Flashcards
Understanding Psychology: Chap 3
Cards in this deck (81)
- 1Sensationthe experience of sensory stimulation
- 2receptor cella specialized cell that responds to a particular type of energy
- 3Transductionthe conversion of physical energy into coded neural signals
- 4Absolute Thresholdthe least amount of energy that can be detected as a stimulation 50% of the time
- 5AdaptationAn adjustment of the senses to the level of stimulation they are receiving
- 6Difference ThresholdAlso called noticeable difference, the smallest change in stimulation that can be detected 50% of the time
- 7Weber's LawThe principle that the "just noticeable difference" (jnd) for any given sense is a constant fraction or proportion of the stimulation being judged
- 8corneatransparent protective coating over the front part of the eye
- 9pupilthe small opening in the iris through which light enters the eye
- 10Iristhe colored part of the eye that regulates the size of the pupil
- 11Lensthe transparent part of the eye behind the pupil that focuses light onto the retina
- 12retinathe lining of the eye containing receptor cells that are sensitive to light
- 13Foveaare of the retina that is the center of the visual field, and has greatest density of photoreceptors
- 14Rodsreceptor cells in the retina responsible for night vision and perception of brightness
- 15Wavelengthsthe different energies represented in the electromagnetic spectrum
- 16Conesreceptor cells in the retina responsible for color vision
- 17Bipolar cellsNeurons that have only 1 axon and 1 dendrite, in the eye, they connect the receptors on the retina to the ganglion cells
- 18Visual Acuitythe ability to distinguish fine details visually
- 19dark adaptationincreased sensitivity of rods and cones in darkness
- 20Light Adaptationdecreased sensitivity of rods and cones in bright light
- 21Afterimagesense experience that occurs after a visual stimulus has been removed
- 22Ganglion CellsNeurons that connect the bipolar cells in the eyes to the brain
- 23Optic Nervethe bundle of axons of ganglion cells that carries neural messages from each eye to the brain
- 24Blind Spotthe place on the retina where the axons of all the ganglion cells leave the eye and where there are no receptors
- 25optic chiasmthe point near the base of the brain where some fibers in the optic nerve from each eye cross to the other side of the brain
- 26Feature DetectorsSpecialized brain cells that only respond to particular elements in the visual field such as movement or lines of specific orientaiton
- 27Huesthe aspects of color that correspond to names such as red, green, and blue
- 28Saturationthe vividness or richness of a hue
- 29Brightnessthe nearness of a color to white as opposed to black
- 30Additive Color Mixingthe process of mixing lights of different wavelengths to create new hues
- 31Subtractive Color MixingThe process of mixing pigments, each of which absorbs some wavelengths of light and reflects others
- 32Trichromatic TheoryThe theory of color vision that holds that all color perception derives from 3 different color receptors in the retina (usually red, green and blue receptors
- 33Opponent-Process TheoryTheory of color vision that holds that 3 sets of color receptors (yellow-blue, red-green, black-white) respond to determine the color you experience
- 34soundthe psychological experience created by the brain in response to changes in air pressure that are received by the auditory system
- 35sound waveschanges in pressure caused when molecules of air or fluid collide with one another and then move apart again.
- 36frequencythe number of cycles per second in a wave, in sound, the primary determinant of pitch
- 37Hertz (Hz)Cycles per second, unit of measurement for the frequency of sound waves
- 38pitchauditory experience corresponding primarily to frequency of sound vibrations, resulting in a higher or lower tone
- 39amplitudethe magnitude of a wave, in sound, the primary determinant of loudness
- 40decibelunit of measurement for the loudness of sounds
- 41overtonesTones that result from sound waves that are multiples of the basic tone, primary determinant of timbre
- 42timbrethe quality or texture of sound, caused by overtones
- 43oval windowmembrane across the opening between the middle ear and inner ear that conducts vibrations to the cochlea
- 44cochleapart of the inner ear containing fluid that vibrates, which in turn causes the basilar membrane to vibrate
- 45basilar membraneVibrating membrane in the cochlea of the inner ear, it contains sense receptors for sound
- 46Organ of CortiStructure on the surface of the basilar membrane that contains the receptor cells for hearing
- 47auditory nervethe bundle of axons that carries signals from each ear to the brain
- 48Place TheoryTheory that pitch is determined by the location of greatest vibration on the basilar membrane
- 49Frequency TheoryTheory that pitch is determined by the frequency with which hair cells in the cochlea fire
- 50Volley PrincipleRefinement of frequency theory, it suggests that receptors in the ear fire in sequence, with one group responding, then a second, then a third, and so on, so that the complete pattern of firing corresponds to the frequency of the sound wave
- 51Olfactory BulbThe smell center in the brain
- 52phermonesChemicals that communicate information to other organisms through smell
- 53Taste BudsStructures on the tongue that contain the receptor cells for taste
- 54Kinesthetic SensesSenses of muscle movement, posture, and strain on muscles and joints
- 55Vestibular SensesThe senses of equilibrium and body position in space
- 56Gate-Control TheoryThe theory that a "neurological gate" in the spinal cord controls the transmission of pain messages to the brain
- 57Biopsychosocial TheoryThe theory that the interaction of biological, psychological, and cultural factors influence the intensity and duration of pain
- 58Placebo EffectPain relief that occurs when a person believes a pill or procedure will reduce pain. The actual cause of the relief seems to come from endorphins
- 59perceptionThe brain's interpretation of sensory information so as to give it meaning
- 60Perceptual ConstancyA tendency to perceive objects as stable and unchanging despite changes in sensory stimulation
- 61Size ConstancyThe perception of an object as the same size regardless of the distance from which it is viewed
- 62Shape ConstancyA tendency to see an object as the same shape no matter what angle it is viewed from
- 63Color ConstancyAn inclination to perceive familiar objects as retaining their color despite changes in sensory information
- 64Brightness ConstancyThe perception of brightness as the same, even though the amount of light reaching the retina changes
- 65Monocular CuesVisual cues requiring the use of one eye
- 66Binocular CuesVisual cues requiring the use of both eyes
- 67InterpositionMonocular distance cue in which 1 object, by partly blocking a 2nd object, is perceived as being closer
- 68Linear PerspectiveMonocular cue to distance and depth based on the fact that 2 parallel lines seem to come together at the horizon
- 69Aerial PerspectiveMonocular cue to distance and depth based on the fact that more distant objects are likely to appear hazy and blurred
- 70ElevationMonocular cue to distance and depth based on the fact that the higher on the horizontal plane an object is, the farther away it appears
- 71Texture GradientMonocular cue to distance and depth based on the fact that objects seen at greater distances appear to be smoother and less textured
- 72ShadowingMonocular cue to distance and depth based on the fact that shadows often appear on the parts of objects that are more distant
- 73Motion ParallaxMonocular distance cue in which objects closer than the point of visual focus seem to move in the direction opposite to the viewer's moving head, and objects beyond the focus point appear to move in the same direction as the viewer's head
- 74Stereoscopic VisionCombination of 2 retinal images to give a 3-dimensional perceptual experience
- 75Binocular DisparityBinocular distance cue based on the difference between the images cast on the 2 retinas when both eyes are focused on the same object
- 76ConvergenceA visual depth cue that comes from muscles controlling eye movement as the eyes turn inward to view a nearby stimulus
- 77Monaural CuesCues to sound location that require just one ear
- 78Binaural CuesCues to sound location that involve both ears working together
- 79Autokinetic IllusionThe perception that a stationary object is actually moving
- 80Stroboscopic MotionApparent movement that results from flashing a series of still pictures in rapid succession, as in a motion picture
- 81Phi PhenomenonApparent movement caused by flashing lights in sequence, as on theater marquees