Psychology Chapter: Sensation and Perception

Questions and Answers

What is sensation?

The ability to adjust to an altered perceptual reality

The study of the relationship between physical characteristics of stimuli and our psychological experience

The process of organizing and interpreting sensory information

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

What is perception?

The minimum sensitivity needed to detect a stimulus

The theory of how and when we detect faint stimuli

The process that begins with the sense receptors

The process of organizing and interpreting sensory information (correct)

What does bottom-up processing mean?

Detection of stimuli below the absolute threshold

Analysis that begins with the sense receptors and works up to the brain's integration of sensory information (correct)

A measure of our ability to detect a stimulus

Information processing guided by higher-level mental processes

What is top-down processing?

Information processing guided by higher-level mental processes Signup and view all the answers

Define psychophysics.

The study of the relationship between the physical characteristics of stimuli and our psychological experience of them. Signup and view all the answers

What is the absolute threshold?

The minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time. Signup and view all the answers

Explain signal detection theory.

A theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus amid background stimulation. Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference threshold?

The minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time. Signup and view all the answers

What is subliminal sensation?

Detection of stimuli below absolute threshold Signup and view all the answers

What does Weber's law state?

To be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage. Signup and view all the answers

What is sensory adaptation?

Diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation. Signup and view all the answers

Define transduction.

Conversion of one form of energy into another. Signup and view all the answers

What is wavelength in terms of visual perception?

Distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of the pupil?

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

What does the lens do?

Adjusts shape to help focus images on the retina Signup and view all the answers

What is accommodation in vision?

The process by which the eye's lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina. Signup and view all the answers

Define nearsightedness.

A condition in which nearby objects are seen more clearly than distant objects. Signup and view all the answers

What is farsightedness?

A condition in which faraway objects are seen more clearly than near objects. Signup and view all the answers

What are rods?

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

What is the function of cones?

Receptor cells that function in daylight and detect fine details and color sensation. Signup and view all the answers

What does the optic nerve do?

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 and no receptor cells are located. Signup and view all the answers

Define depth perception.

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

What is the cocktail party effect?

Ability to selectively attend to one voice among many Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the visual cliff experiment?

To test depth perception among infants and young animals. Signup and view all the answers

What does perceptual constancy refer to?

Perceiving objects as unchanging despite changes in illumination Signup and view all the answers

What is synesthesia?

When one sort of sensation produces another, such as hearing a sound and seeing a color Signup and view all the answers

What is the Ganzfeld procedure?

A laboratory procedure used to test powers of extrasensory perception. Signup and view all the answers

What does selective attention mean?

The mental capacity to attend to limited sensory information at one time Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Key Terms and Definitions

Sensation: Process of receiving and representing stimulus energies through sensory receptors and the nervous system.
Perception: Organizing and interpreting sensory information, allowing recognition of meaningful objects and events.
Bottom-up processing: Analysis that starts with sensory receptors and builds up to the integration of sensory information in the brain.
Top-down processing: Higher-level mental processes guide information processing, constructing perceptions based on experience and expectations.

Psychophysics and Sensory Thresholds

Psychophysics: Study of the relationship between physical stimuli and psychological experiences.
Absolute threshold: Minimum stimulation needed to detect a stimulus 50% of the time.
Signal detection theory: Predicts how and when we detect faint stimuli amidst background noise, focusing on brief stored information.
Difference threshold: Minimum difference necessary between two stimuli for detection 50% of the time known as just noticeable difference (JND).

Visual Processing

Subliminal sensation: Detection of stimuli below the absolute threshold.
Weber's law: To be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage.
Sensory adaptation: Reduced sensitivity due to constant stimulation.

The Eye and Visual System

Transduction: Conversion of one form of energy into another, transforming stimulus into neural impulses.
Wavelength: Distance between peaks of waves; influences color perception.
Amplitude: Height of a wave; affects brightness in visuals and volume in sound.
Pupil: Adjustable opening in the center of the eye that lets light in.
Iris: Muscle tissue that controls pupil size and gives eyes their color.
Lens: Transparent structure behind the pupil that focuses images on the retina.
Accommodation: Process in which the lens changes shape to focus on objects at different distances.
Retina: Inner light-sensitive layer of the eye that begins processing visual information.

Vision and Eye Conditions

Acuity: Sharpness of vision.
Nearsightedness: Difficulty seeing distant objects clearly; image focuses in front of the retina.
Farsightedness: Difficulty seeing nearby objects clearly; image focuses behind the retina.
Rods: Receptors for black, white, and gray; essential for peripheral and twilight vision.
Cones: Detect fine details and colors, concentrated in the center of the retina.
Optic nerve: Carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain.
Blind spot: Area where the optic nerve exits the eye; lacks receptor cells.
Fovea: Central point in the retina where cones are clustered for sharp vision.

Color Vision Theories

Young-Helmholtz Trichromatic theory: Retina contains three types of color receptors sensitive to red, green, and blue.
Opponent-Process theory: Opposing retinal processes enable color vision, explaining after-images.

Sound Perception

Audition: Sense of hearing.
Frequency: Number of complete wavelengths passing a point in a given time.
Pitch: Perception related to the frequency of sound waves.
Cochlea: Fluid-filled tube in the inner ear where sound waves trigger nerve impulses.

Hearing Mechanisms

Place theory: Links pitch perception with the location of stimulation in the cochlea.
Frequency theory: Rate of nerve impulses matches the frequency of a tone to determine pitch.
Conduction hearing loss: Damage to the mechanical system conducting sound waves.
Sensorineural hearing loss: Damage to the cochlea's receptor cells or auditory nerves.

Pain Perception

Gate-Control theory: Spinal cord contains a "gate" that either blocks or allows pain signals to reach the brain.

Sensory Integration and Special Senses

Sensory interaction: One sense influencing another, e.g., smell enhancing taste.
Kinesthesis: Sensing the position and movement of body parts through proprioceptors.
Vestibular sense: Sense of body movement and balance, informed by inner ear structures.

Gestalt Principles

Gestalt psychology: Perception of whole forms rather than individual components.
Figure-ground: Organization of visual fields into objects that stand out from their backgrounds.
Grouping: Tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups based on principles like proximity, similarity, continuity, and closure.

Depth Perception and Cues

Depth perception: Ability to see objects in three dimensions and judge distance.
Binocular cues: Require input from both eyes for depth perception.
Monocular cues: Require input from one eye, useful for understanding depth in two-dimensional art.

Perceptual Phenomena

Perceptual constancy: Recognizing objects as stable despite changes in illumination.
Perceptual set: Mental predisposition to perceive stimuli in a certain way, influenced by prior experience.

Extrasensory Perception

Extrasensory perception (ESP): Perception occurring apart from sensory input, including phenomena like telepathy and clairvoyance.
Parapsychology: Study of paranormal phenomena, including ESP.

Summary of Individual and Collective Perception

Visual capture: When vision dominates over other sensory inputs.
Synaesthesia: Merging of senses, such as seeing colors when hearing sounds.
Cocktail party effect: Selective attention to one voice among many, demonstrating focus on specific stimuli.

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Description

Test your knowledge on key terms and concepts related to sensation and perception in psychology. This quiz covers essential definitions, psychophysics, and sensory thresholds, helping you understand how we interpret stimuli in our environment.