Chapter 5, Psychological Science by Michael S. Gazzaniga 6th Edition EXAM WITH ACCURATE ANSWERS

Sensation ANSWERS-the detection of external stimuli and the transmission of this information to the brain Examples of physical stimuli ANSWERS-—Light or sound waves —Molecules of food or odor —Temperature and pressure changes Perception ANSWERS-The processing, organization, and interpretation of sensory signals, resulting in the construction of useful and meaningful information about a particular sensation Bottom-up Processing ANSWERS-Perception based on the physical features of the stimulus Top-down Processing ANSWERS-How knowledge, expectations, or past experiences shape the interpretation of sensory information Sensory coding ANSWERS-The process by which our sensory systems translate the physical properties of stimuli into patterns of neural impulses Transduction ANSWERS-the process by which sensory stimuli are converted to signals the brain can interpret Sensory receptors ANSWERS-Specialized cells unique to each sense organ that respond to a particular form of sensory stimulation With the exception of smell, most sensory information first goes to the _______. ANSWERS-Thalamus Receptors are _____. ANSWERS-specialized to detect different types of stimuli. To function effectively, the brain needs _____ and ____ information about a stimulus. ANSWERS-Qualitative; Quantitative CHART: The Stimuli, Receptors, and Pathway for Each Sense ANSWERS-See Table 5.1, pp. 166 Absolute threshold ANSWERS-The minimum intensity of a stimulation that must occur before you experience a sensation. To be recorded as the absolute threshold, the respondent must perceive the stimulus at this level 50 percent of the time. Difference threshold ANSWERS-The minimum amount of change required for a person to detect a difference between two stimuli. Weber's law ANSWERS-the principle that the just noticeable difference between two stimuli is based on a proportion of the original stimulus rather than on a fixed amount of difference Signal detection theory ANSWERS-A theory of perception based on the idea that the detection of a stimulus requires a judgement—it's not an all-or-nothing process Response bias ANSWERS-a participant's tendency to report detecting the signal in an ambiguous trial Sensory adaption ANSWERS-a decrease in sensitivity to a constant level of stimulation Types of signal detection outcomes ANSWERS-Hit (stimulus + detection reported), miss (stimulus + no detection reported), false alarm (no stimulus + detection reported), correct rejection (no stimulus + no detection reported) Synesthesia ANSWERS-A neurological condition in which patients experience one kind of sensation in combination with another ("a lime green sound") Retina ANSWERS-The thin inner surface of the back of the eyeball; it contains the sensory receptors that transduce light into neural signals Rods ANSWERS-Retinal cells that respond to low levels of light and result in black and white perception Cones ANSWERS-Retinal cells that respond to higher levels of light and result in color perception Fovea ANSWERS-The center of the retina, where cones are densely packed Transmission from the eye to the brain ANSWERS-1. PHYSICAL STIMULUS: Light waves reflected from the image pass through the cornea and enter the eye through the pupil. The lens focuses the light on the retina. 2. SENSATION: Sensory receptors in the retina, called rods and cones, detect the light waves. 3. TRANSDUCTION: Rods and cones convert light waves into signals. These signals are processed by ganglion cells, which generate action potentials that are sent to the brain by the optic nerve. 4. PERCEPTION: Signals from each visual field are processed on one side of each retina. They travel along the optic nerve and through the thalamus, and they are processed in the visual cortex that is opposite the visual field. trichromatic theory ANSWERS-theory of color vision that proposes three types of cones: S, M, and L (those that detect small wavelengths, etc). S picks up blue-violet, M yellow to green, and L red to orange. opponent-process theory ANSWERS-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 Color is organized along three dimensions: ___, ___ and ___. ANSWERS-Hue, saturation, and lightness. Gestalt principles of perceptual organization ANSWERS-proximity, similarity, continuity, closure, illusory contours binocular depth cues ANSWERS-cues of depth perception that arise from the fact that people have two eyes monocular depth cues ANSWERS-cues of depth perception that are available to each eye alone