Sensation & Perception - AP Psychology Flashcards

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Questions and Answers

What is prosopagnosia?

Gestalt principle of grouping

Inability to recognize or perceive faces (correct)

Depth perception in vision

Ability to selectively attend to one voice among many

What is the meaning of gestalt?

A perceptual whole; derived from the German word meaning 'form' or 'whole'.

What does selective attention refer to?

Ability to perceive depth in visual fields

Ability to attend to only a limited amount of sensory information at one time (correct)

Depth cues requiring both eyes

Inability to recognize faces

What is the cocktail party effect?

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

What does figure-ground refer to in Gestalt psychology?

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

What is the grouping principle of proximity?

We group nearby figures together. Signup and view all the answers

How does the similarity principle manifest in perception?

We group similar figures together. Signup and view all the answers

What does the continuity principle suggest?

Our tendency to perceive smooth, continuous patterns rather than discontinuous ones. Signup and view all the answers

What is meant by connectedness in Gestalt psychology?

When objects uniform in color or texture are linked, we perceive them as a single unit. Signup and view all the answers

What does closure refer to in perception?

We fill in 'gaps' to create a full, complete object. Signup and view all the answers

What are illusory contours?

Imagined 'boundaries' created by the perception of 'lines' dividing areas of color or texture. 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 among infants and young animals. Signup and view all the answers

What are binocular cues?

Depth cues that require the combined input of both eyes. Signup and view all the answers

What are monocular cues?

Depth cues that only require input from one eye. Signup and view all the answers

What is retinal disparity?

A binocular cue for perceiving depth; the brain computes distance from the comparison of images from both retinas. Signup and view all the answers

What is convergence in depth perception?

A binocular cue indicating how much eyes strain to focus on an object. Signup and view all the answers

What does relative height indicate in perception?

Objects higher in our visual field are perceived to be farther away. Signup and view all the answers

What is the concept of relative size?

If two objects are assumed to be similar in size, the one casting a smaller retinal image is perceived as farther away. Signup and view all the answers

What does interposition tell us about depth perception?

If one object partially blocks another, the former is perceived as closer. Signup and view all the answers

How is linear perspective related to depth perception?

Parallel lines appear to converge with distance; the more they converge, the greater the perceived distance. Signup and view all the answers

What role do light and shadow play in depth perception?

Nearby objects reflect more light, making dimmer objects appear farther away. Signup and view all the answers

What does relative motion describe?

As we move, stationary objects seem to move in the opposite direction based on their position relative to our fixation point. Signup and view all the answers

What is relative clarity in depth perception?

Objects that appear fuzzier are perceived as being farther away. Signup and view all the answers

What does texture gradient refer to?

A gradual change from coarse, distinct texture to fine, indistinct texture signals increasing distance. 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 rapid succession. Signup and view all the answers

What is stroboscopic movement?

The brain's perception of continuous movement in a rapid series of slightly varying images. Signup and view all the answers

What does perceptual constancy mean?

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

What is perceptual adaptation?

The ability to adjust to an altered perceptual reality. Signup and view all the answers

What is meant by perceptual set?

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

Study Notes

Sensation & Perception Key Terms

Prosopagnosia: A condition characterized by the inability to recognize faces, often referred to as face blindness.
Gestalt: A principle of perception emphasizing holistic processing; derived from a German term meaning "form" or "whole".

Attention Mechanisms

Selective Attention: The cognitive ability to focus on a specific stimulus while ignoring others, crucial for processing sensory information effectively.
Cocktail Party Effect: A phenomenon that illustrates selective attention, allowing individuals to focus on a single conversation in a noisy environment.

Gestalt Principles

Figure-Ground: A perceptual strategy that separates objects (figures) from their background (ground), facilitating clearer visual interpretation.
Grouping: A tendency to mentally organize visual stimuli into organized patterns or coherent groups based on specific criteria.
Proximity: A Gestalt principle where nearby elements are perceived as a single group due to their closeness.
Similarity: The perception tendency to group similar figures together, enhancing visual coherence.
Continuity: The inclination to perceive smooth, continuous lines or patterns rather than abrupt changes.
Connectedness: Objects that share uniform characteristics, such as color or texture, are perceived as a single entity when linked together.
Closure: The cognitive ability to perceive incomplete shapes as whole figures by mentally filling in gaps.
Illusory Contours: Perceived borders or outlines that do not physically exist, created by visual contrast and context.

Depth Perception

Depth Perception: The capability to perceive the world in three dimensions, enabling distance judgment despite 2D retinal images.
Visual Cliff: A device used to assess depth perception in infants and animals; demonstrates that most species have depth perception by the time they can move.

Cues for Depth Perception

Binocular Cues: Depth cues reliant on both eyes working together for a comprehensive view of spatial relationships.
Monocular Cues: Depth cues that can be discerned with one eye, often employed in art to create a sense of depth.
Retinal Disparity: A binocular cue that arises from the differing images captured by each eye; greater disparity indicates closer objects.
Convergence: A binocular cue that occurs when eyes angle inward to focus on closer objects; increases muscle strain, signaling proximity.
Relative Height: A monocular cue where objects that appear higher in visual space are perceived as further away.
Relative Size: A depth cue where similar-sized objects are perceived as further away if they cast smaller retinal images.
Interposition: A depth cue where overlapping objects imply that the one obstructing view is closer.
Linear Perspective: A depth cue observing that parallel lines converge in the distance, indicating greater perceived distance.
Light and Shadow: A monocular cue suggesting depth through light reflection, where dimmer objects seem further away.
Relative Motion: The perceived motion of objects as we move; nearby objects appear to shift in the opposite direction while distant objects seem to maintain position.
Relative Clarity: A depth cue indicating that less distinct or fuzzier objects are perceived as being further away.
Texture Gradient: The gradual transition from coarse to fine texture signals increasing distance.

Perception Phenomena

Phi Phenomenon: An optical illusion of perceived motion created by rapidly blinking adjacent lights.
Stroboscopic Movement: The brain's interpretation of continuous motion from a series of slightly varying images, foundational for film and animation.

Constancies and Adaptations in Perception

Perceptual Constancy: The ability to recognize objects as stable despite changes in sensory input related to size, shape, light, or color.
Perceptual Adaptation: The capacity to adjust to altered perceptual inputs, such as viewing through lenses that invert visual fields.
Perceptual Set: A cognitive bias that predisposes individuals to perceive certain interpretations based on expectations or previous experiences.

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Description

Test your knowledge of key terms in sensation and perception with these AP Psychology flashcards. Each card features a specific word along with its definition, helping you master important concepts for your exam. Get ready to enhance your understanding of how we perceive the world around us!