Glossary+of+Key+Terms

Key terms for **BOTH ** units .  Sensation-  The process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment. Perception-  The process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recongnization meaningful objects and events. Bottom-up processing-  Analysis that begins with sense receptors and working up to the brain's integration of sensory information. Top-down processing-  Information processing guided by higher- level mental procsses, as when we construct perception drawing on our experience and expectations. Psycholophysics-  The study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them. Absolute Threshold- the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time. Signal detection theory- <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-themecolor: text1;"> a theory perdicting how and when a detect the presence of a faint stimulus amid background stimulation. Assumes that there is no single absoulute threshold and that detection depends partly on a person's experience motivation, and level of fatigue. <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: #7030a0; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Subliminal- <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-themecolor: text1;"> A defense mechanism where undesired or unacceptable impulses are transformed into behaviors which are accepted by society. Difference threshold- The smallest change in perception which is noticeable at least 50% of the time. <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: #7030a0; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Weber's law- <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-themecolor: text1;"> The amount of change necessary to detect a different in a stimuli must be staged in a percentage since recognition of the change is relative to the characteristics of the initial stimulus (e.g., a one pound change in the weight of a pencil would be more easily recognized than a one pound weight added to a 300 pound barbell because it represents a much greater percentage of the total weight). Sensory Adaption-The reduced ability to sense a stimulus after prolonged exposure. <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: #7030a0; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Transduction <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-themecolor: text1;">- sense organ changes physical energy into electrical signals that become neural impulses <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: #7030a0; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Pupil- <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-themecolor: text1;">the contractile aperture in the iris of the eye <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: #7030a0; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Iris- <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-themecolor: text1;"> the opaque contractile diaphragm perforated by the pupil and forming the colored portion of the eye <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: #7030a0; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Lens- <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-themecolor: text1;"> a highly transparent biconvex lens-shaped or nearly spherical body in the eye that focuses light rays (as upon the retina <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: #7030a0; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Accommodation- <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-themecolor: text1;"> The creation of new cognitive schemas when objects, experiences, or other information does not fit with existing schemas. <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: #7030a0; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Retina- <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-themecolor: text1;"> Thin film with three layers of cells located at back of eyeball; includes photoreceptor cells <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: #7030a0; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Nearsightedness- <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-themecolor: text1;"> may result when eyeball is too long; result is that near objects are clear but distant are blurry <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: #7030a0; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Farsightedness- <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-themecolor: text1;"> A vision deficiency in which distant objects are seen clearly but close objects appear blurry. <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: #7030a0; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Rods- <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-themecolor: text1;"> Specialized visual receptors that play a key role in night vision and peripheal vision. <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: #7030a0; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Cones- <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">specialized visual receptors that play a key role in daylight vision and color vision. Fovea- A tiny spot in the center of the retina that contains only cones; visual acuity is great at this spot. Feature Detection- Neurons that respond selectively to very specific features of more complex stimuli. Parallel Processing- Simultaneously extracting different kinds of information from the same input. Opponent-process theory- says color vision is due to eye and brain responding to either red-green or blue-yellow Cochlea- The fluid-filled, coiled tunnel in the inner ear that contains the receptors for hearing. Place theory- location of basilar membrane vibrations determines medium and higher sounds Frequency theory - says rate at which nerve impulses reach brain determine how low a sound is Gate-control theory- The idea that incoming pain sensation must pass through a “gate” in the spinal cord that can be closed, thus blocking pain signals. Kinesthetic system- the sensory system that monitor the position of the various parts of one’s body. Vestibular system- the sensory system that responds to gravity and keeps people informed of their body’s location in space. Gestalt psychology- A theoretical orientation based on the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its part. Depth perception- Interpretation of visual cues that indicate how near or far away objects are. Monocular depth cues- Clues about distance based on the image from either eye alone. Convergence- A cue to depth that involves sensing the eyes converging toward each other as they focus on closed objects. Phi phenomenon- The illusion of movement created by presenting visual stimuli in rapid succession. Perceptual constancy- A tendency to experience a stable perception in the face of continually changing sensory input. Perceptual set- A readiness to perceive a stimulus in a particular way.