All Flashcards
How is sensory adaptation relevant in everyday life?
Explains why we stop noticing background noises or smells after a while.
How does perceptual set influence eyewitness testimony?
Expectations can bias what eyewitnesses remember and report.
How is Weber's Law used in marketing?
Determining the just noticeable difference in price changes to influence consumer perception.
How is signal detection theory applied in airport security?
Balances correctly identifying threats with minimizing false alarms.
How does the cocktail party effect apply to studying?
Highlights the challenge of focusing on study material in a distracting environment.
How does understanding depth cues help artists?
Artists use monocular and binocular cues to create realistic depth in paintings.
How does perceptual constancy help us navigate the world?
Allows us to recognize objects despite changes in viewing angle, distance, or illumination.
How does the McGurk effect demonstrate sensory interaction?
Shows how visual information (lip movements) can influence auditory perception (what we hear).
How does understanding taste perception help chefs?
Chefs combine flavors to create balanced and appealing dishes.
How does the gate-control theory explain pain management?
Explains how massage or acupuncture might reduce pain by closing the 'gate'.
Compare Sensation and Perception.
Sensation is the raw data received by sensory receptors; perception is the interpretation of that data.
Compare Bottom-up and Top-down Processing.
Bottom-up starts with sensory input; top-down uses prior knowledge and expectations.
Compare Monocular and Binocular Cues.
Monocular cues require one eye; binocular cues require both eyes for depth perception.
Compare Place Theory and Frequency Theory.
Place theory links pitch to the location of cochlea stimulation; frequency theory links pitch to the rate of nerve impulses.
Compare Cones and Rods.
Cones detect color and fine detail in daylight; rods detect black, white, and gray in low light.
Compare Sensorineural and Conduction Hearing Loss.
Sensorineural involves damage to the cochlea or auditory nerves; conduction involves damage to the mechanical system of the ear.
Compare the Trichromatic and Opponent-Process Theories of color vision.
Trichromatic theory proposes 3 color receptors; opponent-process proposes opposing retinal processes.
What is Sensation?
Process where sensory receptors receive and represent stimulus energies.
What is Perception?
Process of organizing and interpreting sensory information.
What is Absolute Threshold?
Minimum stimulation needed to detect a stimulus 50% of the time.
What is Difference Threshold (JND)?
Minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50% of the time.
What is a Subliminal stimulus?
Stimulus below one's absolute threshold for conscious awareness.
What is Sensory Adaptation?
Diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation.
What is Perceptual Set?
Mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another.
What are Schemas?
Concepts or mental frameworks that organize and interpret information.
What is Inattentional Blindness?
Failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere.
What is Change Blindness?
Failing to notice changes in the environment.
What is Retinal Disparity?
The difference between the images seen by the left and right eyes.
What is Accommodation (eye)?
Process by which the eye's lens changes shape to focus on near or far objects.
Define Kinesthesis.
The system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts.
Define Proprioception.
The sense of the position of one's own body.