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Sensation and Perception
Understanding sensation, how we see and hear and other senses, and understanding perception
60
Physiology
Undergraduate 1
11/29/2007

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Term
Sensation
Definition
Process of receiving, converting, and transmitting raw sensory information to the brain.
Term
Perception
Definition
Process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting sensory information.
Term
Processing
Definition
Sensory organs contain receptors that receive sensory information from the environment.
Term
Transduction
Definition
COnverts the sensory stimuli into neural impulses that are sent on to the brain.
Term
Sensory Reduction
Definition
Filters and analyzes incoming sensations before sending on to the brain.
Term
Coding
Definition
Converts particular sensory input into a specific sensation sent to parts of the brain.
Term
Psychophysics
Definition
Testing limits and changes.
Term
Absolute Threshold
Definition
Smallest amount of a stimuli we can detect.
Term
Difference Threshold
Definition
Minimal difference needed to detect a stimulus change; also called the Just Noticeable Difference (JND).
Term
Sensory Adaptation
Definition
Decreased sensory response to continuous stimulation.
Term
Synthesis
Definition
A mixing of sensory experiences (e.g. seeing colors when a sound is heard.)
Term
Bottom-up Processing
Definition
Analysis of the stimulus begins with the sense receptors and works up to the level of the brain and mind.
Term
Top-Down Processing
Definition
Information processing guided by higher-level mental processes as we construct perceptions, drawing on our experience and expectation.
Term
Phototransduction
Definition
Conversion of light energy into neural impulses that the brain can understand.
Term
Light Characteristics
Definition
Wavelength (Hue/color), Intensity (Brightness), Saturation (Purity).
Term
Hue
Definition
THe dimensioned by the wavelength of the light.
Term
Short Wavelength
Definition
High Frequency, Bluer colors, high pitched.
Term
Long-Wavelength
Definition
Low frequency, Reder colors, low pitched sounds.
Term
Intensity
Definition
Amount of energy in a wave determined by the amplitude. it is related to perceived brightness.
Term
Large Amplitude results in...
Definition
Bright colors and loud sounds
Term
Small Amplitude means...
Definition
Dull colors and soft sounds.
Term
Cornea
Definition
Transparent tissue where light enters the eye.
Term
Iris
Definition
Muscle that expands and contracts to change the size of the opening (pupil) for light.
Term
Lens
Definition
Focuses the light rays on the retina.
Term
Retina
Definition
Contains sensory receptors that process visual information and sends it to the brain.
Term
Accommodation
Definition
The process by which the eye's lens changes shape to help focus near or far objects on the Retina.
Term
Nearsightedness
Definition
A condition in which nearby objects are seen more clearly than distant objects.
Term
Farsightedness
Definition
A condition in which far away objects are seen more clearly than near objects.
Term
Rods
Definition
Receptor cells in the Retina that detect shades of gray and are responsible for peripheral vision and are more sensitive in dim light.
Term
Cons
Definition
Receptor cells, concentrated near the center of the Retina, responsible for color vision and fine detail; most sensitive in dim light.
Term
Fovea
Definition
A Tiny pit in the center of the Retina filled with cones and responsible for sharp vision.
Term
Cochlea
Definition
Three chambered, snail-shaped structure in the inner ear containing the receptors for hearing.
Term
Place Theory
Definition
Explains how we hear lower-pitched sounds hair cells in the basilar membrane bend and fire neural messages (action potentials) at the same rate as the sound frequency.
Term
Conduction deafness
Definition
Middle ear deafness resulting from problems with transferring sound waves to the inner ear.
Term
Nerve Deafness
Definition
Inner ear deafness resulting from damage to the Cochlea, hair cells, or auditory nerve.
Term
Pheromones [Fare-oh-mones]
Definition
Airborne chemicals that affect behavior, including recognition of family members, aggression, territorial marking, and sexual mating.
Term
Gustation
Definition
Sense of taste
Term
Kinesthesia
Definition
Sensory system for baby posture and orientation.
Term
Illusion
Definition
False or misleading perceptions.
Term
Selective Attention
Definition
Filtering out and attending only to important sensory messages.
Term
Feature Directors
Definition
Specialized neurons that respond only to certain sensory information.
Term
Habituation
Definition
Tendency of the brain to ignore environmental factors that remain constant.
Term
Pinna
Definition
Channels the sound waves into the auditory canal.
Term
Auditory canal
Definition
Focuses the sound.
Term
Eardrum (Tympanic Membrane)
Definition
Soundwaves hit the eardrum and vibrate, the vibrating causes the malleus, incus, and stapes to vibrate.
Term
Malleus, Incus, and Stapes (ossicles)
Definition
The smallest bones in the human body. They are located in the ear behind the eardrum.
Term
Oval Window
Definition
Is vibrated by the stapes. Vibration then creates waves in teh fluid that fills the Cochlea.
Term
Olfactory epithelium
Definition
This is were the receptor cells are embedded.
Term
Olfactory Bulb
Definition
Brain structure just below the frontal lobes. Most olfactory information is processed in this area before being sent to other parts of the brain.
Term
Glutamate
Definition
the taste of protein. FOund in meats, beat broths, and monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Term
Body senses
Definition
They tell the brain how the body is oriented, where and how the body is moving, the things it touches or is touched by, and so on. These senses include the skin senses, the vestibular sense, and Kinesthesia.
Term
Perceptual Constancy
Definition
Tendency for the environment to be perceived as remaining the same even with change in sensory input.
Term
Depth Perception
Definition
The ability to perceive three-dimensional space and to accurately judge distance.
Term
Binocular Cues
Definition
Visual input from two eyes that allows perception of depth or distance.
Term
Monocular Cues
Definition
Visual input from a single eye alone that contributes to perception of depth or distance.
Term
Retinal Disparity
Definition
Binocular cue to distance where the separation of the eye causes different images to fall on each retina.
Term
Convergence
Definition
Binocular depth cue in which the closer the object, the more the eyes converge, or turn inward.
Term
Trichromatic Theory
Definition
Young's theory that color perception results from mixing three distinct color systems-- red, green, and blue.
Term
Opponent-Process Theory
Definition
Hering's theory that color perception is based on three systems of color opposites --Blue-yellow, red-green, and black-white.
Term
Perceptual Set
Definition
Readliness to perceive in a particular manner based on expectations.
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