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Sensation and Perception - Psych GRE
Sensation and Perception - Psych GRE
104
Psychology
Graduate
03/09/2010

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Cards

Term
absolute threshold
Definition

minimum amount of a stimulus a person can perceive

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Term
difference threshold
Definition

how different two stimuli must be in magnitude before they are perceived to be different - compare standard stimulus to comparison stimulus

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Term
limen
Definition

another word for threshold

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just noticeable difference
Definition

the amount of change necessary to predict the difference between two stimuli

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Weber's law
Definition

the change in stimulus intensity needed to produce a jnd divided by the stimulus intensity of the standard stimulus is a constant - which is called K

term

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Fechner's law
Definition

relates the intensity of the stimulus to the intensity of the sensation

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Stevens's power law
Definition

relates the intensity of the stimulus to the intensity of the sensation - countered Fechner's law

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signal detection theory
Definition

suggests that other, nonsensory factors influence what the subject says she senses

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response bias/signal detection theory
Definition

measures how risky the subject is in sensory decision-making; based upon nonsensory factors

term/theory

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sensitivity/signal detection theory
Definition

measures how well the subject can sense the stimulus

term/theory

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ROC (receiver operating charecteristic) curve/Swets
Definition

used to graphically summarize a subject's responses in a signal detection experiment

term/person

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receptors
Definition

respond to physical stimuli

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transduction
Definition

translates physical energy to neural impulses

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projection areas
Definition

brain areas that further analyze sensory input

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cornea
Definition

clear, domelike window in front of eye which gathers and focuses incoming light

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pupil
Definition

hold in the iris

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iris
Definition

colored part of the eye made up of involuntary muscles and autonomic nerve fibers

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lens
Definition

lies right behind the iris and helps control the curvature of the light coming in and can focus near or distant objects on the retina

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Term
retina
Definition

back of eye - screen filled with neural elements and blood vessels - image-detecting part of the eye

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duplexity/duplicity theory of vision
Definition

retina contains two types of photoreceptors

theory

Term
cones
Definition

used for color vision and perceiving fine detail

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rods
Definition

low sensitivity to detail, function best in reduced illumination, allow perception only of achromatic colors

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Term
rods
Definition
which one has more: rods or cones
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fovea
Definition

middle section of the retina which contains only cones

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Term
optic chiasm
Definition
where fibers from the nasal half of the retina cross paths - nasal fibers from left eye to right side of brain, etc.
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temporal fibers
Definition

visual fibers which do not cross to the other side of the brain - outer edge of visual field

term

Term

lateral geniculate nucleus of thalamus

visual cortex in occipital lobe

superior colliculus

Definition

where visual information goes from the optic chiasm

three terms

Term
feature detection theory/Hubel and Wiesel
Definition

suggests certain cells in the visual cortex are maximally sensitive to certain features of stimuli - distinguished three different types of cells

term/people

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simple cells/feature detection theory
Definition

responses of these cells give information about orientation and boundaries of an object

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complex cells/feature detection theory
Definition

responses of these cells give more advanced information about orientation, such as movement

term/theory

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hypercomplex cells/feature detection theory
Definition

responses of these cells give information about more abstract concepts such as object shape

term/theory

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Hubel/Wiesel
Definition

measured cell responses using sing-cell recording, which involves placing a microelectrode in the cortex so sensitive that it could record responses of a single cell - called recording from single nerve fibers

two people

Term
illumination
Definition

an objective measurement of the amount of light falling on a surface

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brightness
Definition

the subjective impression of the intensity of a stimulus

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dark adaptation
Definition

caused by the regeneration of rhodopsin, the photopigment in the rods

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lateral inhibition
Definition

adjacent retinal cells inhibit one another; sharpens and highlights borders between light and dark areas - explains simultaneous brightness contrast

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400-800 nanometers
Definition

wavelengths of light human eye can see

range

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subtractive color mixture
Definition

occurs when mixing pigments

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additive color mixture
Definition

occurs when mixing lights - primary colors of blue, green, and red

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trichromatic theory/Young-Helmholtz
Definition

there are three types of color receptors: red, blue, and green - ratio of activity in the receptors determines color

theory/person

Term
opponent-process theory/Hering
Definition

there are three opposing pairs of color receptors: red-green, blue-yellow, and black-white - one side is excitement of receptor, one side is inhibition

theory/person

Term
interposition or overlap
Definition

if one object covers another, the partially hidden object is seen as further away

cue for depth perception

Term
relative size
Definition

comparison of retinal size of object to actual size of objects gives cue to depth

cue for depth perception

Term
linear perspective
Definition

parallel lines appear to converge as they recede into the distance

cue for depth perception

Term
texture gradients
Definition

as scene recedes from viewer, the surface texture of the object appears to change

cue for depth perception

Term
motion parallax
Definition

when observer moves, objects in a stationary environment appear to move relative to distance from observer

cue for depth perception

Term
binocular dispartity or stereopsis
Definition

each eye sees a slightly different scene; when brain combines two scenes, we get perception of depth

cue for depth perception

Term
figure
Definition

integrated visual experience that stands out at center of attention

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ground
Definition

the background against which the figure appears

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proximity
Definition

elements close to one another tend to be perceived as a unit

Gestalt law of organization

Term
similarity
Definition

elements that are similar to one another tend to be grouped together

Gestalt law of organization

Term
good continuation
Definition

elements that appear to follow in same direction tend to be grouped together

Gestalt law of organization

Term
closure
Definition

tendency to see incomplete figures as being complete

Gestalt law of organization

Term
Pragnanz
Definition

perceptual organization will always be as "good" (i.e., regular, simple, symmetrical, etc.) as possible

Gestalt law of organization - encompasses other laws

Gestalt law of organization

Term
theory of isomorphism/Kohler
Definition

suggests that there is a one-to-one correspondence between the object in the perceptual field and the pattern of stimulation in the brain

theory/person

Term
bottom-up processing or data-driven processing
Definition

responds directly to components of incoming stimulus on the basis of fixed rules and then sums up components to arrive at the whole pattern

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top-down processing or conceptually driven processing
Definition

guided by conceptual processes such as memories and expectations that allow the brain to recognize whole objects and then later the components

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apparent motion (Phi phenomenon)
Definition

when two or more stationary lights flicker in succession they tend to be perceived as a single moving light

illusion of motion

Term
induced motion
Definition

a stationary point of light appears to move when the background moves

illusion of motion

Term
autokinetic effect
Definition

a stationary point of light when viewed in an otherwise totally dark room appears to move; probably caused by involuntary eye movements

illusion of motion

Term
motion aftereffect
Definition

it a moving object is viewed for an extended period of time, it will appear to move in an opposite direction when the motion stops

illusion of motion

Term
Ames room
Definition

provides erroneous depth information which confuses notion of size - room with back left corner almost twice as far away from viewer as back right corner, with distortions in floor to ceiling height

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size constancy
Definition

tendency for the perceived size of an object to remain constant despite variations in the size of its retinal image

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lightness constancy
Definition

tendency for the perceived lightness of an object to remain constant despite changes in illumination

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color constancy
Definition

tendency for the perceived color of an object to remain constant despite changes in the spectrum of light falling on it

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Term
Muller-Lyer
Definition

illusion where different directions of arrows on two same-length lines make one appear longer

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Term
Hering
Definition

illusion where a starburst of lines makes two straight lines through the figure appear curved

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Ponzo
Definition

illusion where a v-shape makes the two same-legth lines inside the v appear different lengths

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Poggendorff
Definition

illusion where two parallel lines each have a piece of another line coming out of them at an angle, but they are continuation of same line

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reversible figure
Definition

stimulus pattern in which two alternative, equally compelling, perceptual organizations spontaneously oscillate

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preferential looking
Definition

two different stimuli are presented side-by-side; if infant looks longer at one of them, it is inferred that the infant can perceive difference between the two

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habituation
Definition

stimulus is presented to infant, infant eventually stops attending to it; different stimulus is then presented, and if infant attends to it, it is inferred that infant can perceive difference between the two

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Term
Gibson and Walk
Definition

designed visual cliff

two people

Term
frequency
Definition

with soundwaves, number of cycles per second; measured in Hertzes

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intensity
Definition

with soundwaves, the amplitude of the wave, measured in decibels

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pitch
Definition

subjective experience of the frequency of sound

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loudness
Definition

subjective experience of the intensity of sound

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timbre
Definition

refers to the quality of the sound

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pinna
Definition

fleshy part of ear visible from outside, which chanels sound waves into auditory canal

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tympanic membrane
Definition

vibrates in phase with incoming sound waves, moving back and forth at a high rate for high-frequency sounds and low rate for low-frequency

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Term
ossicles
Definition
three bones of middle ear
Term
malleus
Definition
technical term for hammer
Term
incus
Definition
technical name for anvil
Term
stapes
Definition
technical name for stirrup
Term
oval window
Definition

entrance to inner ear, where edge of stirrup rests

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Term
basilar membrane
Definition

membrane that runs length of the cochlea

term

Term
Organ of Corti
Definition

rests on the basilar membrane along its entire length; composed of thousands of hair cells which bend to send electrical charges to transmit sound

term

Term

superior olive

inferior colliculus

medial geniculate nucleus in thalamus

temporal cortex

Definition

places auditory nerve projects signals

four places

Term
place-resonance theory/Helmholtz
Definition

each different pitch causes a different place on the basilar membrane to vibrate - true for tones above 500 Hz

theory/person

Term
frequency theory
Definition

suggests that basilar membrane vibrates as a whole, and that rate of vibration equals frequency of the stimulus, which is then translated directly to appropriate number of neural impulses per second - true for tones below 4000 Hz

theory

Term
trsveling wave theory/von Bekesy
Definition

movement of basilar membrane is maximal at different place along the membrane for each different frequency

theory/person

Term
papillae
Definition

bumps on tongue where taste buds are found

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olfactory epithelium
Definition

where smell receptors are found - upper nasal passage of nose

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taste center in thalamus
Definition

where taste information travels in brain

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olfactory bulb
Definition

where smell information travels in brain

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two-point threshold
Definition

minimum distance necessary between two points of stimulation on the skin such that the points will be felt as two distinct stimuli

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physiological zero
Definition

neutral temperature perceived to be neither hot nor cold

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gate theory of pain
Definition

theory that there is a gating mechanism in the spinal chord that turns pain signals on and off

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vestibular sense
Definition

has to do with sense of balance and of bodily position relative to gravity

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kinesthetic sense
Definition

has to do with awareness of body movement and position, specifically with muscle, tendon, and joint position

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somatosensory cortex
Definition

where touch sensations are processed in brain

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Broadbent
Definition

said selection attention is all-or-nothing process - if you attend to one thing, you don't attend to everything else

(proved wrong)

person

Term
dichotic listening
Definition

technique where two ears are simultaneously presented with two different messages, and listener is asked to repeat one of the messages

term

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Yerkes-Dodson law
Definition

performance is worst at extremely high or low levels of arousal

term

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