| absolute threshold | The minimum amount of stimulus energy that people can detect. p. 125
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| auditory nerve | Carries neural impulses to the brain's auditory area. p. 145
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| binocular cues | Depth cues that are based on the combination of the images on the left and right eyes and on the way the two eyes work together. p. 139
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| cones | The receptors in the retina that process information about color. p. 133
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| difference threshold | Also called just noticeable difference, this concept refers to the smallest difference in stimulation required to discriminate one stimulus from another 50 percent of the time. p. 128
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| figure-ground relationship | People organize the perceptual field into stimuli that stand out and those that are left over. p. 139
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| gestalt psychology | People naturally organize their perceptions according to certain patterns. p. 139
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| inner ear | Consists of oval window, cochlea, and basilar membrane. p. 143
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| kinesthetic senses | Provide information about movement, posture, and orientation. p. 151
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| middle ear | Consists of eardrum, hammer, anvil, and stirrup. p. 143
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| monocular cues | Depth cues that can be extracted from the images in either eye. p. 139
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| noise | Irrelevant and competing stimuli. p. 126
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| olfactory epithelium | Located in the roof of the nasal cavity, a sheet of receptor cells for smell. p. 151
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| outer ear | Consists of the pinna and the external auditory canal. p. 143
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| pain | The sensation that warns us that damage to our bodies is occurring. p. 148
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| monocular cues | Depth cues that can be extracted from the images in either eye. p. 139
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| parallel processing | The simultaneous distribution of information across different neural pathways. p. 134
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| perception | The brain's process of organizing and interpreting sensory information to give it meaning. p. 123
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| perceptual constancy | Recognition that objects are constant and unchanging even through sensory input about them is changing. p. 140
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| perceptual set | A predisposition or readiness to perceive something in a particular way. p. 130
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| retina | The light-sensitive surface in the back of the eye that houses light receptors called rods and cones. p. 133
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| rods | The receptors in the retina that are sensitive to light but are not very useful in color vision. p. 133
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| selective attention | Focusing on a specific aspect of experience while ignoring others. p. 130
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| semicircular canals | Located in the inner ear; contain the sensory receptors that detect head motion. p. 152
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| sensation | The process of receiving stimulus energies from the environment. p. 122
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| sensory adaptation | A change in the responsiveness of the sensory system based on the average level of surrounding stimulation. p. 128
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| sensory receptors | Specialized cells that detect and transmit stimulus information to sensory neurons and the brain. p. 125
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| subliminal perception | The ability to detect information below the level of conscious awareness. p. 126
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| thermoreceptors | Located under the skin, they respond to increases and decreases in temperature. p. 147
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| vestibular sense | Provides information about balance and movement. p. 151
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