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Myer's Psychology for AP unit 4 vocab
ap psych unit 4 vocab
63
Psychology
12th Grade
10/03/2011

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Term
sensation
Definition
the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment
Term
perception
Definition
the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events
Term
bottom-up processing
Definition
analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain's integration of sensory information
Term
top-down processing
Definition
information processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations
Term
selective attention
Definition
the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus
Term
inattentional blindness
Definition
failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere
Term
change blindness
Definition
failing to notice changes in the environment
Term
psychophysics
Definition
the study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them
Term
absolute threshold
Definition
the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time
Term
signal detection theory
Definition
a theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus (signal) amid background stimulation (noise). Assumes there is no single absolute threshold and that detection depends partly on a person's experience, expectations, motivation, and alertness
Term
subliminal
Definition
below one's absolute threshold for conscious awareness
Term
priming
Definition
the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one's perception, memory, or response
Term
difference threshold
Definition
the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time. We experience the difference threshold as a just noticeable difference (jnd)
Term
Weber's law
Definition
the principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant percentage (rather than a constant amount)
Term
sensory adaptation
Definition
diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation
Term
transduction
Definition
conversion of one form of energy into another. In sensation, the transforming of stimulus energies, such as sights, sounds, and smells, intro neural impulses our brains can interpret
Term
wavelength
Definition
the distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next. electromagnetic wavelengths vary from the short blips of cosmic rays to the long pulses of radio transmission
Term
hue
Definition
the dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light; what we know as the color names blue, green, and so forth
Term
intensity
Definition
the amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we perceive as brightness or loudness, as determined by the wave's amplitude
Term
pupil
Definition
the adjustable openings in the center of the eye through which light enters
Term
iris
Definition
a ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil opening
Term
lens
Definition
the transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina
Term
retina
Definition
the light-sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual information
Term
accommodation 1
Definition
the process by which the eye's lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina
Term
rods
Definition
retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, when cones don't respond
Term
cones
Definition
retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions. the cones detect fine detail and give rise to color sensations
Term
optic nerve
Definition
the nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain
Term
blind spot
Definition
the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a "blind" spot because no receptor cells are located there
Term
fovea
Definition
the central focal point in the retina, around which the eye's cones cluster
Term
feature detectors
Definition
nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movement
Term
parallel processing
Definition
the processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously, the brain's natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision. contrasts with the step-by-step (serial) processing of most computers and of conscious problem solving
Term
Young-Helmholtz trichromatic (three-color) theory
Definition
the theory tat theretina contains 3 different color receptors- one most sensitive to red, one to green, and one to blue- which, when stimulated in combination, can produce the perception of any color
Term
opponent-process theory
Definition
the theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, yellow-blue, black-white) enable color vision. ex: some cells are stimulated by green and inhibited by red; others are stimulated by red and inhibited by green
Term
audition
Definition
the sense or act of hearing
Term
frequency
Definition
the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time (ex: per second)
Term
pitch
Definition
a tone's experienced highness or lowness; depends on frequency
Term
middle ear
Definition
the chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing three tiny bones (hammer, anvil, and stirrup) that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea's oval window
Term
cochlea
Definition
a coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear through which sound waves trigger nerve impulses
Term
inner ear
Definition
the innermost part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs
Term
place theory
Definition
in hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea's membrane is stimulated
Term
frequency theory
Definition
in hearing, the theory that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone, thus enabling us to sense its pitch
Term
conduction hearing loss
Definition
hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea
Term
sensorineural hearing loss
Definition
hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea's receptor cells or to the auditory nerves; also called nerve deafness
Term
cochlear implant
Definition
a device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded into the cochlea
Term
kinesthesis
Definition
the system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts
Term
vestibular sense
Definition
the sense of body movement and position, including sense of balance
Term
gate-control theory
Definition
the theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological "gate" that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain. the "gate" is opened by the activity of pain signals traveling up small nerve fibers and is closed by activity in larger fibers or by information coming from the brain
Term
sensory interaction
Definition
the principle that one sense may influence another, as when the smell of food influences its taste
Term
gestalt
Definition
an organized whole. Gestalt psychologists emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes
Term
figure-ground
Definition
the organization of the visual field into objects (the figures) that stand out from their surroundings (the ground)
Term
grouping
Definition
the perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups
Term
depth perception
Definition
the ability to see objects in three dimensions although the images that strike the retina are two-dimensional; allows us to judge distance
Term
visual cliff
Definition
a laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals
Term
binocular cues
Definition
depth cues, such as retinal disparity, that depend on the use of two eyes
Term
retinal disparity
Definition
a binocular cue for perceiving depth by comparing images from the retinas in the two eyes, the brain computes distance- the greater the disparity (difference) between the two images, the closer the object
Term
monocular cues
Definition
depth cues, such as interposition and linear perspective, available to either eye alone
Term
phi phenomenon
Definition
an illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession
Term
perceptual constancy
Definition
perceiving objects as unchanging (having consistent shapes, size, lightness, and color) even as illumination and retinal images change
Term
color constancy
Definition
perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object
Term
perceptual adaptation
Definition
in vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field
Term
perceptual set
Definition
a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another
Term
extrasensory perception (ESP)
Definition
the controversial claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input; includes telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition
Term
parapsychology
Definition
the study of paranormal phenomena, including ESP and psychokinesis
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