PSYC 1010 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Detection Theory, Optic Chiasm, Optic Nerve

• School: York University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 1010
• Professor: Myriam Mongrain

Document Summary

Synesthesia - condition in which perceptual or cognitive activities trigger exceptional experiences. Sensation - the stimulation of sense organs. Involves the absorption of energy, such as light. Perceptions - the selection, organization, and interpretation of sensory input. Involves organizing and translating sensory input into something meaningful. Psychophysics - the study of how physical stimuli are translated into psychological experience. Threshold - a dividing point between energy levels that do and do not have a detectable effect. A lamp turns on automatically as soon as it gets dark - the level of light is the threshold. Absolute threshold - the minimum amount of stimulation that an organism can detect. Define the boundaries of an organism"s sensory capabilities. A just noticeable difference - the smallest difference in the amount of stimulation that a specific sense can detect. An absolute threshold is just a notable difference from nothing.