Psychology 11th edition Myers Chapter 6

Bottom-up processing

Analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain's integration of sensory information (feature analysis of stimulus that begins with sensory information)

posthypnotic suggestion

a suggestion, made during a hypnosis session, to be carried out after the subject is no longer hypnotized; used by some clinicians to help control undesired symptoms and behaviors

fovea

center of retina (CONES ONLY)

Retinal disparity

difference in what our TWO eyes see

Sensory adaption

eventually, adjust to ALL sensory input

Perceptual set

get "set in our ways"; see something...form a "hunch" (schema)...hard to break

Rods

retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray; useful in dim lighting; found in periphery of retina (LIGHT SENSITIVE)

EYE to VISUAL CORTEX

rods/cones activate ganglion cells; fibers converge, form OPTIC NERVE (connects eye w/brain)

Hue

the dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light (blue, green, etc.)

sensory interaction

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

parallel processing

the processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously (interaction of many neurons)

vestibular sense

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

Weber's law

to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant PROPORTION (not AMOUNT)

Inner ear

vibration of FLUID inside COCHLEA - oval window (opening to cochlea) - basilar membrane (holds...) - hair cells (receptors for hearing)

Middle Ear

vibration of MOVEABLE PARTS - eardrum transmits sound waves to... hammer, anvil, stirrup

opponent-process theory

"opposing response" to three colors (red-green, blue, yellow-blue, white-black) enable color vision.

Visual cliff

A laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals.

Top-down processing

Information processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations (the role of expectations and knowledge in shaping perceptions)

gestalt

an organized whole. (we have a tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes)

trichromatic theory

any color created by combining RED, GREEN BLUE

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.

Phi phenomenon

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

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, or response.

Figure-ground relationship

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

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.

Absolute threshold

Minimum stimulus needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time

Cones

Receptor cell in fovea of retina that detect color and fine detail; function in daylight or well lit scenarios (COLOR SENSITIVE)

Grouping

The perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups.

Sensation

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

Perception

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

Psychophysics

The study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them.

Difference threshold

We experience it as a "just noticeable difference" (jnd).

cochlea

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

Cochlear implant

a device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded into the cochlea

iris

a ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye

hypnosis

a social interaction in which one person suggests to another that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts, or behaviors will spontaneously occur

dissociation

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

Subliminal [stimulation]

ability to sense stimuli BELOW absolute threshold

retina

absorbs light; processes images; sends info to brain

Perceptual adaptation

adapt to changes in input (visual/other)

lens

behind pupil; FOCUSES. Lens can ADJUST

embodied cognition

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

feature detectors

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

Perceptual constancy

not deceived when objects change characteristics (table is still square)

Lightness constancy

objects have a constant "lightness"

frequency theory

pitch depends on RATE at which ENTIRE membrane vibrates (low-pitched sounds)

place theory

pitch located on different PLACES of basilar membrane (high-pitched sounds)

Blind spot

point at which optic nerve leaves the eye; no receptor cells located here

conduction hearing loss/deafness

problem with CONDUCTING sound waves to cochlea

sensorineural hearing loss/nerve deafness

problem with hair cell receptors (aging, heredity, prolonged exposure to loud noises)

Binocular cues

require BOTH eyes (nearby - app. 25 feet)

Monocular cues

require either eye alone (past 25 feet) (cues—Height, motion, size, interposition, linear perspective, light & shadow)

nociceptors (pressure receptors?)

sensory receptors that enable the perception of pain in response to potentially harmful stimuli (cells that respond to touch)

pupil

the adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters (center of iris)

Intensity

the amount of energy in a light wave or sound wave (determined by wave's amplitude/height) (DETERMINES BRIGHTNESS)

Wavelength

the distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the next (DETERMINES COLOR)

Optic nerve

the nerve that carries neural impulses from eye to brain

kinesthesia

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

gate-control theory

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 sending other sensory info