Perception and Sensation Quiz

The process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment

the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events

analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain's integration of sensory information

information processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations

the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus

failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere

failing to notice changes in the environment (Form of inattentional blindness)

conversion of one form of energy into another. In sensation, the transforming of stimulus energies, such as sights, sounds, and smells, into neural impulses our brains can interpret.

the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time

a theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus amid background stimulation

the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time

the principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage (rather than a constant amount)

diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation

a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another (expectations of certain results)

the dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light; what we know as the color names blue, green, and so forth

the amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we perceive as brightness or loudness, as determined by the wave's amplitude

the light-sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual information

the process by which the eye's lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina

retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, when cones don't respond

retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions. The cones detect fine detail and give rise to color sensations.

the central focal point in the retina, around which the eye's cones cluster

the theory that the retina contains three different color receptors—one most sensitive to red, one to green, one to blue—which, when stimulated in combination, can produce the perception of any color.

the theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, yellow-blue, white-black) enable color vision. For example, some cells are stimulated by green and inhibited by red; others are stimulated by red and inhibited by green

nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movement

the processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain's natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision

an organized whole. Emphasizes our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes.

a depth cue that requires the use of both eyes

an illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession

the sense or act of hearing

the ability to adjust to changed sensory input, including an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field

the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time

a tone's experienced highness or lowness; depends on frequency

a coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear through which sound waves trigger nerve impulses

hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea's receptor cells or to the auditory nerves; also called nerve deafness

a less common form of hearing loss, caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea

in hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea's membrane is stimulated

in hearing, the theory that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone, thus enabling us to sense its pitch

the theory that the spinal cord that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain: unblocked by the activity of pain signals traveling up small nerve fibers and is blocked by activity in larger fibers or by information coming from the brain.

Our movement sense (System for sensing the position and movement of individual body arts)

Our sense of body movement and position that enables our sense of balance

the principle that one sense may influence another, as when the smell of food influences its taste

Sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and Umami

Warmth, Pressure, Cold, and Pain

a binocular cue for perceiving depth by comparing images from the retinas in the two eyes, the brain computes distance—the greater the disparity (difference) between the two images, the closer the object.

Context / Emotion / Motivation

depth cues available to either eye alone