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Basic Psychology
Chapter 5: Psychology The Science of Mind and Behavior
61
Psychology
Undergraduate 1
03/04/2009

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Term
synesthesia
Definition
mixing of the senses
Term
sensation
Definition
process of sense organs responding to and translating environmental stimuli into nerve impulses
Term
perception
Definition
process of organizing the stimulus input of sensation
Term
psychophysics
Definition
studies the relations between the physical characteristics of stimuli and sensory capabilities
Term
absolute threshold
Definition
lowest intensity a stimulus can be detected 50% of the time
Term
decision criterion
Definition
standard of how certain someone must be that a stimulus is present before they will say they detect it
Term
signal detection theory
Definition
concerned with the factors that influence sensory judgment
Term
subliminal stimulus
Definition
a stimulus so weak or brief it cannot be perceived consciously, though it is received by the senses
Term
difference threshold
Definition
the smallest difference between two stimuli that people can perceive 50% of the time
Term
Weber's law
Definition
the difference threshold is directly proportional to the magnitude of the stimulus with which the comparison is being made
Term
jnd
Definition
just noticeable difference
Term
sensory adaptation
Definition
the diminishing sensitivity to an unchanging stimulus
Term
transduction
Definition
process whereby the characteristics of a stimulus are converted into nerve impulses
Term
lens
Definition
elastic structure behind the pupil
Term
retina
Definition
multilayered light sensitive tissue at the rear of the eyeball
Term
rods
Definition
primarily black and white brightness receptors. function best in dim light
Term
cones
Definition
color receptors. function best in bright illumination
Term
fovea
Definition
small area in the center of the retina that contains no rods but many densely packed cones
Term
optic nerve
Definition
ganglion cells whose axons are collected into a bundle
Term
visual acuity
Definition
ability to see fine detail
Term
photopigments
Definition
rods and cones translate light waves into nerve pulses through the action of these protein molecules
Term
dark adaptation
Definition
progressive improvement in brightness sensitivity that occurs over time under conditions of low illumination
Term
Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theory
Definition
says that there are three types of color receptors in the retina
Term
Hering's opponent process theory
Definition
proposed that each of the three cone types responds to two different wavelegths
Term
dual-process theory
Definition
combines the trichromatic and opponent process theories to account for the color transduction process
Term
feature detectors
Definition
calles that fire selectively in response to visual stimuli that have specific characteristics
Term
frequency
Definition
number of sound waves, or cycles, per second
Term
hertz (Hz)
Definition
technical measure of cycles per second for sound waves
Term
amplitude
Definition
primary determinant of a sound's perceived loudness
Term
decibels
Definition
measure of the physical pressures that occur at the eardrum
Term
cochlea
Definition
coiled, fluid filled tube in the inner ear. contains the basilar membrane
Term
basilar membrane
Definition
sheet of tissue that runs the length of the cochlea
Term
organ of Corti
Definition
contains thousands of tiny hairs that are the actual sound receptors
Term
frequency theory of pitch perception
Definition
nerve impulses sent to the brain match the frequency of the sound waves
Term
place theory of pitch perception
Definition
says that the point in the cochlea where the fluid wave peaks serves as a frequency coding cue
Term
conduction deafness
Definition
problems with the mechanical system that transmits sound waves to the cochlea
Term
nerve deafness
Definition
caused by damaged nerve receptors within the inner ear or damage to the auditory nerve itself
Term
gustation
Definition
the sense of taste
Term
olfaction
Definition
the sense of smell
Term
taste buds
Definition
chemical receptors located on the tongue
Term
olfactory bulb
Definition
forebrain structure immediately above the nasal cavity
Term
pheromones
Definition
chemical signals found in natural body scents
Term
menstrual synchrony
Definition
tendency of women who live together or are close friends to become more similar in their menstrual cycles
Term
kinesthesis
Definition
provides feedback about our muscles' and joints' positions and movements
Term
vestibular sense
Definition
sense of body orientation, or equilibrium
Term
sensory prosthetic devices
Definition
provide sensory input that can substitute for what cannot be supplied by the person's sensory receptors
Term
bottom-up processing
Definition
individual elements of stimulus are combined into a unified perception
Term
top-down processing
Definition
sensory information is interpreted in light of existing knowledge, concepts, ideas, and expectations
Term
inattentional blindness
Definition
the failure of unattended stimuli to register in consciousness
Term
figure-ground relations
Definition
tendency to organize stimuli into a central or foreground figure and a background
Term
Gestalt laws of perceptual organization
Definition
similarity, proximity, closure, and continuity
Term
perceptual schema
Definition
a mental representation or image containing the critical and distinctive features of a person, object, event, or other perceptual phenomenon
Term
perceptual set
Definition
readiness to perceive stimuli in a particular way
Term
perceptual constancies
Definition
allow us to recognize familiar stimuli under varying conditions
Term
monocular depth cues
Definition
depth cues requiring only one eye
Term
binocular depth cues
Definition
depth cues requiring both eyes
Term
binocular disparity
Definition
each eye sees a slightly different image
Term
convergence
Definition
produced by feedback from the muscles that turn your eyes inward to view a close object
Term
stroboscopic movement
Definition
illusory movement using flashing lights
Term
illusions
Definition
compelling but incorrect perceptions
Term
critical periods
Definition
period during early development when certain kinds of experiences must occur if perceptual abilities and the brain mechanisms that underlie them are to develop normally
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