AP PSYCHOLOGY UNIT THREE (SENSATION/PERCEPTION)

123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930
Across
  1. 4. 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 (also called just noticeable difference or JND.)
  2. 9. the sharpness of vision.
  3. 11. constancy, perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the objects.
  4. 13. theory, the theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, yellow-blue, white-black) enable color vision; useful for explaining the phenomenon of "after-images"
  5. 14. membrane, area within the cochlea where hair cells are located
  6. 16. sensation, detection of stimuli below absolute threshold
  7. 18. the extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands
  8. 19. receptors cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions. The cones detect fine details and give rise to color sensation.
  9. 20. processing, information processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing out our experience and expectation.
  10. 22. retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, when cones don't respond.
  11. 26. A gestalt perceptual phenomenon; the organization of the visual field into objects that stand out from their surroundings
  12. 27. ear, the chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing three tiny bones (hammer, anvil, and stirrup) that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea's oval window.
  13. 28. cues, depth cues that only require input from one eye; often used in 2D art to create illusion of depth
  14. 30. a perceptual whole; derived from German word meaning "form" or "whole"
Down
  1. 1. conversion of one form of energy into another. In sensation, the transforming of stimulus energies into neural impulses.
  2. 2. the transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina.
  3. 3. the process by which the eye's lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina.
  4. 5. the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information; enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events.
  5. 6. neurons, neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands
  6. 7. processing, the processing of several aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain's natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision. Contrast with the step-by-step (serial) processing of most computers and of conscious problem solving.
  7. 8. law, the principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage (rather than a constant amount).
  8. 10. the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment.
  9. 12. the perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups
  10. 15. the light-sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual information.
  11. 17. neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs
  12. 21. processing, analysis that begins with the sense receptors and works up to the brain's integration of sensory information.
  13. 23. neurons, neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord
  14. 24. spot, the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye; no receptors cells are located there. Creates a gap in our vision that is "filled" by the brain.
  15. 25. the adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters.
  16. 29. a coiled bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear through which sound waves trigger nerve impulses.