Psychology Frontiers and

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Chapter 5
Sensation and Perception

Step 1: Class Presentation Ideas

Pre-Class Student Assignments

Activity Assignment

Decibel Rating in My Environment (adapted from Malley-Morrison & Yap, 2001)

Table 5.3 in the textbook provides a scale of decibel information for relatively common sounds in an
urban environment. It is reproduced as Handout 5-A. Have students use this handout as a checklist,
checking off each sound that they are exposed to during the week. Also ask them to add sounds that
they think are comparable to any of the items listed at 90 decibels or above. Use their records as a basis
for a class discussion of noise pollution.

Critical Thinking Responses

Navigating in the Fog

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After looking at the topophone depicted in Figure 5.21 in the textbook, ask students to identify features
of the instrument that would assist sailors in detecting and locating sounds. Ask students to write their
response to this question prior to class.

What’s wrong with this Room?

After reading a description of the Ames Room depicted in Figure 5.43 in the textbook, ask students to
write a paragraph explaining the illusory phenomenon.

Uphill or Downhill?
Have students review the opening scenario of the chapter in the textbook, describing the mysterious hill
where cars ran uphill. Ask them to write a paragraph explaining this illusory phenomenon.

Lecture Enhancement Material

Identifying Applications of Sensation and Perception Research (adapted from Malley-Morrison

& Yap, 2001)
It is not inherently obvious to the novice that sensation and perception are parts of psychology.
One way to introduce this idea is to provide examples of the application of research on sensation
and perception. The chapter points out two applications of sensation and perception research that
are relevant to military training: 1) signal detection theory would lead us to expect that Navy
radar operators would be more likely to notice faint blips on the radar screen in wartime than in
peacetime, because the consequences of missing the blip during wartime could be much more
serious than during peacetime; and 2) knowledge concerning the role and distribution of rods and
cones led authorities to provide World War II night pilots with goggles that had red lenses in order
to keep the rods in their retinas in a state of dark adaptation. In many cities, fire engines are now
painted yellow rather than red because we have learned that yellow is more discernible at night.
Similarly, airport landing lights are blue because blue is easier to see at night. Analysis of the
conditions under which several 727 jets crashed revealed that upward-sloping cities create a visual
illusion at night that interferes with a pilot’s ability to detect an upward slope in the terrain, leading
them to overestimate their altitude. Finally, the chapter’s section on “Applications of Psychological
Science” presents research on the development of artificial means of hearing and sight.

Relevant findings pertaining to additional research on sensation and perception are summarized
below:

1. Taste and Bulimia. Rodin, Bartoshuk, Peterson, and Schank (1990) studied bulimic women who
purged by vomiting, and a control group of non-bulimic women, to determine whether they
experience abnormalities of taste. When sweet, salty, sour, and bitter solutions were applied on
various places on the tongue and palate of bulimic and non-bulimic women, the findings indicated
that the bulimic women showed loss of sensitivity to the intensity and degree of pleasantness of the
solutions when these were placed on the palate. The authors suggest that the palates of these
bulimics may be affected by purging because vomit is directed towards the roof of the mouth where
the palate receptors (which can be damaged by the acid in vomit) are located. Moreover, study
results indicated that after an infusion of a sweet substance, control participants found the sweet
taste significantly less pleasant than the bulimics. These results suggest that as well as having a loss
of sensitivity to different tastes, bulimics may also have an abnormal experience of satiety.

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 Reference: Rodin, J., Bartoshuk, L., Peterson, C., & Schank, D. (1990). Bulimia and taste:
Possible interactions. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 99, 32-39.

2. Visual Acuity in Police Officers. Good, Maisel, and Kriska (1998) noted that, for many years
government agencies have administered uncorrected visual acuity (UVA) standards for police
department employee applicants, and that the 1990 passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act
has led many public employers to be concerned about the validity of these standards. In their study,
a series of focus group meetings resulted in agreement that the two essential tasks all officers must
be able to perform when visually incapacitated are the identification of a weapon in a typical room
and the finding of eyeglasses that have been dislodged. Their experimentation indicated that a
noticeable performance decrement begins to appear at the 20/125 level of acuity. As a result of this
research, the City of Columbus, Ohio, changed the UVA standard from 20/40 to 20/125.

Reference: Good, G. W., Maisel, S. C., & Kriska, S. D. (1998) Setting an uncorrected visual
acuity standard for police officer applicants. Journal of Applied Psychology, 83, 817-824.

3. An Alzheimer’s Patient’s Sense of Smell. Nordin and Murphy (1996) investigated the possibility
that odor and taste detection might be disrupted at a very early stage of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
Their comparison of patients with a diagnosis of possible Alzheimer’s to a normal control group
revealed that the possible AD patients were less familiar with various odors, had significantly
higher thresholds for odor but not for taste, and were significantly poorer on recognition memory
for odors than the control group. Nordin and Murphy concluded that tasks involving the sense of
smell might prove useful in the early diagnosis of AD.

Reference: Nordin, S., & Murphy, C. (1996). Impaired sensory and cognitive olfactory
function in questionable Alzheimer’s disease. Neuropsychology, 10, 113-119.

4. Visual Processes of Elderly Drivers. Owsley, Ball, Sloane, Roenker, and Bruni (1991) pointed
out that while older drivers have more accidents per miles driven than any other age group,
previous research had generally failed to document a link between vision and driving in the elderly.
In their study, Owsley et al. examined the extent to which accident frequency in older drivers was
related to the visual/cognitive system at several different levels of ophthalmologic disease, visual
function, visual attention, and cognitive function. They found that the most accurate predictor of
accident frequency when compared with official records included using measures of visual
attention as well as mental status. Specifically, older drivers with a visual attention disorder, or with
poor scores on a mental status test, had three to four times more accidents (of any type) and fifteen
times more intersection accidents than those without these problems.

Reference: Owsley, C., Ball, K., Sloane, M. E., Roenker, D. L., & Bruni, J. R. (1991). Visual/
Cognitive correlates of vehicle accidents in older drivers. Psychology and Aging, 6, 403-
415.

Rising Fast Ball Illusion (Malley-Morrison & Yap, 2001)

The chapter’s Psychological Applications, “Stalking a deadly illusion” describes how perceptual
research identified a perceptual illusion as the cause of a particular type of plane crash. Another
perceptual illusion that may be of particular interest to the athletes and sports fans in the class is
the illusion of the “rising fastball”—a phenomenon, which according to the principles of physics
and physiology, should be impossible. According to many batters, an approaching fastball
sometimes jumps a foot, right in front of home plate, and consequently hops over their bat. To
understand this perceptual illusion, Bahill and Karnavas (1993) designed a study to test the

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hypothesis that the illusion of the rising fastball is the result of the batter underestimating the
speed of the pitch. For example, if a pitcher threw a 95-mph fastball, but the batter
underestimated its speed and thought it was only going 90 mph, he would expect to hit the ball
3.46 ft above the ground. If he momentarily took his eye off the ball to look at his bat to observe
the expected bat-to-ball collision, then the next time he saw the ball it would be 3.72 ft above the
ground and 3 inches above his bat. To make sense of this violation of expectations, the batter
might say, “The ball jumped three inches right in front of the plate.”

To help validate their explanation of the rising fastball illusion, Bahill and Karnavas conducted
some simple experiments with a mechanical pitching machine. They threw 450 pitches to seven
participants—three adults, and four boys aged between 9 and 13. Their findings indicated that on
the fast pitches, the batters swung below the ball, which is just what would happen if they
underestimated the speed of the pitch. The authors interpret these findings as support for their
theory of the rising fastball as an illusion caused by an underestimation of the speed of the pitch.

Reference: Bahill, A. T., & Karnavas, W. J. (1993). The perceptual illusion of baseball’s rising
fastball and breaking curveball, Journal of Experimental Psychology, 19, 3-14.

In-Class Demonstrations and Activities

The Blind Spot

In describing the location of the rods and cones on the retina, you will invariably need to mention the
blind spot, the place where the optic nerve leaves the eye. Students are often fascinated by this, since
they are usually not aware of their own blind spot. To demonstrate it, ask students to close their right
eye and fixate on a point in the classroom with their left eye (e.g., your nose, an ‘X’ on the board). Have
them extend their left arm forward, covering the fixation point with their index finger. Then, instruct
students to slowly move their arm to the left while fixating their gaze on the point you designated. After
students move their arms 5 or 6 inches to the left, their fingertip will disappear in their peripheral
vision. Voilà! The Blind Spot!

Colour Afterimages (adapted from Malley-Morrison & Yap, 2001)

An effective way to introduce concepts on the structure and functions of the visual system is to
demonstrate colour afterimages. The classic example of this involves presentation of the green,
and black flag (see Figure 5.13 in the text or digital image archive). Ask students to stare at a
fixation point in the middle of the stimulus for about 30 seconds. Then, quickly remove the
stimulus, leaving an all white background. Students will immediately see a red and white, and
flag. Give them the explanation for this—the opponent process theory of colour vision.

Balance (adapted from Malley-Morrison & Yap, 2001)

This 12-minute exercise is useful for demonstrating the interconnections of different sensory
systems. Tell the class that on your signal, they should all stand up. At the next signal, students
should balance on one foot, without support, until you tell them to stop. In addition, tell one half
of the class (e.g., those on the right, or those in front) that they are the control group for this
experiment, and that they should keep their eyes open. Tell the other half of the class that they are
the experimental group, and they should keep their eyes closed while balancing on one foot,
without support. After giving your signals, have the students maintain their positions for about

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twenty seconds. After the students are seated again, ask students in the control group what
sensations they had while standing on one foot, and how these might be related to maintaining
their balance, and then ask the same questions of the experimental group. Students in the
experimental group will have had a much harder time maintaining their balance because they are
not receiving input from their visual sensory systems in the maintenance of equilibrium. Finally,
have the class stand up again, spin around five times in place, and then shut their eyes and stand
on one foot again. Ask them to compare their sensations this time with those experienced in the
previous exercise. Maintaining balance should have been difficult for everyone because spinning
upsets equilibrium, sensed through the semicircular canals and vestibular sacs of the inner ear.

Class Discussion Activities

Visual Conversion Disorder (adapted from Malley-Morrison & Yap, 2001)

Bryant and McConkey (1989) presented an interesting case study of an individual called DB, who
was diagnosed as having a “visual conversion disorder”— that is, DB had a loss in visual
functioning that could not be explained by a physical disorder, was not under voluntary control,
and was apparently influenced by psychological factors. Despite this diagnosis, Bryant and
McConkey found that DB performed a particular problem-solving task better when visual cues
were present than when they were not. Handout 5-B provides a summary of this case. Ask
students to read the case and discuss the following questions:

1. How do you account for DB’s apparent blindness in his right eye?
2. What were the independent and dependent variables in this single-participant
experiment?
3. What are the limitations to the experiment?

Bryant and McConkey argued that it could not be ruled out that there was some medical basis to
the right-eye conversion disorder, and that it was unlikely that DB was a malingerer. If he were,
he would not have performed better in the visual cue and motivating conditions. The independent
variables were presence/absence of visual cues and presence/absence of motivating instructions.
The principal limitation of the experiment’s implications for the understanding of visual
conversion disorder is that there was only one participant.

Reference: Bryant, R. A., & McConkey, K. M. (1989). Visual conversion disorder: A case
analysis of the influence of visual information. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 98, 326-
329.

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Step 2: Student Evaluation

In-Class Assessment: Identification Structures of the Eye and Ear

Labeling exercises help the student recognize the primary structures of the sensory systems.
Using Handout 5-C, ask students to label the primary structures of the eye and ear.

Essay Questions (adapted from Malley-Morrison & Yap, 2001)

Ask students to answer one of the following essay questions:

1. Suppose someone experiences an injury that severs the spinal cord below the neck. What
changes might be expected in the individual’s personality and behaviour? Address this
question at the biological, psychological, and environmental levels of analysis.

2. Why does your voice sound different to you when you are speaking than when you are
hearing yourself on a tape recording?

3. Patients with amputated limbs often continue to feel pain from the body part that has been
amputated, a condition called phantom-limb pain. Explain how this might occur from what
you know about the sensorimotor system.

Study Questions
Ask students to review the 42 focus questions located in the margins on each page of the chapter to help
them preparing for a chapter quiz or exam.

For Further Reading (adapted from Malley-Morrison & Yap, 2001)

• Kohler, W. (1947). Gestalt Psychology. New York: Liveright.

• Vokey, J. R., & Read, J. D. (1985). Subliminal messages: Between the devil and the media.
American Psychologist, 40, 1231-1239.

• Wald, G. (1950). Eye and camera. Scientific American, 183, 32-41.

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 Handout 5-A

My Decibel Ratings
______________________________________________________________________________
Level in
decibels (db) Common Sounds Threshold Levels Last 6 months Ever

140 50 hp siren at a distance of 100 ft Potential damage to ---------- ---------

Jet fighter taking off at 80 ft from auditory system ---------- ---------
plane

130 Boiler shop ---------- ---------

Air hammer at position of operator ---------- ---------

120 Rock band Human pain threshold ---------- ---------

Jet aircraft at 500 ft overhead ---------- ---------
Trumpet automobile horn at 3 ft. ---------- ---------

110 Crosscut saw at position of operator ---------- ---------

100 Inside subway car ---------- ---------

90 Train whistle at 500 ft. Hearing damage with

prolonged exposure ---------- ---------

80 automobile interior in city ---------- ---------

70 Downtown city street (Toronto) ---------- ---------

60 Average traffic ---------- ---------

Restaurant ---------- ---------

50 Business office ---------- ---------

Classroom ---------- ---------

40 Church ---------- ---------

Hospital room ---------- ---------

30 Quiet bedroom ---------- ---------

Recording studio ---------- ---------

20 Threshold of hearing (young men) ---------- ---------

10 Minimum threshold of hearing ---------- ---------

0 ---------- ---------

Source: Malley-Morrison & Yap, 2001.

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 Handout 5-B

A Visual Conversion Disorder Case

______________________________________________________________________________

Bryant and McConkey (1989) presented an interesting case study of DB, who was diagnosed as
having a “visual conversion disorder”—that is, he had a loss in visual functioning that could not
be explained by a physical disorder, was not under voluntary control, and was apparently
influenced by psychological factors.

DB was a 33-year-old, single, white male, employed in a clerical job, living with his parents, and
a regular outpatient at a major Veterans Affairs hospital in Sydney, Australia. His visual disorder
began when he was hit in the right eye with a rifle butt during military training, leading to a three-
week hospitalization. During this period, he reported pain and impaired vision in his right eye.
After receiving ophthalmologic assessment and treatment as an outpatient for three months
following discharge, DB reported that he could not see anything with his right eye, and that
whatever he did see, he forgot. He then received intensive opthalmological, neurological, and
neuropsychological assessments, which revealed no apparent physical basis for his visual
disorder.

For the purposes of their study, Bryant and McConkey informed DB that they were administering
a task that would assist in understanding his visual disorder. They did not tell him that the task
itself included a visual component. They tested DB on twenty-one sessions over a period of five
months. With his left eye covered, he was told that his task was to turn off a tone on a machine in
front of him by pressing one of three switches. In the experimental condition, visual cues were
present; in the control sessions they were not.

At the beginning of sessions 15-19, the researchers gave motivation instructions, informing DB
that he was not performing as well as could be expected and that unless his performance
improved, his participation in the study would end. Among the major findings of this
experimental case study were: a) DB made more correct responses when the visual cues were
present than when they were absent; b) DB made more correct responses when the motivation
instructions were given than when they were not; and c) DB responded more slowly when the
motivation instructions were given than when they were not. These findings indicated that the
performance of DB on the decision task was influenced by both the visual and the motivational
information. The authors concluded that their findings are consistent with the notion that the
motivational factors associated with DB’s visual disorder were flexible enough to allow him to
perform in a way that indicated virtually no disorder of visual functioning while at the same time
reporting that he had such a disorder.

Also of interest is the finding that DB responded more slowly when visual information was
present than when it was not—perhaps because the processing of the visual information forced a
choice of whether or not to press the correct switch. He also responded more slowly when he was
given motivation instructions than when he was not—perhaps because the motivating instructions
created a conflict in him: He wanted to continue to participate in the study by giving a correct
performance, but it conflicted with his need to be assured of his blindness.

Source: Malley-Morrison & Yap, 2001.

Instructor’s Manual to accompany Psychology: Frontiers and Applications, 6ce © 2017 McGraw-Hill Education
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 Handout 5-C

Structures of the Eye and Ear

______________________________________________________________________________

Structure of the Eye:

Pupil
Iris

Cornea Optic Nerve

Lens Retina

Fovea Blind Spot

Structure of the Ear:

Ear canal Ear drum

Hammer Anvil

Stirrup Oval window

Cochlea Auditory nerve

Pinna

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