1.6 A
The minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time
Absolute Threshhold
The distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next
Wavelength
The most common type of hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea's receptor cells or to the auditory nerves, also called nerve deafness
Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Our sense of taste
Gustation
A condition in which stimulation of one sensory pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in another sensory pathway.
Synesthesia
The process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment
Sensation
The eye’s clear protective outer layer, covering the pupil and iris
Cornea
A device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded into the cochlea
Cochlear Implant
Our sense of smell
Olfaction
Visual sensations that persist after a stimulus is removed. They occur due to temporary overstimulation of cone cells in the retina, resulting in a brief perception of an inverted or complementary image.
After Images
The process by which our brain organizes and interprets sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events
Perception
The process by which the eye's lens changes shape to focus images of near or far objects on the retina
Accomodation
A less common form of hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea
Conduction Hearing Loss
The principle that one sense may influence another, as when the smell of food influences its taste
Sensory Interaction
A neurological condition characterized by the inability to recognize familiar faces, including one's own face, despite intact vision and intellect. It's often referred to as face blindness.
Prosopagnosia
The minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time (Just Noticeable Difference/JND)
Difference Threshhold
Retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray, and are sensitive to movement
Rods
A tone's experienced highness or lowness, depends on frequency
Pitch
Our Balance sense, our sense of body movement and position that enables our sense of balance
Vestibular Sense
The brain's ability to determine the location of a sound source in space.
Sound Localization
Diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation
Sensory Adaptation
Retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well lit conditions. Detect fine detail and give rise to color sensations
Cones
The chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing three tiny bones that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea's oval window
Middle Ear
The theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological "gate" that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain
Gate Control Theory
Chemical substances released by animals, including humans, that trigger social or behavioral responses in others of the same species. They play a role in communication, mating, and territorial marking.
Pheromones