AP Psychology Unit #4 Vocabulary
Psychological
A Psychological need to use a drug, such as to relieve negative emotions
Post Hypnotic Suggestion
A Suggestion, made during a hypnosis session, to be carried out after the subject is no longer hypnotized; used by some dinicians to help control undesried symptoms and behaviors
Retinal Disparity
A binocular cue for perceiving depth: by comparing images from the two eyeballs, the brain computes distance-the greater the disparity (difference) between the two images, the closer the objects
Human Factors Psychology
A branch of psychology that explores how people and machines interact and how machines and psychological environments can be made safe and easy to use
Cochlea
A coiled, bony, fluid filled tube in the inner ear through which sound waves trigger nerve impulses
Cochlear Implant
A device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded into the cochlea
Texture Gradient
A gradual change from a coarse distinct texture to a fine/indistinct textures signals increasing distance
Visual Cliff
A laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals
Perceptual Set
A mental predisposition to perceive one thing and that alone
LSD
A powerful hallucinogenic drug; also known as acid
Methamphetamines
A powerfully addictive drug that stimulates the central nervous system, with the speeded up body functions and associated energy and mood changes; overtime, appears to reduce baseline Dopamine levels
Dissaciation
A split in conciousness, which allows osme thoughtsand behaviors to occur simulataneusly with others
Ecstacy
A synthetic stimulant and mild hallucinogen. Produces euphoria and social intimacy, but with short term health risks and longer term harm to serotonin producing neurons and to mood and cognition
Signal Detection Theory
A theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of faint stimulus amid background stimulation. Assumes there is no single absolute threshold and that detection depends partly on a person's experience, expectations, motivation, and level of fatigue
Eardrum
A tight membrane that vibrates with the waves and transfers it to the middle ear
Pitch
A tone's experienced highness or lowness; depends on frequency
Near Death Experience
An altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush with death ( such as through cardiac arrest): often similar to drug-induced hallucinations
Phi Phenomenon
An illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off quick succession
Bottom-up processing
Analysis that begins with the sensory recpetors and workss up to the brain's integration of sensory information
Relative motion (motion parallax)
As we move, objects that are actually stable may appear to move
Relative Clarity
Because light from distant objects passes through more atmosphere, we perceive hazy objects as father way than sharp, clear objects
Subliminal
Below one's absolute threshold for conscious awarness
Addiction
Compulsive drug craving and use
Transduction
Conversion of one form of energy into another. In sensation, the transforming of stimulus energies, such as sights, sounds, and smells, into neural impulses our brains can interpret
Monocular Cues
Depth cues, such as interposition and linear perspective, available to either eye alone
Binocular Cues
Depth cues, such as retinal disparity and convergence, that depend on the use of two eyes
Sensory Adaptation
Diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation
Fencher's law
Discharge from nerve recpetor to strength of stimulus
Depressants
Drugs (alcohol, barbiturates and opiates) that reduce neural activity and slow body functions
Stimualnts
Drugs (caffeine, nicotine, ecstasy) that excite neural activity and speed up body functions
Opiates
Drugs such as morphine and heroin: they depress Neural activity, temporarily, essenting pain and anxiety
Barbiturates
Drugs that depress the activity of the central nervous system, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgement
Amphetamines
Drugs that stimulate neural activity, causing speeded up body functions and associated energy and mood changes
Inattential blindness
Failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed alsewhere
Inattentional Blindness
Failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere
Size-Distance Relationship
Given an object's perceived distance and the size of its image on our retinas, we instantly and unconsciously infer the object's size
Sensori-nueral Hearing Loss
Hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea's receptor cells or to the auditory nerves; (nerve deafness)
Conduction Hearing Loss
Hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea
Interposition
If one object partially blackens our view of another, we perceive it as closer
Relative Size
If we assume that two objects are similar in size, we perceive the one that casts the smaller retina image as farther away
Place Theory
In hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea's membrane is stimulated
Frequency theory
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 it pitch
Perceptual Interpretation
In vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even ineverted visual field
Top-down Processing
Information processing guided by higher level mental processes as when we construct perceptedions drawing on our experience and expectations
Basilar Memebrane
Lined hair cells that that pick that pick up the sound in the the inner car
Light and Shadow
Nearby objects reflect more light to our eyes
Feature Detectors
Nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle or movement
Law of Common Fate
Objects are percieved as lines that move along the smoothest path
Conciousness
Our awarness of ourselves and our environment
Linear Perspective
Parallel lines, such as railroad tracks, appear to coverage with distance
Color Constancy
Perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illuminationalters the wave-lengths reflected by the object
Perceptual Constancy
Perceiving object as unchanging (having consistent lightness, color, shape and size) even as illumination and retinal images change
Biological Rythms
Periodic physiological fluctuations. (Annual, twenty-eight day, twenty four hour, and ninety-minute cycles)
Physical dependance
Physiological need for a drug, marked by unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when the drug is dicontinued
Steven's power law
Propose relationship between the magnitude of physical stimulus and its perceived intensity or strength
Hallucinogens
Psychedelic ("mind manifesting") drugs, such as LSD, that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input
Law of Pragnanz
Reality is organized or reduced to the simplest form possible
Auditory
Sends neural messages (via the thalamus) to the temporal's lobe's auditory cortex
Parallel Processing
The Processing of several as focus of a problem simultaneously; the brain's natural made of information processing of many function, including vision. contrasts with the step-by-step (serial) processing of most computers and of conscious problems solving
Depth perception
The ability to see objects in three dimensions although the images that strike the retina are two-dimensional allows us to judge distance
Priming
The activation, often unconsciously, of certain association thus predisposing one's perception, memory, or response
Pupil
The adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enter
Intensity
The amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we perceive as brightness or loudness, as determined by the wave's amplitude
Relative luminance
The amount of light an object reflects relative to its surroundings
Fovea
The central focal point in the retina, around which the eye's cone cluster
Middle ear
The chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing and tiny (hammer, anvil and stirrup) that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea's oval window
Extrasensory perception (ESP)
The controversial claim that perception can decor apart from sensory input. Said to include telepathy, clairvoyance and precognition
Hue
The dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light: what we know as the color names blue, green and so forth
Tolerance
The diminishing effect with regular use of the same dose of a drug, requiring the user to take larger and larger doses before experiencing the drug effect
Withdrawal
The discomfort and distress that follow discontinuing the use of an addictive drug
Wavelength
The distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the next . Electromagnetic wavelengths vary from the short blips of cosmic rays to the long pulses of radio transmission
Selective attention
The focusing of consciousness awareness on a particular stimulus, as in the cocktail part effect
Selective attention
The focusing of consciousness awareness on a particular stimulus, as in the cocktail party effect
Inner ear
The inner most part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals and Vestibular sacs
THC
The major active ingredient in marijuana; triggers a variety of effects; including mild hallucinations
Oval window
The membrane that surrounds the cochlea
Difference Threshold
The minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time. We experience the difference. (Also called the just noticeable difference inj.)
Absolute Threshold
The minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time
Figure-Ground Relationship
The organization of the visual field into objects (the figures) that stand-out their surroundings (the gorund)
Grouping
The perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups
Blindspot
The point at which the optic nerve leave the eye, no receptor cells are located there
Monism
The presumption that mind and body are different as peas of the same thing
Dualism
The presumption that mind and body are two distinct entities that interact
Sensory interaction
The principle that one sense may influence another, as when the smell of food influences its taste
Weber's Law
The principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a minimum percentage (rather than a constant amount)
Sensation
The process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system recieve and represent stimulus energies from our environment
Perception
The process of organizing and interpretung sensory sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events
Vestibular sense
The sense of body movements and position, including the sense of balance
Para-psychology
The study of paranormal phenomenon, including ESP and psychokenisis
Psychophysics
The study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity and our psychological experience of them
Kinesthesis
The system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts
Opponent Process theory
The theory that opposing retina, processes (red-green, yellow-blue, white-balck) enable color vision. For example, some cells are stimulated by green and inhibited by red: others are stimulated by red and inhibited by green
Young-Helmoltz Trichromatic (three color) Theory
The theory that the retina contains three different color recpetors- one most sensative to red, on to green, one to blue- which when stimulated in combination con produce the perception of any color
Gate-Control Theory
The theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological "gate" that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass onto the brain. The "gate" is opened by the activity of pain signals traveling up small nerve fibers and is closed by activities in larger fibers or by information coming from the brain
Law of Closure
We fill in gaps to create a complete, whole object
Law of Proximity
We group nearby objetcs/figures together. We see not six sperate lines, but three sets of two lines
Law of Similarity
We group together figures that are similar to each other. We see triangles and circles in verticle collumns of similar shapes, not horizontal and dissimilar
Relative Height
We perceive objects higher in our field of vision as farther away
Brightness Consistancy
We percieve an object as having a constant lightness even white its illumination varies
Law of Continuity
We percieve smooth, continuous patterns rather than discontinuous ones
