Sensation
the immediate detection of a stimulus
Sensation
the use of preexisting knowledge to organize individual features into a unified whole
light and color sensors inside of your eyes; known as cones or rods
Photoreceptors
a thin membrane that marks the beginning of the middle ear; sound waves cause it to vibrate
AKA Tympanic Membrane
Eardrum
Field of psychology that states our mind "fills in the gaps for us", and that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts
Gestalt Psychology
the process of converting energy into a perceivable stimulus
Transduction
a failure to perceive objects that are not the focus of attention
Inattentional blindness
the opening in the iris of the eye / changes size depending on the amount of light
Pupil
a tube in the inner ear; implants can be done here to recreate the impression of sound
cochlea
detection of stimuli below absolute threshold
Subliminal Sensation
the ability to forget that you are wearing a bracelet is explained by this phenomenon
Sensory Adaptation
ability to attend to only one voice among many
Cocktail Party Effect
the transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina
Lens
the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time
Frequency
the organization of the visual field into objects (the figures) that stand out from their surroundings
Figure-ground
failing to notice changes in the environment
change blindness
analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain's integration of sensory information (little pieces of info to larger picture)
Bottom-up processing
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
Opponent-Process Theory
Height of a wave
Amplitude
DAILY DOUBLE: pain is a product of both physiological and psychological factors that cause spinal gates to open and relay patterns of intense stimulation to the brain, which perceives them as pain
Gate-control theory of pain
five senses of taste?
sweet, salty, bitter, sour, umami
the ability to see objects in three dimensions although the images that strike the retina are two-dimensional; allows us to judge distance
Depth Perception
DAILY DOUBLE: the bundle of fibers that carry visual messages directly to the brain; connects the eyes to the occipital lobe
Optic Nerve
phenomenon when senses are crossword / someone can taste a sound
Synesthesia
sense that controls motion, position, and movement -- thrown off when someone is dizzy
Vestibular sense