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Psychology 132
Exam 1 Vocabulary
90
Psychology
Undergraduate 4
10/09/2011

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Term
Absolute Threshold
Definition
The minimum amount of stimulation necessary for a person to detect a stimulus 50% of the time.
Term
Fechner's Law
Definition
A principle describing the relationship between stimulus and resulting sensation such that the magnitude of subjective sensation increases proportionally to the logarithm of the stimulus intensity.
Term
Catch Trial
Definition
When measuring a threshold, sound may or may not be present. When there is no stimulus is present you have a catch trial
Term
Internal Noise
Definition
Interference with the message that occurs in the minds of the sender-receivers when their thoughts or feelings are focused on something other than the communication at hand
Term
Just Noticeable Difference (JND)
Definition
The smallest detectable difference between two stimuli, or the minimum change in a stimulus that enables it to be correctly judged as different from a reference stimulus.
Term
Magnitude Estimation
Definition
A psychophysical method in which the participant assigns values according to perceived magnitudes of the stimuli.
Term
Method of adjustment
Definition
The method of limits for which the subject controls the change in the stimulus.
Term
Method of Constant Stimuli
Definition
A psychophysical method in which many stimuli, ranging from rarely to almost always perceivable (or rarely to almost always perceivably different from a reference stimulus), are presented one at a time. Participants respond to each presentation: “yes/no,” “same/different,” and so on.
Term
Method of Limits
Definition
A psychophysical method in which the particular dimension of a stimulus, or the difference between two stimuli, is varied incrementally until the participant responds differently.
Term
Neurotransmitter
Definition
A chemical substance used in neuronal communication at synapses.
Term
Perception
Definition
The ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses.
Term
Psychophysics
Definition
The science of defining quantitative relationships between physical and psychological (subjective) events.
Term
Psychometric Function
Definition
A psychometric function describes the relationship between a parameter of a physical stimulus and the responses of a person who has to decide about a certain aspect of that stimulus.
Term
Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve
Definition
In studies of signal detection, the graphical plot of the hit rate as a function of the false alarm rate. If these are the same, points fall on the diagonal, indicating that the observer cannot tell the difference between the presence and absence of the signal. As the observer’s sensitivity increases, the curve bows upward toward the upper left corner. That point represents a perfect ability to distinguish signal from noise (100% hits, 0% false alarms).
Term
Transduction/Sensory Transducer
Definition
A receptor that converts physical energy from the environment into neural activity.
Term
Sensation
Definition
A mental process (as seeing, hearing, or smelling) resulting from the immediate external stimulation of a sense organ often as distinguished from a conscious awareness of the sensory process
Term
Vision
Definition
The faculty or state of being able to see
Term
Audition
Definition
the ability to hear; the auditory faculty
Term
Olfaction
Definition
The action or capacity of smelling; the sense of smell
Term
Somatosensation
Definition
a diverse sensory system composed of the receptors and processing centres to produce the sensory modalities such as touch, temperature, proprioception (body position), and nociception (pain)
Term
Gustation
Definition
The action or faculty of tasting
Term
Sensory Deficits
Definition
Impairment of one of the five senses
Term
Blindsight
Definition
The ability to respond to visual stimuli without consciously perceiving them
Term
Prosopagnosia
Definition
An inability to recognize the faces of familiar people, typically as a result of damage to the brain
Term
Signal Detection Theory
Definition
A psychophysical theory that quantifies the response of an observer to the presentation of a signal in the presence of noise. Measures attained from a series of presentations are sensitivity (d′) and criterion of the observer.
Term
Steven's Power Law
Definition
A principle describing the relationship between stimulus and resulting sensation, such that the magnitude of subjective sensation is proportional to the stimulus magnitude raised to an exponent.
Term
Difference Threshold
Definition
the smallest change in stimulation that a person can detect.
Term
Weber Fraction
Definition
The constant of proportionality in Weber’s law.
Term
2AFC (Two-alternative forced choice)
Definition
A psychophysical method for eliciting responses from a person about his or her experiences of a stimulus
Term
Accommodation
Definition
The process by which the eye changes its focus (in which the lens gets fatter as gaze is directed toward nearer objects).
Term
Astigmatism
Definition
A visual defect caused by the unequal curving of one or more of the refractive surfaces of the eye, usually the cornea
Term
Blind Spot
Definition
The point of entry of the optic nerve on the retina, insensitive to light.
Term
Cones
Definition
Photoreceptors specialized for daylight vision, fine visual acuity, and color.
Term
Contrast
Definition
The difference in luminance between an object and the background, or between lighter and darker parts of the same object.
Term
Convergence
Definition
Bringing eyes into alignment to focus together on an object
Term
Scoptic Vision
Definition
Dominated by the rods when their is little light
Term
Photopic Vision
Definition
Dominated by cones when there is daylight
Term
Eccentricity
Definition
The distance between the retinal image and the fovea.
Term
Filter
Definition
An acoustic, electrical, electronic, or optical device, instrument, computer program, or neuron that allows the passage of some frequencies or digital elements and blocks the passage of others.
Term
Fovea
Definition
The center-most part of the retina where the majority of the cones are located
Term
Ganglion cells
Definition
Retinal cells that receive visual information and transmit that information to the brain and midbrain
Term
Dark Adaption
Definition
Rods work hard, cones don't. See shapes, not colors.
Term
Center Surround
Definition
On -center is increasing light patch size increases ganglion cells then later decreases them (off-center opposite)
Term
Image
Definition
A picture or likeness
Term
M ganglion cells
Definition
Magno cells involved in motion and spatial processing
Term
P ganglion cells
Definition
Parvo cells that responds best for fine vision
Term
Photoactivation
Definition
Activation by light
Term
Photon
Definition
Photons hit a particular photoreceptor and it will absorb it. Demonstrates both particle and wave properties
Term
Photonreceptors
Definition
Light-sensitive receptors in the retina.
Term
Pupil
Definition
The dark circular opening at the center of the iris in the eye, where light enters the eye.
Term
Receptive feild
Definition
The region on the retina in which visual stimuli influence a neuron’s firing rate.
Term
Retina
Definition
Light-sensitive membrane in the back of the eye. Receives the image from the lens and send it the brain via the optic nerve.
Term
Rhodopsin
Definition
The visual pigment found in rods.
Term
Rods
Definition
Photoreceptors specialized for night vision.
Term
Sensitivity
Definition
High degree of convergence in peripheral vision ensures high sensitivity which explains why rods are most sensitive to dim light.
Term
Structure of eye
Definition
Light first encounters the cornea then enters the pupil where  it will control the amount of light that comes in. The lens, inside the eye, will focus the image and then the light will pass through the vitreous humor. Light will finally reach the retina in the back of the eye and seeing begins.
Term
Synaptic Terminal
Definition
The location where axons terminate at the synapse for transmission of information by release of a chemical transmitter.
Term
Visual acuity
Definition
A measure of the finest detail that can be resolved by the eyes.
Term
Visual field
Definition
60 degrees nasally and 100 degrees temporally
Term
Acuity
Definition
The smallest spatial detail that can be resolved.
Term
Adaption
Definition
A reduction in response caused by prior or continuing stimulation.
Term
Aliasing
Definition
Misperception of a grating due to undersampling.
Term
Amblyopia
Definition
A developmental disorder that is characterized by reduced spatial vision in an otherwise healthy eye, even with proper correction for refractive error. Often referred to as “lazy eye.”
Term
Column
Definition
A vertical arrangement of neurons.
Term
Complex Cell
Definition
A neuron whose receptive-field characteristics cannot be easily predicted by mapping with spots of light.
Term
Contralateral
Definition
Referring to the opposite side of the body (or brain).
Term
Contrast Sensitivity Function (CSF)
Definition
A function describing how the sensitivity to contrast (defined as the reciprocal of the contrast threshold) depends on the spatial frequency (size) of the stimulus.
Term
Contrast Threshold
Definition
The smallest amount of contrast required to detect a pattern.
Term
Cortical Magnification
Definition
The amount of cortical area (usually specified in millimeters) devoted to a specific region (e.g., 1 degree) in the visual field.
Term
Retinotopy
Definition
Points that are adjacent on the retina and on the cortex
Term
Topographical Mapping
Definition
The orderly mapping of the world in the lateral geniculate nucleus and the visual cortex. The right side of the world falls on the left side of the retina, whose ganglion cells project to the left lateral geniculate nucleus.
Term
Ocular Dominance
Definition
The orderly mapping of the world in the lateral geniculate nucleus and the visual cortex the right side of the world falls on the left side of the retina, whose ganglion cells project to the left lateral geniculate nucleus.
Term
Orientation
Definition
The positions in which a bar/line is presented
Term
Cortical Columns
Definition
Vertical arrangement of neurons in the eye
Term
Grandmother cell
Definition
One cell that is used for face recognition (i.e. one cell that responds to only your grandmother, and a different one for your grandfather)
Term
Hypercolumn
Definition
A 1-millimeter block of striate cortex containing two sets of columns, each covering every possible orientation (0–180 degrees), with one set preferring input from the left eye and one set preferring input from the right eye.
Term
Hypercomplex cell (end stopping)
Definition
The process by which a cell in the cortex first increases its firing rate as the bar length increases to fill up its receptive field, and then decreases its firing rate as the bar is lengthened further
Term
Ipsilateral
Definition
Referring to the same side of the body (or brain).
Term
Lateral Geniculate Nucleus (LGN)
Definition
A structure in the thalamus, part of the midbrain, that receives input from the retinal ganglion cells and has input and output connections to the visual cortex.
Term
Magnocellular layers
Definition
The neurons in the bottom two layers of the lateral geniculate nucleus, which are physically larger than those in the top four layers.
Term
Orientation Tuning
Definition
The tendency of neurons in striate cortex to respond optimally to certain orientations, and less to others.
Term
Parvocellular Layers
Definition
The neurons in the top four layers of the LGN, which are physically smaller than those in the bottom two layers.
Term
Primary Visual Cortex (V1)
Definition
The area of the cerebral cortex of the brain that receives direct inputs from the lateral geniculate nucleus, as well as feedback from other brain areas, and is responsible for processing visual information. Also called area 17 or striate cortex.
Term
Population Code
Definition
Population of cells that work together and depending on how each fire, gives a specific code from the stimulus
Term
Simple Cell
Definition
A cortical neuron with clearly defined excitatory and inhibitory regions.
Term
Sine Wave Grating
Definition
A grating with a sinusoidal luminance profile.
Term
Spatial Frequency
Definition
The number of cycles of a grating per unit of visual angle (usually specified in degrees).
Term
Strabismus
Definition
A misalignment of the two eyes such that a single object in space is imaged on the fovea of one eye, and on a nonfoveal area of the other (turned) eye.
Term
Vental/Pavocellular Visual Pathway
Definition
The lower pasthway of the brain in the inferior temporal love. This part of the brain is responsible for object recognition.
Term
Visual Angle
Definition
The angle subtended by an object at the retina.
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