Sensory Interaction Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What is the principle of sensory interaction?

The theory that opposing retinal processes enable color vision

The process by which the eye's lens changes shape

The minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus

The principle that one sense may influence another (correct)

What is accommodation in terms of vision?

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

What does Young Helmholtz trichromatic theory propose?

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

What does the vestibular sense refer to?

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

What is audition?

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

What is the function of the pupil in the eye?

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

What is the retina?

The light-sensitive inner surface of the eye that contains receptor rods and cones. Signup and view all the answers

What are rods in the context of vision?

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

What does top-down processing involve?

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

Describe bottom-up processing.

Analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain's integration of sensory information. Signup and view all the answers

What does kinesthesis refer to?

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

What is Weber's law?

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

What is the cochlea?

A coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear through which sound waves trigger nerve impulses. Signup and view all the answers

What do cones do in the retina?

Cones detect fine detail and give rise to color sensations. Signup and view all the answers

What is the optic nerve responsible for?

Carrying neural impulses from the eyes to the brain. Signup and view all the answers

What is parallel processing in the brain?

The processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously. Signup and view all the answers

What does the opponent processing theory explain?

Opposing retinal processes (red-green, yellow-blue, white-black) enable color vision. 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

What is the fovea?

The central focal point in the retina, around which the eye's cones cluster. Signup and view all the answers

What creates a blind spot in the eye?

The point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, where no receptor cells are located. Signup and view all the answers

What is sensation in sensory processing?

The process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies. Signup and view all the answers

What is selective attention?

The capacity for reacting to certain stimuli selectively when several occur simultaneously. Signup and view all the answers

What does the gatecontrol theory propose?

The spinal cord contains a neurological 'gate' that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass. Signup and view all the answers

What is perception in sensory processing?

The process of organizing and interpreting sensory information. Signup and view all the answers

What does subliminal mean?

Below one's absolute threshold for conscious awareness. Signup and view all the answers

What is the 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 are feature detectors?

Nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of stimuli. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Sensory Interaction Concepts

Sensory interaction refers to how one sense can influence another, demonstrated by how food's smell can affect its taste.

Eye Functionality

Accommodation is the lens's ability to change shape for focusing on near or distant objects.
The pupil serves as the adjustable opening in the eye, regulating light entry.
The retina is the light-sensitive layer that initiates visual processing, containing rods and cones.

Types of Photoreceptors

Rods detect black, white, and gray; crucial for low-light vision.
Cones, concentrated in the retina's center, function in well-lit conditions and perceive color and detail.

Visual Processing Theories

Young Helmholtz trichromatic theory posits three color receptors (red, green, blue) corresponding to color perception.
Opponent processing theory suggests color vision arises from opposing retinal processes (e.g., red-green, yellow-blue).
Bottom-up processing involves sensory receptors initiating perception, while top-down processing utilizes prior knowledge and expectations.

Auditory and Vestibular Senses

Audition is the sense of hearing, with sound processed through the cochlea, a fluid-filled structure in the inner ear.
The vestibular sense provides information about body position and movement, aiding balance.

Thresholds and Perception

Absolute threshold denotes the minimum stimulus required for detection 50% of the time.
Perception is the interpretation of sensory information, allowing recognition of meaningful objects and events.
Subliminal stimuli are below the threshold of conscious awareness.

Pain and Attention Mechanisms

Gate control theory explains how the spinal cord's neurological "gate" regulates pain transmission to the brain.
Selective attention allows individuals to focus on specific stimuli amid distractions.

Frequency and Feature Detection

Frequency theory relates to how the auditory nerve's impulse rate correlates with sound frequency, contributing to pitch perception.
Feature detectors are specialized neural cells responding to specific stimulus features like shape or movement.

Additional Sensory Definitions

Kinesthesis involves the sensation of individual body parts' position and movement.
Weber's law states that the perception of difference in stimuli depends on a constant minimum percentage difference.
Parallel processing allows simultaneous processing of multiple aspects of sensory information, contrasting with serial processing.

Visual Field Considerations

The fovea is the central point in the retina with a high concentration of cones, optimizing visual detail.
The blind spot occurs where the optic nerve exits the eye, marked by an absence of receptor cells.

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Description

Explore the key concepts of sensory interaction and related theories with these flashcards. Learn about how different senses influence each other, the process of accommodation in vision, and the Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theory. Perfect for students of psychology and sensory perception.