Sensation
howoursensory receptors and nervous system receives and represents stimulus energiesfrom our environment
Transduction
conversionof one sort of energy to another
Perception
howweorganize and interpret sensory information
Twotypes of processing
Bottom up processingTop down processing
Bottom up processing
beginningwithbasic information from our sense receptors
Top down processing
guidedby ahigher-level framework of experience and expectations
Psychophysics
Thestudy of how physical energy in the environment relates to our psychologicalexperience of perception
Absolute threshold
minimumstimulationto detect a stimulus 50% of the time
Subliminal
stimulationbelowabsolute threshold
Canwe be affected by subliminal stimulation?
Yes Sometimes we consciouslydetect it.
Priming
effectsof a stimulus that is not consciously recognized�a subtle, fleeting effect.
Difference threshold (or just noticeable difference)
theminimumdifference a person can detect between any two stimuli 50% of the time
Weber's Law states
that the just noticiable differnce between two stimuli is a constant minimum proportion of the stimulus
example of Weber's law in action
if a differnce of ten percent in weight is noticeable, Weber's law predics that a person could discrimunate 10- and 11- pound weights or 50- and 55-pound weights
Sensory Adaptation
Diminishedsensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation. This allows focus on novel information.
if our bodies adapt to things after sensing it for so long why don�t objects vanish from our sight?
Because our eyes are actually constantly moving.
Selective Attention
is the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus out of all of those that we are capable of experiencing
examples of the use of selective attention in everyday life
Cocktail party effectCell-phone use whiledriving
Wavelength
distance between wave peaks
Wavelenght determines...
hue (color
Intensity
waves� height
Intensity determines
Determines brightness
True or FalseShort Wavelenghts equal low frequency and give you dark colorTrue False
FALSE
True Or FalseSmall amptitude equals bright colorsTrue False
FALSE
Parts of the eyeCones
Detect Color
Parts of the eyeRods
detect black, white, and grey
Blind spot
point where optic nerve leave the eye (no receptor cells)
Accommodation
The process by which the eye�s lens changes shape to help focus near or far objects on the retina.
Feature Detection
Nerve cells in the visual cortex respond to specific features, such as edges, angles, and movement.
Young-Helmholtz Trichromatic theory
Cones recognize red, green, and bluePerception of other colors is based on different combinations
SoundwavesLength= frequency; Determines...
pitch
SoundwavesHeight = amplitude; Determines
loudness?
Sound waves travelfrom the outer ear, to the middle ear , to the ___ wich is a ___
cochlea (fluid filled snail-shaped tube).
Movement in the cochlea fluid disrupts receptor cells (hair cells) on the ____ membrane, which triggers nerve impulses that travel to the brain.
basilar
How do we perceive pitch?Place Theory
waves of different pitches trigger activity at different places on the basilar membraneExplains how we hear high-pitched sounds
How do we perceive pitch?Frequency Theory
neural impulses are triggered at the same rate as the wave�s frequencyExplains how we hear lower-pitched sounds
Kinesthesis
Sense of body parts�position and movement, based on information from receptor cells in the muscles,tendons, and joints.
This sense is assisted by _____, based on movement of fluid in the inner ear�s semicircular canals.
vestibular sense
We organize sensations into a �____,� or whole.Greater than the sum of its parts
gestalt
Our experiences, assumptions, and expectations may give us a ____, a mental predisposition that influences what we see.
perceptual set
Gestalt Principles
Figure-groundorganizationGrouping rules: Proximity Similarity ConnectednessContinuityClosure
Monocular cues
SizeInterpositionRelative clarityTexture gradientRelative heightRelative motion(motion parallax) Linear perspective Light and shadowAssume light comesfrom above