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CHAPTER 5 AND 6 VOCAB

Sensation: detecting physical energy from environment and encoding ti as neural signalsPerception: selecting, organizing , and interpreting sensationBottom-up processing: sensory analysis that starts at the entry level

Top-down processing: constructing perceptions from both sensation from bottom-up andexperience/expectations

Selective Attention: focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus (cocktail partyeffect)Inattentional blindness: failing to see visible objects when attention is directed elsewhereChange blindness: when large changes in scenes go unnoticedPsychophysics: study of relationships b/w physical characteristics of stimuli and ourpsychological experience w/ them

Absolute threshold: minimum stimulus needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of timeSignal detection theory: theory predicting how/when we detect weak signalsSubliminal:below ones absolute threshold for conscious awareness

Priming: unconscious activation of certain associations; predisposing of perception, memory,response

Difference threshold: minimum difference b/w two stimuli required for detection 50% of timeWebers law:principle that two stimulus must differ by constant minimum % to be considereddifferent

Sensory adaptation: diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulationTransduction: conversion of one form of energy into anotherWavelength: distance from peak of light/sound wave to the peak of the nextHue: dimension of color that is determined by wavelength of lightIntensity: amount of energy in light/sound wave determined by waves amplitudePupil: adjustable opening in center of the eye where light enters

Iris: forms colored portion of eye and controls size of pupil openingLens:behind pupil, changes shape to help focus images on retinaRetina: inner surface of eye, contains receptor rods begin processing visual informationAccommodation:process where lens change shape to focus near/far objects on retinaRods: receptors that detect black, white, gray- or peripheral/twilight visionCones: receptors that function in daylight and give fine detail to colorOptic nerve: nerve carries neural impulses from eye to brain.Blindspot:point where optic nerve leaves eyeFovea: focal point in retina, where eyes cones clusterFeature detectors: nerve cells which respond to specific features of stimulus (shape, angle,movement)

Parallel processing:processing several aspects of a problem simultaneouslyYoung-Helmholtz trichromatic theory: retina contains 3 different color receptors;combined, can create perception of any color

Opponent-Process Theory: The 3 sets of analyzed color after leaving the receptor cells,explaining after-images.

Audition: The sense or act of hearing

Frequency: the amount of complete wavelengths that pass over a set time

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Pitch: the tones experienced highness or lowness; depends on the frequency

Middle Ear:between eardrum and cochlea; home of hammer, anvil, stirrup; concentrate eardrum

vibrations on cochleas oval window

Cochlea: tube in ear where sound waves trigger nerve impulses.

Inner Ear: intermost part containing cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs

Place Theory: relating pitch heard with the place where the cochleas membrane is stimulated.Frequency Theory: rate of nervous impulses matches frequency of a tone, allowing sensing pitch.

Conduction Hearing Loss: damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the

cochlea.

Sensorineural hearing loss: damage to cochleas receptor cells or to the auditory nerves; nerve

deafness

Cochlear Implant: converts sounds into electrical signals; stimulates auditory nerve through

electrodes threaded in cochlea.

Kinesthesis: sense of movement and body position of specific body parts

Vestibular System: sense of body movement, position, and balance.

Gate-Control Theory: spinal cord has a gate that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass to

brain.Sensory Interaction: one sense may influence another; food smell indicates taste

Gestalt: an organized whole. Turning little pieces of info into wholes.

Figure-Ground: organizing objects that stand out from surroundings.

Grouping: The perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups

Depth Perception: ability to see objects in 3D. Hit retina in 2D. Judge distance.

Visual Cliff: Device-tests depth perception in infants and young animals.

Binocular cues: depth cues, retinal disparity & convergence, depends on use of 2 eyes.

Retinal Disparity:binocular cue for perceiving depth: greater the disparity, closer the object.

Monocular Cues: depth cues, interposition and linear perspective, available to singe eyes.

Phi Phenomenon: illusion of movement when 2 or more lights blink on and off in quick

succession.

Perceptual Constancy:perceiving objects as unchanging, even as lighting and retinal imageschange.

Color Constancy: We perceive familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing

illumination alters the wavelength.

Perceptual Adaptation: our ability to adjust to an artificially displaced visual field.

Perceptual Set: Mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another.

Extrasensory Perception: Perception can occur apart from sensory input; telepathy, clairvoyance,

precognition.

Parapsychology: Study of paranormal phenomena: ESP and Psychokinesis.