3.1

the sequence of processes by which we take the info received from our senses and organize and interpret it.

what happens when sensory information is detected by a sensory receptor.

when sensors in the body convert physical signals from the environment (pressure, light reflections, smell molecules) into neural signals sent to the CNS.

the process where sensitivity to prolonged stimulations declines over time as an organism adapts to current conditions.

the minimal intensity needed to just barely detect a stimulus in 50% of trials.

the minimal change in a stimulus (e.g., its loudness or brightness) that can just barely be detected.

for every sense domain, the change in a stimulus that is just noticeable is a constant proportion of the standard stimulus over a broad range of intensities.

the inability to perceive motion.

interpreting sensations based on available knowledge, experiences, expectations, and motivations.

building perception starting from the stimulus itself, working from basic input up to more complex understanding.

limited, selective, requires memory, is not entirely accurate, requires time, is based on the brain’s model of the world, and focuses on change.

contains photoreceptors (rods and cones) that detect light and send signals to the brain.

sensitive to low levels of light, have lower acuity, and do not detect color.

detect color, have higher acuity for fine detail, and function well in bright light.

L cones respond to red light, M cones respond to green light, and S cones respond to blue light.

Light is detected by the retina, then signals pass through bipolar cells to ganglion cells, travel via the optic nerve to the thalamus (LGN), and then to the occipital lobe.

when cells that are stimulated inhibit the activity of neighboring cells, enhancing edge detection.

the area in the visual world to which a specific cell in the visual cortex responds.

also called "dot detectors," fire fastest when a stimulus is in the center of their receptive field and slower when it is in the surround.

receptive fields in the visual cortex that respond to angles and edges.

when multiple steps or kinds of analysis occur simultaneously, increasing speed and efficiency in perception.

"where system," processes the perception of an object's location.

"what system," processes the identification of visual objects.

how the brain integrates different features of a stimulus that are processed separately into a unified perception.

Spatial position (location information is shared), neural synchrony (neurons processing the same object fire in sync), and attention (when overloaded, binding errors occur).