sensation and perception review ap psych

The process of receiving and representing stimulus energies through the nervous system.

The process by which we select, organize, and interpret sensory information in order to recognize meaningful objects and events.

The process by which our sensory systems convert stimulus energies into neural messages.

The minimum amount of stimulation a person needs to detect a stimulus 50 percent of the time.

The smallest difference between two stimuli that can be detected 50 percent of the time.

The ability to focus on specific sensory inputs while ignoring others.

The failure to notice changes in the environment, especially when attention is focused elsewhere.

The failure to perceive an unexpected stimulus when attention is focused on something else.

The presentation of stimuli below the absolute threshold of conscious awareness.

The principle that the just noticeable difference between two stimuli is proportional to the magnitude of the stimuli.

Waves of energy that include visible light and other forms of radiation.

The height or intensity of a wave, which determines the brightness of light.

The brightness of light, which is related to the amplitude of the electromagnetic waves.

The distance between two consecutive peaks or troughs of a wave, which determines the color of light.

The adjustable opening in the center of the eye that regulates the amount of light entering.

The light-sensitive inner surface of the eye that contains the rods and cones.

Light-sensitive receptor cells in the retina that are responsible for vision in dim light and black-and-white vision.

Light-sensitive receptor cells in the retina that are responsible for color vision and visual acuity.

The area of the retina where the optic nerve leaves the eye, which lacks receptor cells and cannot detect images.

The central area of the retina that contains a high concentration of cones and is responsible for sharp central vision.

Cells in the retina that receive visual information from the rods and cones and transmit it to the brain via the optic nerve.

Specialized cells in the visual cortex of the brain that respond to specific aspects of visual stimuli.

The process by which sensory receptors become less responsive to constant or repetitive stimuli.

The sharpness or clarity of vision, which is affected by the health and function of the fovea.

The ability of the brain to simultaneously process multiple aspects of a visual stimulus, such as color, motion, and form.

A condition in which individuals with damage to the visual cortex are able to respond to visual stimuli without consciously perceiving them.

The theory that the retina contains three types of color receptors, or cones, that are sensitive to red, green, and blue light.

The theory that color vision is based on opposing pairs of color receptors, such as red-green and blue-yellow.

A visual sensation that occurs after staring at a brightly colored stimulus and then looking away, resulting in a complementary color appearing.

A German word meaning "form" or "shape," referring to the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts in perception.

The principle of perceiving smooth, continuous patterns rather than disjointed ones.

The Gestalt principle of perceiving incomplete figures as complete.

The ability to distinguish an object from its background.

The ability to perceive the distance and three-dimensional nature of objects.

Depth cues that rely on the comparison of images from both eyes.

Depth cues that can be perceived with one eye.

A depth cue where closer objects obstruct the view of distant objects.

A binocular cue for depth perception based on the difference in images received by each eye.

A monocular cue for depth perception where larger objects are perceived as closer.

A monocular cue for depth perception where parallel lines appear to converge in the distance.

A monocular cue for depth perception where the presence of shadows and variations in lighting indicate depth.