psych unit 3 terms

process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment

process of interpreting and organizing sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events

analysis the begins with the sensory receptors and goes up to brains integrations for sensory information

information processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations

the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus

failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere

failing to notice changes in the environment

conversion of one form of energy into another (sensation, transforms stimulus energies into neural impulses our brain can interpret).

study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli and our psychological experience of them

the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time

a theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus (signal) amid background stimulation (noise) - no single absolute threshold, detection depends on a person’s experience, expectations, motivation, and alertness

below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness

the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one’s perception, memory, or response

the minimum difference between two stimuli required for 50 percent of the time

the principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage

diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation

a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another

the controversial claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input; includes telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition

the study of paranormal phenomena, including ESP and psychokinesis

the distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next. Electromagnetic wavelengths vary from the short blips of cosmic rays to the long

pulses of radio transmission

he dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light; what we know as the color names blue, green, and so forth

the amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we perceive as brightness or loudness, as determined by the wave’s amplitude

the transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina

the light sensitive inner-surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual information

the process by which the eye’s lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina

retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, when cones don’t respond

retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions - detects fines detail and give rise to color sensations

the nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain

the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a “blind” spot because no receptor cells are located there

the central focal point in the retina, around which the eyes’ cones cluster

nerve cells in the brian that respond to specific features of the stimulus such as shape, angle, or movement

the processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain’s neural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision. Contrasts with serial processing (step-by-step)

the theory that the retina contains three different color receptors - red, green, blue - which, when stimulated in combination, can produce the perception of any color

the theory that opposing retinal process (red-green, yellow-blue, white-black) enable color vision - causes afterimages

an organized whole. Gestalt psychologists emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes

the organization of the visual field into objects (the figures) that stand out from their surroundings (the ground)

the perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups

the ability to see objects in three dimensions although the images that strike the retina are two-dimensional; allows us to judge distance

a laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals

depth cues, such as retinal disparity, that depend on the use of two eyes

a binocular cue for perceiving depth: by comparing images from the retinas in the two eyes, the brain computes distance - the greater disparity (difference) between the two images, the closer the object

depth cues, such as interposition and linear perspective, available to either eye alone

an illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession

perceiving objects as unchanging even as illumination and retinal images change

perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object

in vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field

the chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing three tiny bones (hammer, anvil, and stirrup) that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea’s oval window

a coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear; sound waves traveling through the cochlear fluid trigger nerve impulses

hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea’s receptor cells or to the auditory nerves; also called nerve deafness

hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea

in hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea’s membrane is stimulated

in hearing, the theory that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone, thus enabling us to sense its pitch

the theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological “gate” that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain. The “gate” is opened by the activity of pain signals traveling up small nerve fibers and is closed by activity in larger fibers or by information coming from the brain

the system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts

the sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance

the principle that one sense may influence another, as when the smell of food influences its taste

in psychological science, the influence of bodily sensation, gestures, and other states on cognitive preferences and judgements