APSY Blitz: Sensation & Perception

the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time.

the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye and no receptor cells are located there.

analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain's integration of sensory information.

failing to notice changes in the environment.

hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea.

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.

the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time. Also called the just noticeable difference (jnd).

nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movement.

states that the spinal cord contains a neurological "gate" that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain.

emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes

failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere.

the theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, yellow-blue, white-black) enable color vision. For example, some cells are stimulated by green and inhibited by red; others are stimulated by red and inhibited by green.

the processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain's natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision. Contrasts with the step-by-step (serial) processing of most computers and of conscious problem solving.

the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events.

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.