All flashcards
Flashcard 1: Identify the sensory modality processed by the somatosensory cortex.
Answer: The somatosensory cortex processes touch and proprioceptive information. It's located in the parietal lobe behind the motor cortex.
Flashcard 2: Which sensory system is responsible for vision?
Answer: The visual system is responsible for vision. It includes the eyes and visual processing pathways.
Flashcard 3: Which part of the brain processes visual information?
Answer: The occipital lobe processes visual information. It's located at the back of the brain.
Flashcard 4: Which part of the eye adjusts to focus light?
Answer: The lens adjusts to focus light on the retina. It changes shape through accommodation for near and far vision.
Flashcard 5: Identify the primary taste sensations.
Answer: The primary taste sensations are sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. These five tastes cover the basic categories humans detect.
Flashcard 6: What is sensation in the context of psychology?
Answer: Sensation is the process of detecting external stimuli and converting them into neural signals. It's the initial step before perception interprets the signals.
Flashcard 7: Which sensory system is responsible for vision?
Answer: The visual system is responsible for vision. It includes the eyes and visual processing pathways.
Flashcard 8: Identify the primary function of the auditory system.
Answer: The auditory system is responsible for hearing. It detects sound waves and converts them to neural impulses.
Flashcard 9: What is the role of the olfactory system?
Answer: The olfactory system is responsible for the sense of smell. It detects airborne chemical molecules through the nose.
Flashcard 10: Which sensory system processes taste?
Answer: The gustatory system processes taste. It detects chemical compounds dissolved in saliva.
Flashcard 11: What is transduction in sensation?
Answer: Transduction is the conversion of stimuli into neural signals. It's the first step in all sensory processing.
Flashcard 12: Identify the function of sensory receptors.
Answer: Sensory receptors detect environmental stimuli. They are specialized cells that respond to specific energy forms.
Flashcard 13: What is the absolute threshold in sensation?
Answer: The absolute threshold is the minimum stimulus intensity detected 50% of the time. It measures the weakest stimulus that can be reliably detected.
Flashcard 14: Define difference threshold.
Answer: The difference threshold is the smallest detectable difference between two stimuli. Also called the just noticeable difference (JND).
Flashcard 15: What is Weber's Law?
Answer: Weber's Law states that the ratio of the increment threshold to the background intensity is constant. It explains why we notice proportional rather than absolute changes.
Flashcard 16: What does signal detection theory examine?
Answer: Signal detection theory examines decision-making processes under conditions of uncertainty. It considers both sensory and psychological factors in detection.
Flashcard 17: What is sensory adaptation?
Answer: Sensory adaptation is the decrease in sensitivity to a constant stimulus. It prevents sensory overload from unchanging stimuli.
Flashcard 18: Which part of the eye is responsible for detecting light?
Answer: The retina is responsible for detecting light. It contains photoreceptors that convert light into neural signals.
Flashcard 19: What is the function of rods in the retina?
Answer: Rods are responsible for vision in low light conditions. They are highly sensitive but don't detect color.
Flashcard 20: What is the function of cones in the retina?
Answer: Cones are responsible for color vision and detail. They function best in bright light conditions.
Flashcard 21: Identify the role of the optic nerve.
Answer: The optic nerve transmits visual information from the retina to the brain. It's the pathway connecting the eye to the visual cortex.
Flashcard 22: What is the blind spot in the visual field?
Answer: The blind spot is an area with no photoreceptors where the optic nerve exits the eye. We normally don't notice it due to binocular vision.
Flashcard 23: What is the cochlea's role in hearing?
Answer: The cochlea converts sound waves into neural signals. It's the snail-shaped structure in the inner ear.
Flashcard 24: Define the role of hair cells in the ear.
Answer: Hair cells in the ear transduce sound vibrations into neural signals. They bend with sound waves and trigger nerve impulses.
Flashcard 25: Which structure in the ear is responsible for balance?
Answer: The vestibular system is responsible for balance. It contains the semicircular canals and otolith organs.
Flashcard 26: What is the function of taste buds?
Answer: Taste buds detect chemicals in food and convey taste information. They are located on the tongue and in the mouth.
Flashcard 27: What is the gate control theory of pain?
Answer: The gate control theory posits that spinal 'gates' regulate pain signals to the brain. It explains how pain signals can be blocked or enhanced.
Flashcard 28: What is the role of nociceptors?
Answer: Nociceptors detect signals of pain and potential harm. They are specialized pain receptors throughout the body.
Flashcard 29: What is referred pain?
Answer: Referred pain is pain perceived at a location other than the site of the stimulus. This occurs due to shared neural pathways.
Flashcard 30: Identify the main chemical sensed by olfactory receptors.
Answer: Olfactory receptors sense volatile chemicals. These airborne molecules bind to receptors in the nasal cavity.