the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment
process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events
bottom up processing
analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works upto the brains integration of sensory info
top down processing
info processing guiding by higher level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations
study of relationships between physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity and our psychological experience of them
signal detection theory
theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus "signal" amid background stimulation "noise" assumes there is no single absolute hreshold and that detection depends partly on a persons experience, expectations, motivation, and level of fatigue.
the often unconscious activation of certain associations thus predisposing ones perception, memory, or response
minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50percent of the time. we experience the difference threshold as a just noticeable difference
the principle that, to be percieved as differenct, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage
conversion of one form of energy into another. in sensation, the transforming of a stimulus energies, such as sights sounds and smells onto neural impulses our brains can interpret
distance from the beek of one light or sound wave to the peak of the other. electromagnetic wavelengths vary from short blips of cosmic rays to long pulses of radio transmission
amount of energy in light or sound wave, whcih we percieve as brightness or loudness, as determined by waves amplitude.
ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil opening
process by which the eyes lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina
organized whole. gestalkt psychologist emphasized our tendency to intergrate prieces of info into meaningful wholes
the ablity to see objects in 3d although the images that strike the retina are 2d.. allows us to judge distances
depth cues, such as retinal disparity and convergence that depend on the use of two eyes
binocular cue for perceiving depth by comparing images from the two eyeballs, the brain computes distance, the greater the distance the greater the dispartity (difference)
a binocular cue for percieving depth, the extent to which the eyes converge inward when looking at an object. the greater the inward strain the closer the object
depth cues, such as interpostion and linear perspective, available to either eye alone
an illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick sucession
perceving objects as unchanging (having consistent lightness,color,shape, and size) even as illumination and retinal images change
in vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field
human factor psychology
branch of psych that explores how people and machines interact and how machines and pyshical enviorments can be made safe and easy to use
light snsitive inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual info.
loctated in visual cortex of brain, nerve cells that selectively respond to specific features such as movement shape or angle
infor processing in wich several aspects of a stimulus are processed simultaneiously
theory that maintains that the retina contains red blue and green sensitive color receptors that incombo can produce perception or any color. explains first stage of color processing developed by young helmholtz
opponent processing theory
color vision depends on pairs of oppossing retinal processes (red green, blue yellow, white black) explains second stage of color processing
perception that familiar objects have consistent color despite changes in illumination that shift the wavelengs they reflect
chamber with cochlea containing three bones (hammer anvil and stirrup) concentrate the eardrums vibrations on cochleas oval window
coiled, boney fluid fillled tube of inner ear where transduction of sound waves into nerural impulses
contains semisircular canals and cochlea, which includes the receptors that transduce sound energy into neural impulses. also contains the vestibular sacs
maintains that place of mazimum vibration along cochlea ,membrane is basis of pitch determination
hearing presumes the rate or frq of nerve impulses in auditory nerve that matches frq of a tone enabling us to sense it pitch
is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species.
the ability to feel movements of the limbs and . our vestibular sense relies on semicircular canals and vestibular sacs in the inner ear to sense our head, thus our whole bodys position and movement, letting us maintain our balance
region of the brain that is responsible for processing of auditory (sound) information. It is located on the temporal lobe, and performs the basics of hearing; pitch and volume.
incoming vibrations cause the cochleas membrane (oval window to vibrate, jostling the fluid that fills the tube, motion causes rupples in the basilar membrane which is lined with hair cells. rippling of basilar membrene bends these hair cells triggering an impulse
as we move, objects that are actually stable may appear to move. the nearer the object is to you, the faster it seems to move. objects beyond fixation point appear to move with you and the farther away the object is the faster they move. brain uses these cues to help determine the objects distance
after image illusion
ex: when you stare at a green square for a while then look at a pice of paper, you see red. green's opponent color. developed by hering.
this allows us to percieve the form of familiar objects as constant even while our retinal images of them change
disorder of face perception where the ability to recognize faces is impaired, while the ability to recognize other objects may be relatively intact.
the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus, as in a cocktail party effect