Upgrade to remove ads
Only $2.99/month

Sensation and Perception #1

Terms in this set (26)

sensation
the process by which sensory organs in the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, skin, and other tissues receive and detect stimuli
perception
the organization and interpretation of sensory stimuli by the brain
absolute threshold
the weakest stimuli that can be detected 50% of the time
sensory adaptation
sensory receptors tend to become less sensitive to constant stimuli
difference threshold
the minimum difference between two stimuli that can be noticed 50% of the time
transduction
the process of transforming stimuli into neural signals
data-based processing
taking basic sensory information about incoming stimuli and processing it for further interpretation
knowledge-based processing
drawing on past experiences and knowledge to understand and interpret sensory information
signal detection theory
a theory explaining how various factors influence our ability to detect weak signals in the environment
Weber's law
the law stating that each of the five senses has its own constant ratios determining difference thresholds
wavelength
the distance between wave peaks (or troughs)
hue
the color of an object, determined by the wavelength or light it reflects
amplitude
the height of a wave; the distance from midpoint to peak, or from midpoint to the trough of a wave
saturation
color purity
cornea
the clear, outer layer of the eye that shields it from damage and focuses incoming light waves
iris
the muscle responsible for changing the size of the pupil
accommodation
the process by which the lens changes shape in order to focus on images near and far
retina
the layer of the eye that contains photoreceptor cells and the location for the transduction of light energy into neural activity
photoreceptors
cells that absorb light energy and turn it into chemical and electrical signals for the brain to process
rods
specialized light receptors in the retina that are responsible for sight when the light level is low; not sensitive to color, but useful for night vision
cones
specialized light receptors responsible for our sensation of color and our ability to sense details
optic nerve
the bundle of axons from ganglion cells leading to the visual cortex
blind spot
the location where the optic nerve exits the retina
dark adaptation
ability of the eyes to adjust to the dark after exposure to brightness
light adaptation
ability of the eyes to adjust to light after being in the dark
afterimage
an image that appears to linger in the visual field after its stimulus, or source, is removed.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE...