Define sensation
Simple stimulation of a sense organ
Define perception
The organization, identification, and interpretation of a sensation in order to form a mental representation. Perception is an active process that we our minds are constantly performing.
Explain how we figure out if something is an accident, an insult, or humor.
If someone makes physical contact with us - we interpret this bump differently depending on the context of the situation.
If it was accidental: They will likely say sorry.
If it was purposeful: We need to determine if it was humorous or dangerous.
- Humor - They might laugh or smile
- Danger - They might be silent or give a glare.
What is a perceptual set?
The readiness or tendency to perceive something in a certain way. (Context can encourage a perceptual set)
What is a mental set?
This refers to the tendency to approach problems using only strategies, solutions, or procedures that have worked in the past, even if they are no longer effective or optimal.
What are binocular cues?(Retinal disparity) How do they work?
Cues about distance based on varying images from our left and right retinas. Our mind compares the info we get from one eye to the other eye and then looks for differences which tells us important things about where an object is located. (Depth)
What is convergence and how does it work?
Convergence refers to the idea that as an object gets closer to us, our eyes move in. The closer an object is, the greater the disparity between the retinal objects.
What are monocular depth cues?
They are aspects of a scene that yield information about depth when viewed with only one eye.
What does the monocular cue, relative size, help us with?
When we see objects that appear to be bigger than others in a scene, we interpret that they must also be closer. (Which is generally true)
For example: The moon in the Prairies appears much bigger than it does in BC because it is the biggest thing in the sky.
What does the monocular cue, interposition, help us with?
This occurs when one object partly blocks another. We infer that the blocking object is closer than the blocked object. However, interposition by itself cannot provide information about how far apart the two objects are.
For example: Describe the fruit basket example
What does the monocular cue, texture gradient, help us with?
It describes the idea that when we can see things in more detail, they are closer, and when things are farther away, they are smoother and less detailed.
For example: Flowers in the field and how their details change the farther away you get.
What does the monocular cue, relative height in the image, help us with?
When things are higher up in an image, they are further away. (Again, generally occurs when we are comparing two things to one another to determine where they are positioned in relation to each other.)
What does the monocular cue, linear perspective, cause us to do?
It causes parallel lines to converge as they recede into the distance.
For example: Railway tracks - kinda looks like the tracks in the distance meet at a point
What does the monocular cue, relative brightness, refer to?
It refers to the idea that closer objects appear to be brighter and when an object is dimmer, we think it farther away.
For example: Driving in fog
What do monocular and binocular cues prove about our perception?
It is active! In both cases, our brain is having to create, interpret, and construct depth, distance, and size.
What does looking at a pen tell us about our perception?
The image that is constructed of the pen depends on whether or not we have one or two eyes open.
Why do prey animals have eyes on the sides of their heads?
It gives them almost 360 degree vision.
What is transduction?
It refers to the conversion of physical sensory signals to neural signals.
What are cones? Why are they important?
(Named for their appearance) They are photo receptors that detect colour, operate under normal daylight conditions, and allow us to focus on fine detail.
Describe the 3 types of cones.
The differentiation between the different types of cones is based on size.
- There are relatively long cones - 600 nanometers in length, these help us to see the colour red
- There are intermediate cones - 500 nanometers in length, these help us to see the colour green
- There are short cones - 450 nanometers in length and these help us to see the colour blue.
These three different types of cones help us to see the full range of colours.
What do rods do?
(Named for their appearance)They give us the ability to see in low-light conditions. But, we do not see in colour because the cone cells are not being stimulated.
What is synesthesia?
When one attribute of a stimulus, such as its sound or shape, leads to the conscious experience of an additional attribute, often in a different sensory modality than the initiating stimulus. It can be short term or long term.
Give some examples of the different types of Synesthesia.
One example is experiencing sound as vision - what someone hears - like music - is transformed into colours.
What are psychophysics?
Methods that systematically relate the physical characteristics of a stimulus to an observer’s perception.
