Name _______________________________
SENSATION AND PERCEPTION
Chapter 4, Vocabulary
the weakest amount of a stimulus that can be sensed
absolute threshold
afterimage
the visual sensation that occurs after the original stimulus has
been removed
auditory nerve
the cranial nerve that carries sound from the cochlea of the
inner ear to the brain
visual cue for depth that requires two eyes
binocular cue
part of the retina that contains no photoreceptors
blind spot
tendency to perceive complete or whole figure
closure
cochlea
the fluid-filled structure of the inner ear that transmits sound
impulses to the auditory nerve
common fate
tendency to perceive objects that are moving together as
belonging together
the colors across from each other on the color wheel
complementary
conductive deafness
hearing loss caused by damage to the middle ear, thus
interfering with the transmission of sound waves to the cochlea
continuity
the perceptual tendency to group stimuli into continuous
patterns
difference threshold
the minimum amount of difference that can be detected
between two stimuli
gate theory
the suggestion that only a certain amount of information can be
processed by the nervous system at a given time
kinesthesis
the sense that provides information about the position and
movement of individual body parts
transparent structure of the eye that focuses light on the retina
lens
cue for distance that may be available to either eye alone
monocular cue
olfactory nerve
the nerve that transmits information about odors from olfactory
receptors to the brain
perception
psychological process through which we interpret sensory
stimulation
a neuron that responds to light
photoreceptor
proximity
the perceptual tendency to group together visual and auditory
events that are near each other
opening in the colored part of the eye
pupil
retina
light-sensitive inner surface of the eye that contains the rods,
cones, and neurons that process visual stimuli
retinal disparity
a binocular cue for perceiving depth based on the difference
between the two images of an object that the retina receives as
the object moves closer or farther away
sensation
stimulation of sensory receptors and the transmission of
sensory information to the central nervous system
deafness that results from damage to the auditory nerve
Sensori-neural deafness
sensory adaptation
process by which we become more sensitive to weak stimuli
and less sensitive to unchanging stimuli
signal-detection theory
method of distinguishing sensory stimuli that takes into
account not only their strengths, but also such elements as the
setting, mood, etc.
similarity
the perceptual tendency to group together elements that seem
alike
stroboscopic motion
a visual illusion I which the perception of motion is generated
buy the presentation of a series of stationary images in rapid
succession
vestibular sense
the sense that provides information about the position of the
body
keenness or sharpness of vision
visual acuity