Unit 3 Sensation and Perception

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Across
  1. 1. the processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain's natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision
  2. 6. the amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we perceive as brightness or loudness, as determined by the wave's amplitude
  3. 7. the sense of body movement and position that enables our sense of balance
  4. 10. theory) in hearing, the theory that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone, thus enabling us to sense its pitch
  5. 13. threshold the minimum stimulation needed to detect a stimulus (light, a sound, a pressure, taste odor) 50% of the time
  6. 15. a mental tendency to perceive one thing and not another
  7. 18. the organization of the visual field into objects (the figures) that stand out from their surroundings (the ground).
  8. 20. analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain's integration of sensory information
  9. 21. in hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea's membrane is stimulated
  10. 22. a theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint signal amid background noise. Assumes there is no single absolute threshold and that detection depends partly on a person's experience, expectations, motivation, and alertness.
  11. 24. the distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next. Electromagnetic wavelengths vary from the short blips of cosmic rays to the long pulses of radio transmission
  12. 26. an illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession
  13. 28. the transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina
  14. 32. the perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into logical groups
  15. 34. the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment
  16. 35. the adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters
  17. 41. a sensory nerve ending that responds to a stimulus
  18. 44. nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movemen
  19. 47. the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus
  20. 51. a coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear; sound waves traveling through the cochlear fluid trigger nerve impulses
  21. 53. 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
  22. 54. the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a "blind" spot because no receptor cells are located there
  23. 55. a binocular cue for perceiving depth by comparing images from the retinas in the two eyes, the brain computes distance—the greater the disparity (difference) between the two images, the closer the object.
  24. 57. sense of smell
  25. 60. the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time (Ex- per second)
  26. 61. perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object
  27. 62. the study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them
  28. 64. the theory that the retina contains three different color receptors—one most sensitive to red, one to green, one to blue—which, when stimulated in combination, can produce the perception of any color.
  29. 66. a device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded into the cochlea
  30. 67. the study of paranormal phenomena, including ESP and psychokinesis
Down
  1. 2. a tone's experienced highness or lowness; depends on frequency
  2. 3. less common form of hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea
  3. 4. minimum difference between two stimuli that can be detected at least 50% of the time.
  4. 5. diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation
  5. 8. the influence of bodily sensations, gestures, and other states on cognitive preferences and judgements
  6. 9. ability to adjust to a changed sensory input, including an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field
  7. 11. 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
  8. 12. failing to notice changes in the environment,a form of inattentional blindness
  9. 14. a depth cue, such as interposition and linear perspective, available to either eye alone
  10. 16. perception (ESP) the controversial claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input; includes telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition
  11. 17. the nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain
  12. 19. the theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, yellow-blue, white-black) enable color vision.ex- some cells are stimulated by green and inhibited by red; others are stimulated by red and inhibited by green
  13. 23. hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea's receptor cells or to the auditory nerves; also called nerve deafness
  14. 25. information processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations
  15. 27. the dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light; what we know as the color names blue, green, and so forth
  16. 29. a depth cue, such as retinal disparity, that depends on the use of two eyes
  17. 30. the eye's clear, protective, outer layer, covering the pupil and the iris
  18. 31. the sense or act of hearing
  19. 33. failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere
  20. 36. perceiving objects as unchanging (having consistent lightness, color, shape, and size) even as illumination and retinal images change
  21. 37. conversion of one form of energy into another. In sensation, it's the transforming of stimulus energies like sights, sounds, and smells, into neural impulses our brains can interpret
  22. 38. a ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil opening
  23. 39. the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events
  24. 40. the principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage
  25. 42. the theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological "gate" that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain. The "gate" is opened by the activity of pain signals traveling up small nerve fibers and is closed by activity in larger fibers or by information coming from the brain.
  26. 43. the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one's perception, memory, or response
  27. 45. a laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals
  28. 46. the principle that one sense may influence another, as when the smell of food influences its taste
  29. 48. retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions. The cones detect fine detail and give rise to color sensations.
  30. 49. the innermost part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs
  31. 50. the process by which the eye's lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina
  32. 52. the ability to see objects in three dimensions although the images that strike the retina are two-dimensional; allows us to judge distance
  33. 56. our movement sense-- system that keeps us aware of the position and movement of individual body parts
  34. 58. an organized whole. Gestalt psychologists emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes.
  35. 59. below one's absolute threshold for conscious awareness
  36. 63. the central focal point in the retina, around which the eye's cones cluster
  37. 65. retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, when cones don't respond