Unit 4 Sensation and Perception Study guide

3-D hearing

- As the placement of our eyes allow us to sense visual depth, so the placement of our ears allow us to enjoy three dimensional hearing - Also known as stereophonic hearing - Example : the different intensity of sound when it is closer to the right ear vs the left

patterns sleep across life span

- Newborns often sleep two - thirds of their day, most adults no more than one - third. ( sleep influenced by age) - newborns- 16 to 18 hrs - age 1- 13 to 14 hrs - adolescents- 9 and half hrs - adults- 8 hrs

The sense of smell

- Odorants bind to receptors -Olfactory receptor cells are activated and send electric signals - The signals are relayed via converged axons. -The signals are transmitted to higher regions of the brain

human sleep cycle

- Stanley Coren found most humans will sleep 9 hours if uninterrupted -5 trips throughout the stages Rem become longer as the night goes on STAGE 0: = beta waves =before sleep -STAGE 1 = alpha waves = Hallucinations and hypnagogic feelings. =Very light sleep _STAGE 2: = theta waves =20 min =marked by sleep spindles (bursts of brain activity) -STAGE 3: =transitional = delta waves = only lasts a few minutes -STAGE 4: 30 min disappears as sleep goes on slow rollers : delta waves are the large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep

auditory canal

- The outer ear channels sound waves through the auditory canal towards the eardrum -1st step; outer ear; channels sound waves to eardrum

causes of blindsight

- a localized area of blindness - brain-damaged people may respond to a stimulus that is not consciously perceived

perceptual set

- a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another

frequency and amplitude of light waves

- amplitude: amount of energy in a wave determined by amplitude - wavelengths change color - Gamma rays: wavelength smaller than atom - color spectrum: only waves you can see - AC circuits: wavelength is a mile - the more wavelengths the higher the frequency in a period - the bigger the amplitude the more intense (sound,color)

bottom up processing

- analysis that beings with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain's integration of sensory information -related to sensation

Monocular depth perception cues

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

feature detectors

- nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movement. WATCH VID IN MOODLE

Olfactory receptors

- related to smell aka olfaction - We smell something when molecules of a substance carried in the air reach a tiny cluster of 20 million receptor cells at the top of each nasal cavity. - These olfactory receptor cells, waving like sea anemones on a reef, respond selectively- to the aroma of a cake baking, to a wisp of a smoke, to a friend's fragrance.

cones

- retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions. -The cones detect fine detail and give rise to color sensation. WATCH VID IN MOODLE

retina

- the light-sensitive inner lining of the back of the eyeball - - - contains receptor cells (rods/cones)

sensation

- the raw data of experience - sensory stimulation - example are eyes only register light energy and ears only register wave energy

rods

- visual receptor cell - located in retina - respond to varying degrees of light and dark - responsible for night vision and peripheral vision

sensory adaptation

-Decreasing responsiveness to stimuli due to constant stimulation. -For example, we eventually stop perceiving a persistent scent in a room.

Hypnagogic

-Falling or floating feeling -

cocktail party effect

-If you are talking with a friend and someone across the room says your name, your attention will probably involuntarily switch across the room

transduction

-The translation of incoming stimuli into neural signals. -Neural impulses from the senses travel first to the thalamus and then on to different cortices of the brain. -The sense of smell is the one exception to this rule. -another def: Conversion of one form of energy into another. In sensation, the transforming of stimulus energies into neural impulses.

cochlear implant

-an electronic device that converts sounds into electrical signals that stimulate the auditory nerve

Chemical senses

-senses of taste and smell -because they detect chemicals in what we taste and smell

critical period for perceptual development

-the limited time shortly after birth during which an organism must be exposed to certain experiences or influences if it is to develop properly. -There is a critical period for normal sensory and perceptual development

latent content of dreams

A sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person's mind. Dreams are notable for their hallucinatory imagery, discontinuities, and incongruities, and for the dreamer's delusional acceptance of the content and later difficulties remembering it

Ear drum

A tight membrane that vibrates when in contact with sound waves; helps to amplify the sound waves as they lose strength travelling down the auditory canal

measurement of sound energy

Amplitude ************* - the height of the wave , determines the loudness of the sound, measured in decibels Frequency ************* - The number of cycles per second in a wave; in sound, the primary determinant of pitch Hertz (Hz) ************ - Cycles per second; unit of measurement for the frequency of waves Pitch ******** - Auditory experience corresponding primarily to frequency of sound vibrations, resulting in a higher or lower tone Decibel ********** -The magnitude of a wave; in sound the primary determinant of loudness of sounds

Anatomy and function of ear

Check Textbook Page 196 for a better diagram. +OUTER EAR -The intricate process that transforms vibrating air into nerve impulses, which our brain decodes as sounds, begins when sound waves enter the outer ear. -A mechanical chain reaction begins as the visible outer ear channels the waves through the auditory canal to the ear drum, a tight membrane, causing it to vibrate. +MIDDLE EAR: The chamber between the eardrum and cochlea. -Contains three tiny bones(Hammer , anvil, and stirrup) that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea's oval window. +INNER EAR: The innermost part containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs

auditory nerve

Convergence of axons of the nerve cells adjacent to the hair cells, which then sends neural messages to the auditory cortex (in the temporal lobe)

bipolar cells

Pg 173 in TB -specialize neuron located in the eye which connect rods and cones to the ganglion cells of the optic nerve

dreaming during REM sleep

REM Sleep: rapid eye movement sleep, a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur. Also known as paradoxical sleep, because the muscles are relaxed (except for minor twitches) but other body systems are active. REM - rapid eye movement

DREAMS

REM stage 1) Freud living out unconscious dreams, wish fulfillment manifest (storyline) vs. latent (something deeper) NO scientific basis 2) memory storage/formation info-processing insight sort, sift, file better on tasks next day 3) to develop and preserve neural pathways a physiological function (infants spend most time in REM 4) Activation Synthesis theory to make sense of neural static/random brain activity during sleep our mind enjoys organization 5) cognitive development dreams are more complex as cognition grows as a child dreams are more of a slideshow * REM= IMPORTANT

paradoxical sleep

Refer to REM sleep

cochlea

Tightly-wound structure within the inner ear, whose fluids, when vibrated by the ossicles, are jostled, which causes ripples in the basilar membrane. Located in inner ear

night terrors

a sleep disorder characterized by a high arousal and an appearance of being terrified; unlike nightmares, night terrors occur during Stage 4 sleep, within two or three hours of falling asleep, and are seldom remembered

sleep apnea

a sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings

narcolepsy

a sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. The sufferer may lapse directly into REM sleep, often at inopportune times

Dissociation

a split in consciousness, which allows some thoughts and behaviors to occur simultaneously with others

hair cells - basilar membrane

basilar membrane- Membrane within the cochlea; the vibration caused by the jostled fluid in the cochlea bends the hair cells lining its surface hair cells- When the hair cells are bent by the jostled fluid in the cochlea and the ripples in the basilar membrane, the hair cell movement triggers a neural impulse in adjacent nerve cells

Moon illusion

cues to objects distances at the horizon make the moon behind them seem farther away than the Moon high in the night sky ask teacher!!!!!!

hair cells in the eardrum

damage to the cochlea's receptors (hair cells) or the auditory nerve causes Sensorineural hearing loss (Nerve Deafness cochlea - snail shaped fluid filled tube of the inner ear that is lines with tiny hair cells. Sound waves trigger nerve impulses through these hairs.

hallucinations

false sensory experiences, such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus

Eustachian tubes

function: permitting the equalization of pressure on each side of the eardrum

What are possible purposes of dreaming?

information processing --------------------------- dreams sort, sift, and fix a day's experience into memories. REM sleep facilitates memory physiological theory ------------------------- dreams provide the sleeping brain with periodic stimulation that helps preserve neural networks cognitive theory -------------------- natural part of brain maturation and development. draws on our working concepts and knowledge problem solving theory ---------------------------- theorized by Cartwright, dreams are the continuity of waking thought but without the constraints of logic or realism Freud -------- manifest content is the remembered story line. the latent content is the hidden meaning. dreams are key to understanding inner conflict. least scientific of theories activation synthesis theory ------------------------------ dreams are a product of activity from the pons and brain stem. cerebral cortex attempts to make sense of neural firings by creating a story (dreams have no meaning)

top down processing

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

receptor cells for kinesthesis

kinesthesis: the system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts -Receptors in the muscles, joints, and skin that provide information about movement, posture, and orientation.

NREM sleep

non-rapid eye movement sleep; encompasses all sleep stages except for REM sleep

insomnia

recurring problems in falling or staying asleep

Circadian rhythms

the biological clock; regular bodily rhythms (for example, of temperature and wakefulness) that occur on a 24-hour cycle. EX: body temp rises in morning and peaks during day and slowly drops when sleeping EX: a second wind at 6 am when we would wake up after an all nighter READ MORE

iris

the color part of the eye; made of muscle that contracts/relaxes to control the size of the people allowing light to enter the eye

sensory interaction

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

perception

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

ganglion cells

the specialized cells which lie behind the bipolar cells whose axons form the optic nerve which takes the information to the brain

REM rebound

the tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation (created by repeated awakenings during REM sleep)

frequency theory

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

place theory

this theory of hearing states that we hear different pitches because sound waves of various frequencies trigger activity at different places on the cochlea's basilar membrane