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WEEK 7 Sensation and Perception
WEEK 7 Sensation and Perception
WEEK 7 Sensation and Perception
AND PERCEPTION
Chapter 5
Sensation vs. Perception
Sensation
The experience of sensory
stimulation
Perception
Absolute threshold
The minimum amount
of energy that can be
detected 50% of the
time
Absolute Thresholds
Taste: 1 gram (.0356 ounce) of table salt in
500 liters (529 quarts) of water
Smell: 1 drop of perfume diffused throughout
a three-room apartment
Touch: the wing of a bee falling on your cheek
Weber’s Law
States that the difference
threshold is a constant
proportion of the specific
stimulus
Senses vary in their sensitivity
to changes in stimulation
Subliminal Perception
The notion that we may respond to
stimuli that are below our level of
awareness
Research shows that the effect only
Red
Green
Blue-violet
Experience of color is the result of mixing of
Yellow-blue
Red-green
Black-white
Members of each pair work in opposition
Can explain color afterimages
Pinna
Sound
Sound waves
Changes in pressure
caused by molecules of
air moving
Frequency
Number of cycles per
second in a wave,
measured in Hertz (Hz)
Frequency determines
pitch
Sound
Amplitude
Magnitude (height) of
sound wave
Determines loudness,
measured in decibels
(dB)
Overtones
Multiples of the basic
tone
Timbre
Quality of texture of
sound
The Ear
Eardrum
Middle ear
Contains three small
bones; the hammer, anvil,
and stirrup
These bones relay and
amplify the incoming
sound waves
The Ear
Oval window
Membrane between
middle ear and inner ear
Cochlea
Part of inner ear
containing fluid that
vibrates
This causes the basilar
membrane to vibrate
The Ear
Basilar membrane
Membrane in the cochlea
which contains receptor
cells, called hair cells
Auditory nerve
Connection from ear to
brain
Provides information to
both sides of brain
Theories of Hearing
Place theory
Pitch is determined by location of vibration along the
basilar membrane
Frequency theory
Pitch is determined by frequency hair cells produce
action potentials
Volley Principle
Pattern of sequential firing determines pitch
Hearing Disorders
About 28 million people have some form of
hearing damage in the U.S.
Can be caused by
Injury
Infections
Explosions
Long-term exposure to loud noises
Smell
Detecting common odors
Odorant binding protein is
released and attached to
incoming molecules
These molecules then activate
receptors in the olfactory
epithelium
Axons from those receptors
project directly to the olfactory
bulb
Smell
Women have a better sense of smell than men
Anosmia
Complete loss of the ability to smell
Smell
Pheromones
Used by animals as a form of communication
Provides information about identity
Also provides information about sexual receptivity
Pheromones stimulate the vomeronasal organ (VNO)
Information from the VNO is sent to a special part of
the olfactory bulb used for pheromonal
communication
Taste
Four basic tastes
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Recent discovery of fifth taste
Umami
Taste
Receptor cells are
located in taste buds
Taste buds are located in
papillae on the tongue
Chemicals dissolve in
saliva and activate
receptors
The Skin Senses
Skin is the largest sense organ
There are receptors for pressure, temperature, and
pain
Touch appears to be important not just as a source
of information, but as a way to bond with others
Pain
Serves as a warning about injury or other problem
Large individual differences in pain perception
Gate control theory
Neurological “gate” in spinal cord which controls
transmission of pain to brain
Pain
Biopsychosocial theory
Holds that pain involves not just physical stimulus, but
psychological and social factors as well
Placebo effect
Shows that when a person believes a medication reduces
pain, their pain is often reduced even though no medication
was given
Pain relief is likely the result of endorphin release
Pain
Alternative approaches
Hypnosis
Self-hypnosis
Accupuncture
THE OTHER SENSES
Kinesthetic Senses
Kinesthetic senses provide information about speed
and direction of movement
Stretch receptors sense muscle stretch and contraction
Golgi tendon organs sense movement of tendons
Vestibular Senses
Vestibular senses provide information about
equilibrium and body position
Fluid moves in two vestibular sacs
Vestibular organs are also responsible for motion
sickness
Motion sickness may be caused by discrepancies
between visual information and vestibular
sensation
PERCEPTION
Extrasensory Perception
Refers to extraordinary perception such as
Clairvoyance – awareness of an unknown
object or event
Telepathy – knowledge of someone else’s
thoughts or feelings
Precognition – foreknowledge of future
events
Research has been unable to conclusively
Other
principles of
organization
Proximity
Similarity
Closure
Continuity
Perceptual Organization
Perceptual Constancy
Our tendency to perceive
objects as stable and
unchanging despite
changing sensory
information
Size constancy
Shape constancy
Brightness constancy
Color constancy
Perception of Distance and Depth
Monocular cues – those
that require only one eye
Aerial perspective
Texture gradient
Linear perspective
Motion parallax
Superposition
Perception of Distance and Depth
Hyperopia
- visual farsightedness, which is caused by a
shortened eyeball.
Dark Adaptation
Color blindness
- the inability to distinguish between certain colors,
most often red and green.
Illusory contours
- the perception of nonexistent contours as if they
were the edges of real objects.
Binocular cues
- depth perception cues that require input from the 2
eyes.
Monocular cues
- depth perception cues that require input from only
1 eye.
Individual Differences and Culture in Perception
Motivation
Our desires or needs shape our current perceptions
Values
Expectations
Cognitive Style
Experience and Culture
Personality