Back to AI Flashcard MakerPsychology /Intro to Psychology (PSYC101): Module 16: Sensation and Perception
Intro to Psychology (PSYC101): Module 16: Sensation and Perception
This deck covers key concepts from Module 16 of Intro to Psychology, focusing on sensation and perception processes.
Sensation
the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment.
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Key Terms
Term
Definition
Sensation
the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment.
Sensory Receptors
sensory nerve endings that respond to stimuli.
Perception
the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events.
Bottom-up Processing
analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain’s integration of sensory information.
Top-down Processing
information processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations.
Transduction
conversion of one form of energy into another. In sensation, the transforming of stimulus energies, such as sights, sounds, and smells, into neural im...
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
Sensation | the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment. |
Sensory Receptors | sensory nerve endings that respond to stimuli. |
Perception | the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events. |
Bottom-up Processing | analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain’s integration of sensory information. |
Top-down Processing | information processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations. |
Transduction | conversion of one form of energy into another. In sensation, the transforming of stimulus energies, such as sights, sounds, and smells, into neural impulses our brain can interpret. |
Absolute Threshold | the minimum stimulus energy needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time. |
Signal Detection Theory | a theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus (signal) amid background stimulation (noise). Assumes there is no single absolute threshold and that detection depends partly on a person’s experience, expectations, motivation, and alertness. |
Subliminal | below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness. |
Priming | the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one’s perception, memory, or response. |
Difference Threshold | the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time. We experience the difference threshold as a just noticeable difference (or jnd). |
Weber’s Law | the principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage (rather than a constant amount). |
Sensory Adaptation | diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation. |
Perceptual Set | a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another. |