1
Q
what is sensation
A
- senses detect visual, auditory and other sensory stimuli, then transmit stimuli to brain
2
Q
what is perception
A
- sensory information is actively organized and interpreted by the brain
3
Q
what is the absolute threshold
A
- difference between not being able to perceive stimulus and being just barely able to perceive it
- minimum amount of sensory stimuli detected 50% of time
- hearing music means absolute threshold has been crossed
4
Q
what is the difference threshold
A
- JND = just noticeable difference
- difference threshold = measure of smallest increase/decrease in physical stimulus required to produce JND
- JND = smallest change in sensation detected 50% of time
5
Q
what is Weber’s law
A
- Ernst Weber established Weber’s law more than 150 years ago
- states JND depends on percentage change in stimulus
- greater original stimulus, more increase needed for JND
6
Q
what is the signal detection theory
A
- detecting sensory stimulus involves noticing stimulus against background ‘noise’ and deciding whether stimulus is actually present
7
Q
what are the 4 factors that affect an individual’s ability to detect a sensory signal
A
- motivation
- previous experience
- expectation
- level of alertness
8
Q
what are sensory receptors
A
- detect, respond to one type of stimuli
9
Q
what is transduction
A
- sensory receptors change stimulation into neural impulses
10
Q
what is sensory adaptation
A
- become less sensitive to unchanging sensory stimulus over time, ex. swimming in icy water
11
Q
what are photons
A
- tiny light particles that travel in waves
- majority of waves too long or too short for humans/animals to see
12
Q
what is the visible spectrum
A
- the wavelengths of photons that our eyes are able to respond to
13
Q
what is nearsightedness
A
- myopia
- lens focuses images of distant objects in front of retina
- distance through eyeball too short or too long for focusing
- see nearby objects clearly, but distant images blurry
14
Q
what is farsightedness
A
- hyperopia
- focal image longer than eye can handle
- acts as if image should focus behind retina
- see distant objects clearly but close objects seem blurry
15
Q
what are the 3 dimensions of colour
A
- hue: the colour we see
- saturation: the purity of the colour
- brightness: intensity of light energy we perceive
16
Q
where does colour processing happen
A
- researchers believe colour processing starts at the level of the retina
- continues through bipolar and ganglion cells
- is completed in colour detectors in visual cortex
17
Q
what are the 3 characteristics of sound
A
- frequency (Hz): number of cycles completed by sound wave in one second
- amplitude (dB): loudness of sound caused by force or pressure within which air molecules move
- timbre: distinct quality of sound distinguishing it from other sounds of the same pitch and loudness
18
Q
what is the curved part of cartilage and skin on the ear called
A
- pinna
19
Q
what is the auditory canal
A
- 2.5 cm long, lined with hairs
- leads to eardrum
20
Q
what is the outer ear
A
- the eardrum, also called the tympanic membrane
- thin, flexible membrane
- about a centimeter in diameter
- moves in response to sound waves
21
Q
what is the middle ear
A
- ossicles
- inside chambers of the middle ear
- 3 smallest bones in the body, the size of grains of rice
- hammer, anvil, stirrup: link eardrum to oval wall
- ossicles amplify sound 22 times
22
Q
what is the inner ear
A
- cochlea
- fluid-filled
- snail-shaped
- bony chamber
- when stirrup pushes against oval window, vibrations move cochlear fluid in waves
- waves set basilar membrane hair cells in motion
- produce electrical impulse transmitted to brain
23
Q
what can cause hearing loss
A
- disease
- birth defects
- injury
- excessive noise
- old age
24
Q
what is olfaction
A
- sensation of smell; a chemical sense
25
what is olfactory epithelium
- patch of tissue at top of each nasal cavity
| - contains 10 million smell receptor cells
26
what are olfactory bulbs
- two match-stick sized structures above nasal cavities
- smell sensations first register in brain
- messages from olfactory bulbs relayed to different parts of the brain
27
what are pheromones
- chemicals excreted by humans and animals
| - elicits certain behaviour patterns
28
what is menstrual synchrony
- menstrual cycles of women who live together synchronize over time
29
what is androsterone
- causes changes in physiological functions, like heart rate and mood states
30
what is gustation
- sense of taste
31
what are the 4 basic tastes
1. sweet
2. sour
3. salty
4. bitter
32
what is flavour
- combined experience of taste, smell, touch
- much of taste is from smell
- brain perceives two distinctive flavours present in sweet and sour sauce quite separately
33
what are taste buds
- small bumps called papillae
34
what are 4 types of papillae
1. filliform
2. fungiform
3. valate
4. circumvallate
35
how many receptor cells do taste buds have
- each taste bud has 60-100 receptor cells
| - lifespan of receptor cells is 10 days
36
where do we have taste receptors
- palate
- mucosal lining and cheeks and lips
- parts of the throat and tonsils
37
non-tasters
- reduced ability to taste, smallest number of taste buds per square centimeter is 96
38
medium tasters
- nearly 2x as many taste buds as non-tasters (184)
39
supertasters
- more than 4 times as many taste buds as non-tasters (425)
40
how do the mechanisms of touch work
- tactile information conveyed to brain when object touches skin
- nerve endings send touch message through nerve connections to spinal cord
- travels up spinal cord through brainstem, midbrain, finally reaching brain's somatosensory cortex
41
where do sensitive nerve endings in the skin send messages to
- to the spinal cord, it travels up the spinal cord, through the
- brainstem and the midbrain to the
- somatosensory cortex (parietal lobe)
42
what is acute pain
- a protective mechanism which tells the body to stop doing whatever is causing the pain
- teaches us to avoid pain-producing circumstances and motivates us to:
- tend to injuries
- restrict activity
- seek medical help
43
what is chronic pain
- persists long after it serves any useful purpose
44
what is pain threshold
- point at which a stimulus causes pain, it varies widely
45
what is pain tolerance
- maximum pain level an individual is able to withstand. also varies among individuals
46
what is gate control therapy
- pain signals can either be transmitted or inhibited by an area in the spinal cord
- small nerve fibres transmit pain slowly
- large nerve fibres transmit sensory messages more quickly
- ice, heat, electrical stimulation closes the gate
47
what are endorphins
- natural pain relievers
| - block pain and produce feelings of well-being
48
where are endogenous opioid polypeptides produces
- in the pituitary and hypothalamus
49
when are endorphins released
- injured or extreme pain
- stressed
- laughing or crying
- exercise -'runner's high'
50
what does a placebo do
- the belief stimulated the release of endorphins
51
what does acupuncture do
- needles placed at specific points in the body stimulates the release of endorphins in the brain
52
what can influence pain perception
- psychological = stress
- cognitive = knowing and thinking about pain will increase it. distractions will help
- emotional = happy: less pain, sad: more pain
53
what is kinesthetic sense
- feedback about movement and position of various body parts
54
what is vestibular sense
- detects movement
| - provides information about body's orientation in space
55
what are semicircular canals
- sense rotation of head when turning head side to side or spinning around
- tubelike canals filled with fluid
- rotating movements of head send fluid coursing through canals
- only signals changes in motion or orientation
56
what is sensations vs perceptions
- sensations are raw material
| - perceptions are finished products
57
what is gestalt
- german word for meaning whole form, pattern, configuration we perceive
- whole is more than the sum of its parts
58
what is figure-ground
- principle of perpetual organization
| - visual field perceived in terms of object (figure) against background (ground)
59
gestalt principles of grouping (4)
1. similarity
2. proximity
3. continuity
4. closure
60
what is similarity
- visual, auditory, other stimuli with similar characteristics
- perceived as a unit
61
what is proximity
- objects close together in space or time perceived as belonging together
62
what is continuity
- perceive figures or objects as belonging together
| - appear as continuous pattern
63
what is closure
- if parts of figure are missing, perceive as whole
64
what is perceptual constancy (4)
- view people and objects from different angle, distances and lighting conditions
- see as maintaining same size, shape, brightness and colour
1. size constancy
2. shape constancy
3. brightness constancy
4. colour constancy
65
what is size constancy
- see same size regardless of changes in retinal image
66
what is shape constancy
- see stable or unchanging shape regardless of differences in viewing angle
67
what is brightness constancy
- see same brightness regardless of differences in lighting conditions
68
what is colour constancy
- see same colour under different conditions of illumination
69
what are binocular depth cues
- visual cues depend on both eyes working together
70
what is convergence
- eyes turn inward while focusing on nearby objects
| - closer objects, greater convergence
71
what is binocular disparity
- also called retinal disparity
- difference between 2 retinal images
- cues for depth and balance
72
what is monocular depth cues
- cues from one eye
73
what is interposition
- perceive partially blocked object as farther away
74
what is linear perspective
- parallel lines appear to converge into distance
75
what is relative size
- larger objects perceived as closer to viewer, smaller objects as farther away
76
what is texture gradient
- nearby objects appear to have sharply defined textures
- similar objects appear smoother
- appear fuzzier as recede into distance
77
what is atmospheric perspective
- also called arial perspective
- distant objects have bluish tint
- distant objects appear more blurred than close objects
78
what is shadow or shading
- distinguish bulges from indentations by their shadows
79
what is motion parallax
- look out side window of moving vehicle
- objects appear to be moving in opposite direction
- objects seem to be moving at different speeds
- close objects appear to move faster than distant ones
- far away objects (moon, sun) appear to move in same direction as viewer
80
what is real motion
- tied to movements of objects through space
81
what is apparent motion
- psychological
82
what is Phi Phenomenon (stroboscopic motion)
- type of apparent motion
| - neon lights flashing looks like movement
83
what is autokinetic illusion
- type of apparent motion
| - stare at single unmoving light in dark room, appears to move
84
what are ambiguous figures
- two different objects
| - figures seen alternately
85
what are impossible figues
- parts appear to be two different places at the same time
86
what are illusions
- false perception of misperception of actual stimulus in environment
87
what is bottom-up processing
- individual components of stimulus detected by sensory receptors
- information transmitted to areas of brain then combined, assembled into whole pattern person perceives
- ex. trying to decipher your doctor's writing on prescription
88
what is top-down processing
- past experience, knowledge of context plays role in forming perceptions
- we perceive more than sum of individual elements taken in by sensory receptors.
- example: pharmacist can decipher your doctor’s prescription and fill it.
89
what is perceptual set
- expectations affect perceptions
| - subliminal persuasion - sending persuasive messages below the recipients level of awareness
90
what is attention
- process of sorting sensations and selecting some for further processing
91
what is inattentional blindness
- failure to notice changes in objects if not directly paying attention
Social Science
flashcards
Decks in class (14)
# Cards
