Psychology Unit 4 Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What are feature detectors?

Receptors for smell

Cells that respond to sound

Nerve cells that respond to specific features of stimuli (correct)

Cells in the skin that detect touch

What is parallel processing?

The processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously.

What does the Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theory propose?

The retina contains three different color receptors sensitive to red, green, and blue.

What is the opponent-process theory?

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

What is audition?

The sense or act of hearing. Signup and view all the answers

What is frequency in the context of sound?

The number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time. Signup and view all the answers

What does pitch refer to?

A tone's experienced highness or lowness. Signup and view all the answers

What is the middle ear?

The chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing three tiny bones. Signup and view all the answers

What is the cochlea?

A coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear. Signup and view all the answers

What does the inner ear contain?

The cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs. Signup and view all the answers

What is place theory?

The theory linking pitch to the place where the cochlea's membrane is stimulated. Signup and view all the answers

What is frequency theory in hearing?

The theory that the rate of nerve impulses matches the frequency of a tone. Signup and view all the answers

What is conduction hearing loss?

Hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system conducting sound to the cochlea. Signup and view all the answers

What is sensorineural hearing loss?

Hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea's receptor cells or auditory nerves. Signup and view all the answers

What is a cochlear implant?

A device for converting sounds into electrical signals stimulating the auditory nerve. Signup and view all the answers

What is kinesthesis?

The system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts. Signup and view all the answers

What is the vestibular sense?

The sense of body movement and position, including balance. Signup and view all the answers

What does the gate-control theory explain?

The theory that the spinal cord has a 'gate' that blocks or allows pain signals. Signup and view all the answers

What is sensory interaction?

The principle that one sense may influence another. Signup and view all the answers

What is Gestalt in psychology?

An organized whole. Signup and view all the answers

What does figure-ground refer to in visual perception?

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

What is grouping in perception?

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 the 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 based on the difference in images from each eye. 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 adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession. Signup and view all the answers

What is perceptual constancy?

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

What is color constancy?

Perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color regardless of changes in 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 perceptual set?

A mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Feature Detectors

Nerve cells in the brain that are responsive to specific features of stimuli, including shape, angle, and movement.

Parallel Processing

The simultaneous processing of multiple aspects of a problem, a natural brain function for various tasks, especially vision; contrasts with the sequential processing of computers.

Young-Helmholtz Trichromatic Theory

Proposes the retina contains three color receptors, sensitive to red, green, and blue, which combine to create the perception of any color.

Opponent-Process Theory

Suggests that color perception is enabled through opposing processes in the retina.

Audition

The sensory perception related to hearing.

Frequency

Refers to the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a specific timeframe.

Pitch

The perceived highness or lowness of a tone, determined by the frequency of sound waves.

Middle Ear

The space between the eardrum and cochlea that houses three tiny bones (hammer, anvil, stirrup) responsible for amplifying eardrum vibrations to the cochlea.

Cochlea

A coiled, fluid-filled structure in the inner ear where sound waves are transformed into nerve impulses.

Inner Ear

The deepest part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs.

Place Theory

Links pitch perception to the specific location on the cochlea's membrane where stimulation occurs.

Frequency Theory

Indicates that the frequency of nerve impulses along the auditory nerve corresponds to the tone's frequency, enabling pitch perception.

Conduction Hearing Loss

Results from damage to the mechanical system that transmits sound waves to the cochlea.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Caused by damage to the cochlea's receptor cells or auditory nerves, also known as nerve deafness.

Cochlear Implant

A device that converts sound into electrical signals to stimulate the auditory nerve through electrodes in the cochlea.

Kinesthesis

Refers to the sensory system that detects the position and movement of body parts.

Vestibular Sense

Involves awareness of body movement and position, crucial for balance.

Gate-Control Theory

Proposes that the spinal cord has a neurological "gate" managing pain signals; small nerve fiber activity opens the gate, while larger fibers or brain signals close it.

Sensory Interaction

The phenomenon where one sense influences another, exemplified by how smell can affect taste perception.

Gestalt

Represents an organized whole; Gestalt psychology focuses on how we integrate pieces of information into meaningful entities.

Figure-Ground

The principle of visual organization where we distinguish objects (figures) from their background (ground).

Grouping

A perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent, easily recognizable groups.

Depth Perception

The ability to perceive spatial relationships and distance, despite receiving two-dimensional images on the retina.

Visual Cliff

A research tool used to assess depth perception in infants and young animals.

Binocular Cues

Depth cues that arise from having two eyes, such as retinal disparity.

Retinal Disparity

A depth perception cue based on the differences between the images from two retinas; greater disparity indicates closer objects.

Monocular Cues

Depth perception cues available to one eye, including interposition and linear perspective.

Phi Phenomenon

The optical illusion of motion created when adjacent lights blink in quick succession.

Perceptual Constancy

The recognition that objects remain constant in terms of brightness, color, shape, and size, despite changes in illumination and retinal images.

Color Constancy

The perception of familiar objects as having consistent color, regardless of varying illumination that may change the wavelengths reflected.

Perceptual Adaptation

The ability to adjust visuals to artificial alterations or displaced visual fields.

Perceptual Set

A mental predisposition influencing an individual's perception, leading them to favor one interpretation over another.

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Description

Test your knowledge of psychology concepts related to feature detectors and perceptual sets with these flashcards. This unit covers key terms and definitions essential for understanding how we process visual information in the brain.