PSY 2012 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Detection Theory, False Alarm, Absolute Threshold
Document Summary
Perception in which the way we perceive a stimulus doesn"t match it"s physical reality. Detection of physical energy by sense organs, which then send information to the brain. The process of converting an external energy or substance into electrical activity within neurons. Specialized cell responsible for converting external stimuli into a neural activity for a specific sensory system. Activation is greatest when a stimulus is first detected. The study of how we perceive sensory stimuli based on their physical characteristics. Lowest level of stimulus needed for the nervous system to detect a change 50% of the time. The smallest change in the intensity of a stimulus that we can detect. There is a constant proportional relationship between the jnd and the original stimulus intensity. Theory regarding how stimuli are detected under different conditions. Failure to detect stimuli that are in plain sight when our attention is focused elsewhere. A participant reports that they heard a sound when it was present.
