Sensory & Perception Vocabulary

4. he nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain
9. the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time
10. the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus
14. a ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil opening
16. the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment
17. information processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations

1. analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain's integration of sensory information
2. the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one’s perception, memory, or response
3. below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness
5. the adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters
6. the distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next
7. retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, when cones don't respond
8. the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events
11. the transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina
12. the dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light; what we know as the color names blue, green and so forth
13. retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions. These detect fine detail and give rise to color sensations
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
18. adaptation diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation