Senses and Perception
What is Perception?
Sensation detects information through our senses; this process organizes and interprets that information.
What are rods?
These retinal receptors help us see in dim light, while cones support color vision and fine detail.
What is proximity?
We tend to group objects that are close together because of this principle.
What is intrinsic motivation?
Studying because you enjoy learning, rather than to earn a reward, demonstrates this type of motivation.
What is a circadian rhythm?
This roughly 24-hour biological cycle helps regulate sleep and wakefulness.
What is transduction?
This process converts physical energy, such as light or sound, into neural signals.
What is umami?
Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and this savory taste are the five basic tastes.
What is similarity?
We group objects that share characteristics, such as color or shape, because of this principle.
What is drive reduction theory?
This theory explains motivation as reducing internal needs, such as eating to reduce hunger.
What is REM sleep?
This sleep stage involves rapid eye movements, frequent vivid dreams, and greatly reduced skeletal muscle activity.
What is an absolute threshold?
This is the minimum stimulation needed to detect a stimulus 50% of the time.
What is loudness?
Sound frequency determines perceived pitch; sound amplitude primarily determines this quality.
What is closure?
We mentally fill in gaps to perceive a complete shape because of this principle.
What are autonomy, competence, and relatedness?
These are the three basic psychological needs identified by self-determination theory.
What is the suprachiasmatic nucleus?
This structure in the hypothalamus acts as the body’s main biological clock.
What is top-down processing?
Reading messy handwriting by using the sentence’s meaning is an example of this type of processing.
What is sound localization?
The brain compares when a sound reaches each ear and its intensity at each ear to perform this task.
What is figure-ground?
Seeing words as the main object and the page behind them as the background illustrates this principle.
What is self-actualization?
In Maslow’s hierarchy, this need involves fulfilling your potential.
What is sleep apnea?
Repeated interruptions in breathing during sleep characterize this disorder.
What is a difference threshold?
This is the smallest difference between two stimuli that a person can detect 50% of the time.
What is kinesthesis?
This sense tells you where your limbs are and how they are moving, even with your eyes closed.
What are continuity and connectedness?
Name both principles: we perceive smooth, ongoing paths, and we group objects that are physically linked.
What is cognitive dissonance?
Someone values health but smokes, feels uncomfortable, and justifies it by saying, “I barely smoke.” This discomfort is called this.
What are manifest content and latent content?
According to Freud, these two terms describe a dream’s remembered storyline and its underlying hidden meaning.