Intro to Psychology Chapters 3 and 4 Vocabulary

The process of receiving stimulus energies from the external environment and transforming those energies into neural energy.

The process of organizing and interpreting sensory information so that it makes sense.

Sensory receptors register information about the external environment and send it up to the brain for interpretation.

Launched by cognitive processing at the brain's higher levels, that allows the organism to sense what is happening and to apply that framework to information from the world.

Specialized cells that detect stimulation information and transmit it to sensory (afferent) nerves and the brain.

Detection of light, perceived as sight.

Detection of pressure, vibration, and movement, perceived as touch,hearing, and equilibrium.

Detection of chemical stimuli, perceived as smell and taste.

The act of focusing on a specific aspect of experience while ignoring others.

A predisposition or readiness to perceive something in a particular way.

A change in the responsiveness of the sensory system based on the average level of surrounding stimulation (ex. the ability of the visual system to adjust to a darkened room)

The colored part of the eye.

Appears black, is the opening in the center of the iris. Opens to let in more light when it is needed and closing to let in less light when there is too much.

The multilayered light-sensitive surface in the eye that records electromagnetic energy and converts it to neural impulses for processing in the brain. (primary mechanism of sight)

The receptor cells in the retina that are sensitive to light but not very useful for color vision. (work well under low illumination)