Questions and Answers
What is the process by which a stimulated receptor creates a pattern of neural messages that represent the stimulus in the brain?
What describes a mental process that elaborates and assigns meaning to incoming sensory patterns?
What is known as the lowest level of stimulation that a person can detect?
Absolute threshold
What is the smallest change in stimulation that a person can detect called?
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What term describes diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation?
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What theory suggests that sensation depends on the characteristics of the stimulus, background stimulation, and the detector?
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What process involves the conversion of one form of energy into another, particularly in sensory perception?
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What principle states that for any change in a stimulus to be detected, a constant proportion of that stimulus must be added or subtracted?
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What occurs when a visual sensation persists for a brief period after the original stimulus is removed?
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What term measures the physical strength of sound waves?
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What is the term for the primary organ for hearing located in the inner ear?
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What term describes the inability to distinguish differences in hue?
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What type of sensory neuron is specialized to detect light waves perceived as blue, red, or green?
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What is the name of the theory that describes opposing retinal processes enabling color vision?
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What is the term for the portion of sunlight perceived by the human eye as various colors?
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What process involves analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to brain integration?
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What do we call the failure to detect stimuli that are in plain sight when our attention is focused elsewhere?
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What concept involves perceiving objects as unchanging even as illumination and retinal images change?
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What term describes the meaningful product of perception?
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What is the name of the principle that states objects are grouped together when they are near each other?
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What term refers to the distinguishing quality of a sound?
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Study Notes
Sensation and Perception
- Sensation refers to the detection of stimuli through sensory receptors like the eyes and ears, resulting in neural messages to the brain.
- Perception is the mental process that interprets and assigns meaning to sensory information, influencing how stimuli are understood.
Thresholds
- Absolute threshold is the minimum intensity of a stimulus that can be detected by an individual.
- Difference threshold is the smallest detectable difference between two stimuli, known as the just noticeable difference (JND).
Sensory Adaptation and Theories
- Sensory adaptation describes decreased sensitivity to a constant stimulus over time.
- Signal detection theory states that sensation is influenced by the stimulus's characteristics, background noise, and individual sensitivity.
- Weber's law indicates that the detection of changes in a stimulus requires a constant proportion to be added or subtracted.
Visual and Auditory Systems
- Afterimages are visual sensations that linger after the original stimulus is removed.
- Amplitude relates to the physical strength of sound waves and their perceived loudness.
- The cochlea is the primary organ for hearing, and the basilar membrane runs through it, aiding in sound processing.
Color Perception
- Color is perceived based on hue, brightness, and saturation, while cones in the retina detect colors such as blue, red, and green.
- Color blindness is a genetic condition affecting the ability to distinguish hues.
- The electromagnetic spectrum encompasses all frequencies of electromagnetic radiation, including visible light.
Visual Processing
- The fovea is the central point in the retina with a high concentration of cones for color vision.
- The blind spot is an area in the visual field lacking visual receptors where the optic nerve exits the eye.
- Opponent-process theory and trichromatic theory explain color vision through different mechanisms and sensitivities to specific colors.
Pain and Sensory Integration
- The gate-control theory proposes that the spinal cord can block or allow pain signals to reach the brain based on various factors.
- Kinesthetic sense pertains to the awareness of body position and movement relative to surroundings.
Perception and Gestalt Principles
- Gestalt psychology focuses on the brain’s tendency to organize sensory input into meaningful wholes.
- Key Gestalt principles include proximity (grouping nearby objects) and similarity (grouping similar objects).
- Closure involves perceiving incomplete figures as complete by filling in missing segments.
Cognitive Processing
- Bottom-up processing analyzes sensory information starting from the receptors up to the brain's interpretation.
- Top-down processing uses prior knowledge and expectations to interpret sensory information.
- Perceptual constancy allows objects to be perceived as unchanging despite variations in illumination and retinal images.
Other Relevant Concepts
- Blindsight refers to residual visual capacities in individuals who are blind, highlighting the complexities of sensory processing.
- Inattentional blindness occurs when individuals fail to notice stimuli in their visual field when focused elsewhere.
- Learning-based inference suggests perception is shaped primarily by experience rather than innate qualities.
Sound Properties
- Timbre differentiates the quality of sounds, while pitch varies with the frequency of sound wave vibrations.
- Loudness is the subjective perception of sound intensity, influenced by the wave's amplitude.
Miscellaneous
- Placebo effect is the improvement in condition arising from the expectation of treatment, not the treatment itself.
- Pheromones are odorless chemicals that facilitate social signaling within species.
- Monocular and binocular cues provide depth perception through different visual perspectives and the use of two eyes.
Visual Phenomena
- Ambiguous figures are images that can be interpreted in multiple ways, showcasing subjectivity in perception.
- Binding problems illustrate how the brain integrates various sensory features into a cohesive perception.
Key Terms Recap
- Photoreceptors are light-sensitive cells in the retina (rods and cones).
- Skin senses encompass sensations of touch, pressure, temperature, and pain.
- The visible spectrum is the component of sunlight visible to the human eye, perceived as different colors.
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Description
This quiz covers key concepts in psychology related to sensation and perception including absolute and difference thresholds, sensory adaptation, and theories such as signal detection theory. Understanding these principles is essential for grasping how we interpret sensory information and the complexities of our perceptual experiences.
