PSYCH 112 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Opponent Process, Parallel Computing, Absolute Threshold
Document Summary
Illusion: perception in which the way we perceive a stimulus doesn"t match its physical reality. Sensation: detection of physical energy by sense organs, which then send information to the brain. Transduction: the process of converting an external energy or substance into electrical activity within neurons. Sense receptors: specialized cell responsible for converting external stimuli into neural activity for a specific sensory system. Sensory adaptation: activation is greatest when a stimulus is first detected. Psychophysics: the study of how we perceive sensory stimuli based on their physical characteristics. Absolute threshold: lowest level of a stimulus needed for the nervous system to detect a change 50% of the time. Just noticeable difference (jnd): the smallest change in the intensity of a stimulus that we can detect. Weber"s law: there is a constant proportional relationship between the. Signal detection theory: theory regarding how stimuli are detected under uncertain conditions. Synesthesia: condition in which people experience cross-modal sensations (hearing sounds when see colors)
