AP Psychology sensation and perception UPDATED
ACTUAL Questions and CORRECT Answers
Sensation Detecting physical energy from the environment and encoding it as neural
signals
Bottom-Up Processing Analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain's
integration of sensory information.
Externally Driven.
, Perception Selecting, organizing, and interpreting what comes in your window as
meaningful objects and events.
Top-Down Processing Guided by higher level mental processes, such as experience, motivation, and
expectations
Perceptual Adaptation Ability to adjust to an artificially displaced field
Psychophysics The study of how physical energy relates to our psychological experience
Transduction Conversion of one form of energy into another
Absolute Threshold The minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time
Difference Threshold The minimum difference a person can detect between any 2 stimuli 50% of the
(JND) time
Weber's Law Difference thresholds differ by a constant percentage rather than a constant
amount.
Signal Detection Theory Predicts when we will detect weak stimuli amid background noise
Depends on experience, expectations, motivation, and fatigue level
Subliminal Messages Stimuli below one's absolute threshold
Unconsciously sensed
Works to an extent
Sensory Adaptation Diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation
Wavelength Determines Hue
Amplitude Determines Brightness
Pupil A small adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters
Iris A ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the
pupil and controls the size of the pupil's opening
Cornea Protects the eye and bends light to provide focus
ACTUAL Questions and CORRECT Answers
Sensation Detecting physical energy from the environment and encoding it as neural
signals
Bottom-Up Processing Analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain's
integration of sensory information.
Externally Driven.
, Perception Selecting, organizing, and interpreting what comes in your window as
meaningful objects and events.
Top-Down Processing Guided by higher level mental processes, such as experience, motivation, and
expectations
Perceptual Adaptation Ability to adjust to an artificially displaced field
Psychophysics The study of how physical energy relates to our psychological experience
Transduction Conversion of one form of energy into another
Absolute Threshold The minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time
Difference Threshold The minimum difference a person can detect between any 2 stimuli 50% of the
(JND) time
Weber's Law Difference thresholds differ by a constant percentage rather than a constant
amount.
Signal Detection Theory Predicts when we will detect weak stimuli amid background noise
Depends on experience, expectations, motivation, and fatigue level
Subliminal Messages Stimuli below one's absolute threshold
Unconsciously sensed
Works to an extent
Sensory Adaptation Diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation
Wavelength Determines Hue
Amplitude Determines Brightness
Pupil A small adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters
Iris A ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the
pupil and controls the size of the pupil's opening
Cornea Protects the eye and bends light to provide focus
