AP Psychology 18-19 Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What is wavelength?

The distance from one wave peak to the next.

What is hue?

The color we experience.

What does intensity refer to in the context of light?

The amount of energy in light waves determined by a wave's amplitude.

What is the pupil?

The adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters. Signup and view all the answers

What role does the iris play in the eye?

Surrounds the pupil and controls the size of the pupil. Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of the lens in the eye?

Focuses incoming light rays into an image on the retina. Signup and view all the answers

What is the retina?

A multi-layered tissue on the eyeball's sensitive inner surface. Signup and view all the answers

What is accommodation in the context of vision?

The lens focuses rays by changing its curvature. Signup and view all the answers

What are rods?

Retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray. Signup and view all the answers

What are cones?

Retinal receptor cells that function in daylight and give rise to color sensations. Signup and view all the answers

What is the optic nerve?

The nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain. Signup and view all the answers

What is a blind spot?

The point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a blind spot. Signup and view all the answers

What is the fovea?

The central focal point in the retina. Signup and view all the answers

What are bipolar cells?

Cells that help relay the cones' individual message to the visual cortex. Signup and view all the answers

What are ganglion cells?

Axons that form together to create the optic nerve. Signup and view all the answers

What are feature detectors?

Specialized neurons in the visual cortex that respond to specific features. Signup and view all the answers

What is parallel processing?

Processing many aspects of visual information simultaneously. Signup and view all the answers

What is the opponent-process theory?

The theory that opposing retinal processes account for color vision. Signup and view all the answers

What two physical characteristics of light help determine our sensory experience?

Wavelengths and hue. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theory.

When different color receptors are stimulated together, they form one color. Signup and view all the answers

Light's ______ is the distance from one wave peak to the next.

wavelength Signup and view all the answers

The dimension determines the ______ we experience.

hue Signup and view all the answers

What do we call the specialized neurons in the visual cortex that respond to particular features?

Feature detectors. Signup and view all the answers

Which theory explains reversed color afterimages?

Hering's opponent-process theory. Signup and view all the answers

What does bright electric field paint in terms of color wavelength suggest?

Short wavelength equals one large amplitude. Signup and view all the answers

What do we call the transparent, protective layer that light passes through as it enters the eye?

Cornea. Signup and view all the answers

What is Gestalt?

An organized whole. Signup and view all the answers

What is figure-ground?

The organization of the visual field into objects that stand out from their surroundings. Signup and view all the answers

What does grouping refer to in psychology?

The perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups. Signup and view all the answers

What is depth perception?

The ability to see objects in three dimensions and judge distance. Signup and view all the answers

What is a visual cliff?

A laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals. Signup and view all the answers

What are binocular cues?

Depth cues that depend on the use of two eyes. Signup and view all the answers

What is retinal disparity?

A binocular cue for perceiving depth by comparing images from both retinas. Signup and view all the answers

What are monocular cues?

Depth cues available to either eye alone. Signup and view all the answers

What is the phi phenomenon?

An illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession. Signup and view all the answers

What does perceptual constancy mean?

Recognizing objects without being deceived by changes in color, brightness, shape, or size. Signup and view all the answers

What is color constancy?

Perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color despite changing illumination. Signup and view all the answers

What is perceptual adaptation?

The ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or inverted visual field. Signup and view all the answers

What is the 'Necker Cube' and what does it demonstrate?

An illusion demonstrating how we can perceive a cube from two-dimensional circles and lines. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the three examples of grouping.

Proximity: we group nearby figures; Continuity: we perceive smooth patterns; Closure: we fill in gaps to create whole objects. Signup and view all the answers

What is the visual cliff and what does it teach us?

An experiment that tests depth perception, indicating it may be a biological aspect. Signup and view all the answers

What are the differences between binocular cues and monocular cues?

Binocular cues depend on both eyes; monocular cues are available to either eye alone. Signup and view all the answers

List and define briefly the monocular depth cues.

Relative height, relative size, interposition, relative motion, linear perspective, light shadow. Signup and view all the answers

What fundamental lesson do perceptual illusions reinforce?

Perception is not merely a projection but constructed by the brain. Signup and view all the answers

What concept does wearing distortion goggles demonstrate?

Perceptual adaptation. Signup and view all the answers

What do we call the illusion of movement caused by quick blinking lights?

Phi phenomenon. Signup and view all the answers

Why is it easy for spectators to see dancers against the dance floor?

Due to figure-ground relationships. Signup and view all the answers

What depth cue explains the difference in views from each eye?

Retinal disparity. Signup and view all the answers

What term describes the process of bringing order and form to stimuli?

Grouping. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Light and Color Perception

Wavelength: Distance between successive wave peaks; determines hue, the color experienced.
Hue: The perceived color, as seen in objects like tulips.
Intensity: Energy amount in light waves; quantified by amplitude or height of waves.

Eye Structure and Function

Pupil: Adjustable opening in the eye center, allowing light entry.
Iris: Colored muscle surrounding the pupil; controls pupil size in reaction to light intensity and emotions.
Lens: Focuses light rays onto the retina by changing shape through accommodation.
Retina: Multi-layered sensitive tissue lining the inner eye surface.

Photoreceptors

Rods: Detect black, white, and gray; essential for twilight and peripheral vision.
Cones: Responsible for color and detail; concentrated in the retina's center and function in well-lit conditions.

Neural Processing

Optic Nerve: Transmits visual information from the eye to the brain.
Blind Spot: Area where optic nerve exits, lacking receptor cells.
Fovea: Central part of the retina densely packed with cones, key for sharp vision.
Bipolar Cells: Relay signals from cones to the visual cortex, significant for detailed input.
Ganglion Cells: Bundle axons to form the optic nerve.

Visual Processing Theories and Mechanisms

Feature Detectors: Neurons responding to specific visual features like edges or movement.
Parallel Processing: Simultaneous processing of multiple visual aspects, including motion, form, and color.
Opponent-Process Theory: Explains color vision as a result of opposing processes for different color pairs (red-green, blue-yellow).

Depth Perception

Depth Perception: Ability to see three dimensions, allowing distance estimation.
Visual Cliff: Tests depth perception in infants, indicating innate biological factors.
Binocular Cues: Depth cues requiring both eyes, including retinal disparity.
Monocular Cues: Depth cues usable with one eye, such as linear perspective and interposition.

Gestalt Principles

Gestalt: Concept of organized wholes in perception.
Figure-Ground: Differentiating objects from their backgrounds.
Grouping: Organizing stimuli into coherent groups based on proximity, continuity, and closure.

Perceptual Constancy

Perceptual Constancy: Recognizing objects consistently despite changes in conditions.
Color Constancy: Perception of consistent color in varying illumination, aided by light context.

Perceptual Illusions and Adaptations

Phi Phenomenon: Illusion of movement caused by rapid succession of adjacent lights blinking.
Perceptual Adaptation: Ability to adjust to shifted visual fields, e.g., through distortion goggles.
Fundamental Lesson: Perception is a constructed model of sensory data rather than a direct projection of reality.

Key Terms

Relative Height: Objects higher are perceived as farther away.
Relative Size: Smaller retinal images appear farther away under the assumption of size similarity.
Interposition: Overlapping objects indicate which is nearer.
Linear Perspective: Parallel lines appear to converge at distance.
Light Shadow: Effects of shading signify light direction.

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Test your knowledge with these flashcards covering key terms in AP Psychology, focusing on concepts such as wavelength, hue, intensity, and pupil. Great for quick reviews and exam preparation!