Module 21: The Other Senses

Odor molecules

________ trigger combinations of receptors, in patterns that the olfactory cortex interprets.

semicircular canals

The ________ and the vestibular sacs contain fluid that moves when your head rotates or tilts.

Sensory interaction

________: the principle that one sense may influence another.

psychological science

Embodied cognition: in ________, the influence of bodily sensations, gestures, and other states on cognitive preferences and judgments.

Kinesthesia

________: the system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts.

receptor cells

The ________ send messages to the brains olfactory bulb, then to the temporal lobe, and to parts of the limbic system.

psychological elements

Pain treatments often combine physical and ________, including placebos and distractions.

Pain

________ reflects bottom- up sensations (such as input from nociceptors) and top- down processes (such as experience, attention, and culture)

Physical warmth

________ promotes social warmth.

Individual pain sensitivity

________ varies, too, depending on genes, physiology, experience, attention, and surrounding culture.

21-1

How do we sense touch

ex

some spots are more sensitive to pressure, others to warmth, others to cold, still others to pain

21-2

How can we best understand and control pain

gate-control theory

theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological "gate" that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain

ex

distracted from pain, natural endorphins

ex

people who cant feel pain, phantom limb sensations

21-3

How do we experience taste and smell

21-4

How do we sense our bodys position and movement

kinesthesia

the system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts

ex

stand with your right heel in front of your left toes

vestibular sense

the sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance

21-5

How do our senses interact

sensory interaction

the principle that one sense may influence another

ex

smell + texture + taste = flavor

embodied cognition

in psychological science, the influence of bodily sensations, gestures, and other states on cognitive preferences and judgments

ex

After holding a warm drink rather than a cold one, people are more likely to rate someone more warmly, feel closer to them, and behave more generously