studying for when the demons rise from the ground- psych version

the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receives and represents stimulus energies from our environment

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

analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brains integration of sensory info

information process guided by higher level mental processes as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experiences and expectations

conversion of one form of energy into another. in sensation, the transforming of stim energies, such as sights, sounds and smells —> neural impulses our brain can interpret

the study of relationships such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them

• receive sensory stim, often using specialized receptor cells

• transform that stim into neural impulses

• deliver neural info to our brain

a theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stim (signal) amid background stim (noise). Assumes there is no single absolute threshold and that detection depends partly on a person’s experience, expectations, motivation, and alertness

below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness

the activation, often unconscious, of certain associations, thus predisposing one’s perception/memory/response

the minimum difference between diff stimuli for detection 50% of the time. we experience the diff threshold as just a noticeable diff

• Definition: A principle in psychology that states the just noticeable difference (JND) between two stimuli is proportional to the magnitude of the original stimulus.

• Example: If you have a 10-pound weight and add 1 pound, you may not notice the difference. However, if you have a 100-pound weight and add 1 pound, you are more likely to notice the change.

• Key concept: Weber's Law helps explain how our perception of stimuli changes based on their initial intensity.

diminished sensitivity as a result of constant stim

a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another

freedom to focus on informative changes in our environment without being distracted by chatter

not as it is, but as it is useful for us to perceive it

when shown ambiguous images, our perceptual set can influence how we interpret them, leading to different perceptions among individuals.

the distance from the peak of one light/sound wave to the peak of the next. Electromagnetic wavelengths vary from short blips of cosmic rays to long radio transmission waves

the dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light; what we know as the color names blue, green, red, etc..

the amount of energy in a light/sound wave, which we perceive as brightness/loudness, as determined by the waves amplitude

the adjustable opening in the center of the eye thru which light enters

a ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil opening

the transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina

the light sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons that begins the processing of visual info

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

retinal receptors thst detect black, white, and gray; necessary for twilight and peripheral vision

retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that func in daylight/well lit conditions. cones detect fine details and give rise to color sensations

the nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain

the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a “blind” spot bc no receptor cells are located there

• cornea protects the eye & bends light to provide focus

  • light then passes thru the pupil

    • iris controls size (thru dilation)

      • lens focuses incoming light rays onto an image on the retina

  • the retina receives pieces of info which is eventually perceived by the brain

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

a single bipolar cell that relays the cone’s individual message to the visual cortex

bipolar cells—>ganglion cells—> axons of the optic nerve

pressure

nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus (ie shape, angle, movement)

• feature detector cells respond to a scene’s specific features (particular lines, edges, angles, & movements)

the processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain’s natural mode of info processing for many funcs, including vision. contrasts the step by step (serial) processing of most computers/conscious problem solving

the theory that the retina contains 3 diff color receptors - 1 most sensitive to red and likewise for green and blue; which, when stimmed in combination, can produce the perception of any color

the theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, yellow-blue, white-black) enable color vision.

• ex: some cells are stimulated by green and inhibited by red (and vice versa)

an organized whole. gestalt psychologists emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of info into meaningful wholes

the organization of the visual field into objects (figures) that stand out from their surroundings (the ground)

the perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups

grouping of nearby objects together

perception of smooth continuous patterns rather than discontinuous ones

ex: seeing a wavy line split by a straight line rather then alternating semicircles

filling in gaps to create a compete, whole object

the ability to see objects in 3D although the images that strike the retina are in 2D; allows us to judge distance

a lab device for testing depth perception in infants/young animals

a binocular cue for perceiving depth; done by comparing images from the retinas in the two eyes—> brain computes distance (the greater the disparity the closer the object)

perception of objects higher in the field of vision as further away

as we move, objects that are actually stable may appear to move

if we assume 2 objects are similar in size, most people will assume that the one that casts the smaller retinal image is further away

if one object partially blocks our view of another, we perceive it as closer

parallel lines appear to meet in the distance. the sharper the angle of convergence the greater the perceived distance

shading produces a sense of depth consistent with our assumption that light comes from above

depth cues, such as interposition & linear perspective, available to either eye alone

an illusion of movement created when 2+ adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession

perceiving objects as unchanging (having constant shapes, sizes, brightness, colors, etc) even as illumination and retinal images change

perceiving familiar objects as having constant color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object

in vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or inverted visual field

the sense/act of hearing

the number of complete wavelengths that pass a pt in a given time (ie per sec)

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

the chamber between the eardrum and the cochlea containing three tiny bones (hammer, anvil, stirrup) that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea’s oval window

a coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear; sound waves traveling thru the cochlear fluid trigger nerve impulses

the innermost part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs

hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea’s receptor cells/to the auditory nerves (aka nerve deafness)

hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea

a device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve thru electrodes threaded into the cochlea

in hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea’s membrane is stimulated - tells us how we sense high pitches

the theory that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerves matches the frequency of a tone, thus enabling us to sense its pitch- tells how we sense low pitches

rapid succession, neural cells can achieve a combined frequency of over 1000 waves/sec

sensory receptors that detect harmful/hurtful temps, pressures, chemicals, etc

the theory that the spinal chord contains a neurological “gate” that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain. the “gate” is opened by the activity of pain signals traveling uo small nerve fibers and is closed by activity in larger fibers or by info coming from the brain

• activity in the spinal chord’s large and small fibers

• genetic differences in endorphin production

• the brain’s interpretation of CNS activity

• presence of others

• empathy for other’s pain

• cultural expectations

• attention to pain

• learning based on experience

• expectations

in psychological science the influence of bodily sensations, gestures, and other states on cognitive preferences and judgements

the system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts

the sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance

perceiving remote events, such as a house on fire in another state

perceiving future events, such as an unexpected death in the next month

the controversial claim that perception can occur apart form sensory input (includes telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition)

the study of paranormal phenomena, including ESP an psychokinesis

• sensory analysis

• unlearned visual phenomena

• critical per for sensory development

• selective attention

• learned schemas

• gestalt principles

• context effects

• perceptual set

• cultural assumptions and expectations

the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one could have foreseen it

thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and asses conclusions

an explanation using an integrated set of principals that organizes observations and predicts behaviors/events

a testable prediction, often implied by a theory

a statement of the procedures (operations) used to define research variables. For example, human intelligence may be operationally defined as “what an intelligence test measures.”

repeating the essence of a research study, usually w different participants in different situations to see whether the basic finding extends to other participants and circumstances

an observation technique in which one person is studied in dept to reveal universal principals

observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate/control the situation

a technique for obtaining the self-reported attitudes of a particular group, usually by questioning a representative random sample of the group

all cases in a group being studied, from which samples may be drawn

a sample that fairly represents a population bc each member has an equal chance of inclusion