AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -sensory adaptation. E. Explanation: When we are exposed to an unchanging stimulus (in this case, cold water), our sensory nerves fire less and less in response to the stimulus, a process known as sensory adaptation (see pages 165-166 for more).

Detailed explanation-2: -Sensation = the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment.

Detailed explanation-3: -Perceptual Set. A perceptual set is a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another (top-down processing). Through experience we form concepts, or schemas, that organize and interpret unfamiliar information.

Detailed explanation-4: -Feature detectors are specialized neurons in the occipital lobe’s visual cortex and they receive information from the individual ganglion cells in the retina.

Detailed explanation-5: -How can context effects, emotions, and motivation trigger different perceptions of a single stimulus? Context effects: Environmental factors can influence perception. Emotion: Mood can influence perception. For example, happy or sad music can alter one’s perception of ambiguous words and scenes.