Sense and Sensibility
The process of detecting energy from the environment and encoding it as neural signals.
A: What is sensation?
Seeing black letters pop off a white page illustrates this figure–background principle.
A: What is figure–ground?
Depth cue requiring both eyes that uses slight image differences on each retina.
A: What is retinal (binocular) disparity?
The clear, curved front surface that bends light toward the retina.
A: What is the cornea?
The outer ear structure that funnels sound into the auditory canal.
A: What is the pinna?
Smell goes through this without first routing through the thalamus.
A: What is the limbic system? (amygdala and hippocampus)
The brain’s organization and interpretation of sensory input, adding meaning and context.
A: What is perception?
Perceiving dashed road lines as one smooth line.
A: What is continuity (good continuation)?
Eyes turning inward to focus on a near object.
A: What is convergence?
The opening that changes size to regulate incoming light.
A: What is the pupil?
The three tiny bones in the middle ear.
A: What are the malleus (hammer), incus (anvil), and stapes (stirrup)?
Structures on the tongue that house the taste buds.
A: What are papillae (fungiform/foliate/circumvallate)?
The minimum stimulus intensity detected 50% of the time.
A: What is the absolute threshold?
Grouping items because they look alike (same color/shape/size).
A: What is similarity?
Parallel lines seeming to meet at the horizon.
A: What is linear perspective?
Cells that transduce light—which do color & detail in bright light.
A: What are cones?
Tiny hair-like projections on cochlear hair cells that bend to start transduction.
A: What are stereocilia?
The sense of body position and movement using receptors in muscles, tendons, and joints.
A: What is kinesthesis (proprioception)?
The smallest detectable change between two stimuli.
A: What is the difference threshold (just noticeable difference/JND)?
Reading items near one another as belonging together on a menu.
A: What is proximity?
A nearby tree blocking part of a house tells you the tree is closer.
A: What is interposition (overlap)?
After staring at a bright red square for 30 seconds, you shift your gaze to a white wall and briefly see green. Seeing the "opposite" color is explained by this theory.
A: What is the opponent-process theory?
Theory that maps high pitches near the base and low pitches near the apex of the cochlea.
A: What is place theory?
Inner-ear system that detects head rotation and linear acceleration.
A: What is the vestibular sense (vestibular system)?
This principle says perceived change scales with proportional/percentage changes in stimulus intensity.
A: What is the Weber–Fechner Law (Weber’s Law)?
Two equal lines look different in length when arrow tails point inward vs. outward.
A: What is the Müller–Lyer illusion?
On a drive, close objects streak by while mountains barely move—this one-eye cue.
A: What is motion parallax?
Blurred/distorted vision from an irregularly shaped cornea.
A: What is an astigmatism?
The hearing loss type for inner-ear/nerve damage.
A: What is sensorineural hearing loss?
The deep skin layer that insulates and cushions.
A: What is the hypodermis (subcutaneous layer)?