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Unit 3: Sensation & Perception
Vision
55
Psychology
12th Grade
10/17/2011

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Term
Absolute Thresholds
Definition
the minimum stimulation necessary to direct a particular stimulus (light, sound, pressure, taste, odor) 50% of the time
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% of the time
Term
Weber's Law
Definition
to be percieved as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage (rather than a constant amount)
Term
Sensory Adaptation
Definition
diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation
Term
Wavelength
Definition
the distance from the peak of one light or soundwave to the peak of the next.  Electromagnetic wavelengths vary from short blips of cosmic rays to long pulses of radio transmission
Term
Hue
Definition
the dimension of color that is determined by wavelengths of light (blue, green, etc)
Term
Intensity
Definition
The amount of energy in a light or soundwave, which we percieve as brightness or loudness, as determined by the wave's amplitude
Term
Cornea
Definition
Where the light first passes through, protects the eye and bends light to provide focus
Term
Pupil
Definition
Light from the cornea through pupil, a small adjustable opening
Term
Iris
Definition
Surrounds the pupil, a colored muscle that adjusts to light intake
Term
Lens
Definition
Behind the pupil, focuses incoming light rays into an image on the retina
Term
Retina
Definition
the light-sensitive innter surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones, plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual information
Term
Accomodation
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.  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 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
Young-Helmholtz Trichromatic Theory
Definition
the retina contains three different color receptors - one sensitive to red, one to green, one to blue - which when stimulated in combination can produce the perception of any color
Term
Afterimage
Definition
an image continuing to appear in one's cision after the exposure to the original image has ceased
Term
Opponent-Process Theory
Definition
opposing retinal processes enable color vision (red-green, yellow-blue, black-white)
Term
Optic Disc
Definition
Term
Color-Blindness
Definition
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
Gestalt Principles
Definition
an organized whole. Gestalt psychologists emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes
Term
Simplicity
Definition
Term
Symmetry
Definition
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
Linear Perspective
Definition
Term
Overlap
Definition
Term
Texture Gradient
Definition
Term
Aerial Perspective
Definition
Term
Retinal Disparity
Definition
A binocular cue for perceiving depth: By comparing images from the two eyeballs, the brain computes distance - the greater the disparity (difference) between the two images, the closer the object
Term
Convergence
Definition
Term
Gestalt
Definition
an organized whole, emphasizes our tendency to inegrate 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), continually reverses
Term
Grouping
Definition
the perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups
Term
Proximity
Definition
we group nearby figures together
Term
Similarity
Definition
we group similar figures together
Term
Continuity
Definition
we percieve smooth, continuous patterns rather than disconnected ones
Term
Connectedness
Definition
we percieve uniform and linked objects as a single unit
Term
Closure
Definition
we fill in gaps to create a complete, whole object
Term
Visual Cliff
Definition
a laboratory device for testing depth perception of infants and young animals
Term
Binocular Cues
Definition
depth cues, such as retinal disparity, that depend on the use of two eyes, helps in judging distance of nearby objects
Term
Monocular Cues
Definition
depth cues, such as interposition and linear perspective, available to each eye separately, for far away objects
Term
Perceptual Constancy
Definition
Percieving objects as unchanging (consistent color, shape, size, or lightness) even as illumination and retinal images change
Term
Color Constancy
Definition
Percieving familar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object
Term
Shape Constancy
Definition
we percieve the form of familar objects as constant even while our retinal images of them change
Term
Size Constancy
Definition
we percieve objects as having constant size even while our distance from them varies
Term
Lightness Constancy
Definition
we percieve an object as having a constant lightness even while its illumination varies; depends on relative luminance
Term
Relative Luminance
Definition
the amount of light an object reflects relative to its surroundings
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