
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in the retina, the specialized neurons that connect to the bipolar cells; the bundled axons of the ganglion cells form the optic nerve.
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Bipolar cells
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in the retina, the specialized neurons that connect the rods and the cones with the ganglion cells.
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Optic nerve
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the thick nerve that exits from the back of the eye and carries visual information to the visual cortex in the brain.
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Optic chiasm
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point in the brain where the optic nerve fibers from eye meet and partly cross over to the opposite side of the brain.
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color
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the perceptual experience of different wavelengths of light, involving hue, saturation, and brightness.
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saturation
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the property of color that corresponds to the purity of the lightwave
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brightness
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the perceived intensity of a color, which corresponds to the amplitude of the lightwave.
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Trichromatic theory of color vision
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the theory that the sensation of color results because cones in the retina are especially sensitive to red light green light or blue light.
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Color blindness
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one of several inherited forms of color deficiency or weakness in which an individual cannot distinguish between certain colors.
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Opponent process theory of color vision
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the theory that light color vision is a product of opposing pairs of color receptors, red – green, blue – yellow, and black – white;when one member of a color pair is stimulated the other member is inhibited.
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Audition
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the technical term for the sense of hearing
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loudness
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the intensity (or amplitude) of a sound wave, measured in decibels.
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Amplitude
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the intensity or amount of energy of a wave, reflected in the height of a wave; the amplitude of a sound wave determines a sounds loudness.
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Decibel
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the unit of measurement for loudness.
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Pitch
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the relative highness or lowness of a sound, determined by the frequency of a sound wave.
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Frequency
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the rate of vibration, or the number of sound waves per second.
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Timbre
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the distinctive quality of a sound, determined by the complexity of the sound wave
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eardrum
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a tightly stretched membrane at the end of the ear canal that vibrates when hit by soundwaves.
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Middle ear
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the part of the year that amplifies sound waves; consists of three small bones: the hammer, the end bill, and the stirrup
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inner ear
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the part of the year were sound is transduced into neural impulses; consists of the cochlea and semicircular canals.
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Cochlea
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the coiled, fluid – filled inner ear structure that contains the basilar membrane and hair cells
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basilar membrane
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the membrane within the cochlea of the ear that contains the hair cells
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hair cells
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the hairlike sensory receptors for sound, which are embedded in the basilar membrane of the cochlea
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olfaction
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technical name for the sense of smell
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Gustation
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technical name for the sense of taste
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olfactory bulb
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the enlarged ending of the olfactory cortex at the front of the brain where the sensation of smell is registered
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pheromones
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chemical signals released by an animal that communicate information and affect the behavior of other animals of the same species.
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Tastebuds
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the specialized sensory receptors for taste that are located on the tongue and inside the mouth and throat
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pain
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the unpleasant sensation physical discomfort or suffering that can occur in varying degrees of intensity
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nociceptors
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specialized sensory receptors for pain and that are found in the skin, muscles, and internal organs
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substance P
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a neurotransmitter that is involved in the transmission of pain messages to the brain
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gate – control theory of pain
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the theory that pain is a product of both physiological and psychological factors that cause spinal Gates to open and relay patterns of intense stimulation to the brain, which perceive them as pain
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kinesthetic sense
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the technical name for the sense of location and position of body parts in relation to one another
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proprioceptors
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sensory receptors, located in the muscles and joints, that provide information about body position and movements
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bottom-up processing
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information processing that emphasizes the importance of the sensory receptors in detecting the basic features of a stimulus in the process of recognizing a whole pattern; analysis that moves from the parts to the whole; also called data driven processing
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top-down processing
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information processing that emphasizes the importance of the observer's knowledge, expectations, and other cognitive processes in arriving at meaningful perceptions ; analysis that moves from the whole to the parts; also called conceptially driven processes.
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Gestalt psychology
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a school psychology founded in Germany in the early 1900s that maintain her at her sensations are actively processed according to consistent perceptual rules that result in meaningful whole perceptions
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figure – ground relationship
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a gestalt principle of perceptional organization that states that we automatically separate the elements of a perception into the feature that clearly stands out and it's less distinct background
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extrasensory perception
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perception of information by some means other than through the normal processes of sensation
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parapsychology
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the scientific investigation of claims of paranormal phenomena and abilities
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depth perception
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the use of visual cues to perceive the distance of three-dimensional characteristics of objects
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monocular cues
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distance or depth cues and that can be processed by either eye alone
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binocular cues
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distance or depth cues of it require the use of both eyes
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perceptual constancy
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the tendency to perceive objects, especially familiar objects, as constant and unchanging despite changes in sensory input
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size constancy
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the perception of an object as maintaining the same size despite changing images on the retina
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shape constancy
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the perception of a familiar object as maintaining the same shape regardless of the image produced on the retina
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perceptual illusion
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the misperception of the true characteristics of an object or an image
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muller-lyer illusion
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a famous visual illusion involving the misperception of the identical length of two lines, one with arrows pointed inward, one with arrows pointed outward
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moon illusion
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a visual illusion involving the misperception that the moon is larger when it is on the horizon and when it is directly overhead
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