Unit 4
extra sensory perception (ESP)
the controversial claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input; includes telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition
frequency
the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time
figure-ground
the organization of the visual field into objects (the figures) that stand out from their surroundings (the ground).
grouping
the perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups.
Weber's Law
What principle states that to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a minimum percentage rather than a constant amount
conduction
What type of hearing loss is due to damage to the mechanism that transmits sound waves to the cochlea?
lens
the transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina.
accommodation
(1) in sensation and perception, the process by which the eye's lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina. (p. 172) (2) in developmental psychology, adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information.
perceptual adaptation
A teacher used distortion goggles, which shifted the wearer's gaze 20 degrees, to demonstrate an altered perception. A student wearing the goggles initially bumped into numerous desks and chairs while walking around, but chose to wear the goggles for a half hour. After 30 minutes, the student was able to smoothly avoid obstacles, illustrating the concept of
grouping
Bringing order and form to stimuli, which illustrates how the whole differs from the sum of its parts, is called
figure-ground relationships
Bryanna and Charles are in a dancing competition. It is easy for spectators to see them against the dance floor because of
bottom-up processing
Kimberly tells her brother to put on a suit on a warm summer day. Kimberly's brother knows to put on a swimsuit instead of a business suit because of
wavelength; hue
Light's _________ is the distance from one wave peak to the next. This dimension determines the ___________ we experience.
a difference threshold
Natalia is washing her hands and adjusts the faucet handle until the water feels just slightly hotter than it did before. Natalia's adjustment until she feels a difference is an example of
Pitch depends on which of the following?
Number of sound waves that reach the ear in a given time
kinesthetic
Sensing the position and movement of individual body parts is an example of which sense?
middle ear
The three small bones of the ear are located in the
retinal disparity
The view from Narmeen's left eye is slightly different from the view from her right eye. This is due to which depth cue?
sensory adaptation
Tyshane went swimming with friends who did not want to get into the pool because the water felt cold. Tyshane jumped in and after a few minutes declared, "It was cold when I first got in, but now my body is used to it. Come on in!" Tyshane's body became accustomed to the water due to
perceptual set
What do we call a mental predisposition that influences our interpretation of a stimulus?
transduction
What do we call the conversion of stimulus energies, like sights and sounds, into neural impulses?
Phi Phenomenon
What do we call the illusion of movement that results from two or more stationary, adjacent lights blinking on and off in quick succession?
feature detectors
What do we call the specialized neurons in the occipital lobe's visual cortex that respond to particular edges, lines, angles, and movements?
cornea
What do we call the transparent, protective layer that light passes through as it enters the eye?
top-down processing
What occurs when experiences influence our interpretation of data
hering's opponent-process theory
Which of the following explains reversed-color afterimages?
body position
Which of the following is most closely associated with hairlike receptors in the semicircular canals?
not noticing that the songs change in a restaurant
Which of the following is produced by perceptual set?
awareness of the position of your arms when swimming the backstroke
Which of the following is the best example of kinesthesia?
finding that food tastes bland when you have a bad cold
Which of the following is the best example of sensory interaction?
frequency theory
Which of the following reflects the notion that pitch is related to the number of impulses traveling up the auditory nerve in a unit of time?
short wavelength; large amplitude
Your best friend decides to paint her room an extremely bright electric blue. Which of the following best fits the physical properties of the color's light waves?
retinal disparity
a binocular cue for perceiving depth: By comparing images from the retinas in the two eyes, the brain computes distance—the greater the disparity (difference) between the two images, the closer the object
cochlea
a coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear; sound waves traveling through cochlear fluid trigger nerve impulses
cochlear implant
a device for converting sounds into electrical signals/stimulating the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded into cochlea
visual cliff
a laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals.
perceptual set
a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another.
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.
signal detection theory
a theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus (signal) amid background stimulation (noise). Assumes there is no single absolute threshold and that detection depends partly on a person's experience, expectations, motivation, and alertness.
pitch
a tone's experienced highness/loudness; depends on frequency
phi phenomenon
an illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession.
gestalt
an organized whole. Gestalt psychologists emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes.
bottom-up processing
analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works its way up to the brain's integration of sensory information
subliminal
below one's absolute threshold for conscious awareness.
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 brain 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, that depend on the use of two eyes.
sensory adaptation
diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation.
change blindness
failing to notice changes in the environment.
inattentional blindness
failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere.
pupil
he adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters.
sensorineural hearing loss (nerve deafness)
hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea's cells or to the auditory nerves
conduction hearing loss (conductive deafness)
hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea
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 its pitch
feature detectors
nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movement.
place theory
in hearing, theory that links pitch heard with the place where the cochlea's membrane is stimulated
embodied cognition
in psychological science, the influence of bodily sensations/gestures/other states on cognitive preferences/judgements
perceptual adaptation
in vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field
color constancy
perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object.
perceptual constancy
perceiving objects as unchanging (having consistent shapes, size, brightness, and color) even as illumination and retinal images change
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 sensations
rods
retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, when cones don't respond
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 associations, thus predisposing one's perception/memory/response
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.
top-down processing
the brain can work backwards in time to allow a later stimulus determine how we perceive an earlier event
fovea
the central focal point in the retina, around which the eye's cones cluster.
middle ear
the chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing 3 tiny bones that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea's oval window
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.
wavelength
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.
selective attention
the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus.
inner ear
the innermost part of the ear, containing the cochlea/semicircular canals/ vestibular sacs
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.
difference threshold
the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time. We experience the difference threshold as a just noticeable difference
absolute threshold
the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time.
optic nerve
the nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain.
blind spot
the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a "blind" spot because no receptor cells are located there
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 constant minimum percentage (rather than a constant amount).
sensation
the process by which our sensory receptors/nervous system receive & represent stimulus energies from our environment
perception
the process of organizing/interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects/events
parallel processing
the processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain's natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision. Contrasts with the step-by-step (serial) processing of most computers and of conscious problem solving.
vestibular sense
the sense of the body movement and position, including the sense of balance
audition
the sense or act of hearing
parapsychology
the study of paranormal phenomena (ESP/ psychokinesis)
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/movement of individual body parts
opponent-process theory
the theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, yellow-blue, white-black) 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-Helmholtz trichromatic (three-color) theory
the theory that the retina contains three different color receptors—one most sensitive to red, one to green, one to blue—which, when stimulated in combination, can 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 up to the brain