PSYCH 100 Chapter Notes - Chapter 10-12: Outer Ear, Cochlear Nerve, Semicircular Canals

• School: UMASS-Amherst
• Department: Psychology & Brain Sciences
• Course: PSYCH 100
• Professor: Rahhal Tamara

Document Summary

Sensation- the activation of the sense organs by a source of physical energy. Perception- the sorting out, interpretation, analysis, and the integration of stimuli by the sense organs and brain. Stimulus- energy that produces a response in a sense organ. Psychophysics- the study of the relationship between the physical aspects of stimuli and our psychological experience of them. Absolute threshold- the smallest intensity of a stimulus that must be present for the stimulus to be detected. Difference threshold- the smallest level of added and reduced stimulation requires to sense that a change in stimulation has occurred. Weber"s law- a basic law of psychophysics stating that a just noticeable difference is a constant proportion to the intensity of an initial stimulus. Adaption- an adjustment in sensory capacity after prolonged exposure to unchanging stimuli. Retina- the part of the eye that converts the electromagnetic energy of light to electrical impulses for transmission to the brain.