Ch. 5

What is described by the concept of perception?

how sensory information is interpreted and consciously experienced

What was the original focus of Swets' (1964) signal detection theory?

improving the sensitivity of air traffic controllers to plane blips

perceptual hypotheses

-educated guesses that we make while interpreting sensory information. -These hypotheses are informed by a number of factors, including our personalities, experiences, and expectations.

organization skills for perception

1. figure-grounds relationship 2. principle of similarity 3. law of continuity 4. principle of closure

figure-grounds relationship

According to this principle, we tend to segment our visual world into figure and ground. Figure is the object or person that is the focus of the visual field, while the ground is the background.

their injuries and secondary infections of injured sites

Individuals suffering from congenital analgesia have a shorter life span due to ________.

perception; sensation

________ refers to the way that sensory information is interpreted and consciously experienced; ________ refers to what happens when sensory information is detected by a sensory receptor.

high; low

________-frequency sound waves are perceived as high-pitched sounds, while ________-frequency sound waves are perceived as low-pitched sounds.

The iris

a ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil opening

principle of similarity

a. According to this principle, things that are alike tend to be grouped together b. For example, when watching a football game, we tend to group individuals based on the colors of their uniforms. When watching an offensive drive, we can get a sense of the two teams simply by grouping along this dimension.

amplitude of sound waves

determines loudness

frequency of sound waves

determines pitch

absolute threshold

refers to the minimum amount of stimulus energy that must be present for the stimulus to be detected 50% of the time.

Which of the following exemplifies olfaction?

smelling cookies in the oven

vertigo

spinning sensation

1. The principle of closure

states that we organize our perceptions into complete objects rather than as a series of parts

law of continuity (or good continuation)

suggests that we are more likely to perceive continuous, smooth flowing lines rather than jagged, broken lines

the pupil

the adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters

the fovea

the central focal point in the retina, which contain photoreceptor cells called cones and rods

visual accommodation

the change in the thickness of the lens as the eye focuses on objects that are far away or close

afterimage

the continuation of a visual sensation after removal of the stimulus

habituation

the process when a stimulus is unchanging, your sensory receptors will stop responding.

The cornea

the transparent layer forming the front of the eye.

The lens

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

top-down

this type of processing involves the interpretation of sensations and is influenced by available knowledge, experiences, and thoughts

What kind of processing is exemplified by the following scenario? Shimon offers Mouin some salmon. Mouin thinks, "How nice. My friend is offering me fish. I wonder where he got it." This thought leads Mouin to feel happy, appreciative, and curious; he responds with a smile and an extended hand.

top-down