CH 5 Sensation & Perception PSYCH 1 – Flashcards

refers to the way sensory information is organized, interpreted, and consciously experienced. Motivation, beliefs, values, prejudices, expectations, and life experiences can also affect perception.

refers to the fact that perceptions are built from sensory input

how we interpret those sensations is influenced by our available knowledge, our experiences, and our thoughts

not all sensations result in perception, we often don't perceive stimuli that remain relatively constant over prolonged periods of time

plays a significant role in determining what is sensed and what is perceived.

(Christopher Chabris) Failure to notice something that is completely visible because of lack of attention

change in stimulus detection as a function of current mental state

transparent covering over the eye. Function: barrier between the inner eye and the outside world, involved in focusing light waves that enter the eye.

small opening in the eye through which light passes, and the size of the pupil can change as a function of light levels as well as emotional arousal. -when light levels are low, pupil dilates (to allow light to enter eye), when light levels are high, the pupil will constrict to reduce the amount of light that enters the eye. -Controlled by muscles that are connected to the iris (colored portion of eye).

curved, transparent structure that serves to provide additional focus. Att. To muscles that can change its shape to aide in focusing light that is reflected from near or far objects

small indentation in back of the eye. Contains densely packed specialized photoreceptor cells.

: cones, light-detecting cells. Specialized types of photoreceptors that work best in bright light conditions. Sensitive to detail and provide spatial resolution.

the light-sensitive lining of the eye

specialized photoreceptors that work in low light conditions, involved in our vision in dimly lit environments and perception of movement Rods and cones connected to retinal ganglion cells. Exit from optic nerve at back of the eye. Carries visual information from retina to the brain.

the point where the eye merges just below the brain. X-shaped structure sitting below cerebral cortex. Right visual sent to left brain, left visual sent to right. Once in the brain, visual information is sent to the occipital lobe for processing.

color vision is mediated by the activity across the three groups of cones

color is coded in opponent pairs: black/white, yellow/blue, and red/green. -This theory leads to negative afterimages

describes the continuation of a visual sensation after removal of the stimulus.

our ability to perceive spatial relationships in 3D space

rely on the use of both eyes

slightly different view of the world that each of our eyes receives

(use when we look at 2D images) cues that only require only one eye

refers to the fact that we perceive depth when we see two parallel lines that seem t converge in an image.

sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami (fatty taste) Taste info is transmitted to the medulla, thalamus, limbic system, gustatory cortex

groupings of taste receptor cells with hair-like extensions that protrude into the central pore of the taste bud. Life cycle: 10-2 weeks

located in a mucous membrane at the top of the nose. Small hair-like extensions from these receptors serve as the sites for odor molecules dissolved in the mucus to interact which chemical receptors. Once this happens, sent to olfactory bulb.

bulb-like structure at the tip of the frontal lobe where the olfactory nerves begin

chemical messaged sent by another individual

touch receptor that responds to pressure and lower frequency vibrations

detect transient pressure and higher frequency vibration.

touch receptor that responds to light touch

detect stretch

pain that signals some type of tissue damage

pain signals that are sent to the brain get exaggerated

contributes to our ability to maintain balance and body posture. (utricle, saccule, semicircular canals, located next to cochlea in the inner ear). Vestibular system collects information critical for controlling movement and reflexes.

perception of the body's movement through space

perception of body position

the idea that the whole is different from the sum of its parts. The brain created a perception that is more than simply the sum of available sensory inputs. -Figure-ground relationship: figure is the object or person that is the focus of the visual field, the ground is the background. -Proximity: things that are close to one another tend to be grouped together -Similarity: group things in our visual fields. Things that are alike tend to be grouped together. -Continuity: we are more likely to perceive continuous, smooth flowing lines rather than jagged, broken lines -Principle of closure: states that we organize our perceptions into complete objects than that a series of parts.