03 Sensation and Perception Free Online FlashCards

What is sensation?

Sensation is the detection of physical energy by specialized receptors and its conversion into neural signals, a process called transduction.

What is perception?

Perception is the brain’s organization and interpretation of sensory signals into meaningful experience.

How do bottom-up and top-down processing differ?

Bottom-up processing is driven by incoming sensory information; top-down processing is guided by prior knowledge, expectations, and context.

How do absolute and difference thresholds differ?

An absolute threshold is the weakest stimulus detectable about half the time. A difference threshold, or just noticeable difference, is the smallest change between two stimuli detectable about half the time.

Besides stimulus strength, what affects signal detection?

Signal detection depends on more than stimulus strength: attention, expectations, and motivation can affect whether a faint signal is noticed and how it is judged.

What is sensory adaptation, and what does it help do?

Sensory adaptation is a decrease in sensitivity to a constant, unchanging stimulus over time. It helps changing or potentially important information stand out.

How do rods and cones differ?

Rods are especially useful in dim light. Cones support color vision and sharp detail, particularly near the center of the visual field.

How does hearing convert sound into signals, and what shapes pitch and loudness?

Sound waves vibrate the eardrum and middle-ear bones, moving fluid in the cochlea and stimulating hair cells to send neural signals to the brain. Frequency contributes to pitch; amplitude contributes to loudness.

How do taste and smell interact?

Taste and smell respond to chemical molecules and interact strongly; smell contributes to the flavor of food.

What information do the vestibular sense, proprioception, and kinesthesia provide?

The vestibular sense supports balance and registers head movement. Proprioception and kinesthesia provide information about body position and movement.

What are selective attention and covert attention?

Selective attention gives attended information enhanced processing while competing information tends to be processed less fully. Covert attention is shifting attention without moving the eyes.

How do inattentional blindness and change blindness differ?

Inattentional blindness is missing an unexpected object while focused on another task. Change blindness is failing to notice a change in a scene.