Intro to Psych Sensation and Perception

Senses (Overview)

The senses are the human brain’s connection to the outside world

Sensory Receptor (Overview)

Designed to receive specific types of stimuli

Sensation (Overview)

The stimulation of sensor receptors and the transmission of sensory information to the central nervous system (the spinal cord and brain)

Perception (Overview)

Psychological process through which we interpret sensory stimulation

Absolute Threshold (Overview)

The weakest amount of a stimulus experience

Difference Threshold (Overview)

The minimum of difference you can detect between 2 stimuli. For example, when all lights are out, and turned back on, compared to if one or two lights are on.

Signal-Detection Theory (Overview)

A method of distinguishing sensory stimuli that takes into account not only their strengths but also such elements as the setting, your physical state, your mood, your attitudes and motivation. Ex: mind wandering in class but still hearing the lecture

Sensory Adaption (Overview)

The process by which we become more sensitive to weak stimuli and less sensitive to unchanging stimuli. Ex: city dwellers are more accustomed to loud sounds 

What can light be broken down into? (Vision)

A prism

What is the longest wavelength? (Vision)

Red

What is the shortest wavelength? (Vision)

Violet

How does the eye determine the amount of light to let in? (Vision)

By the size of the pupil

What happens to the pupil in bright light? (Vision)

Goes smaller because the light doesn't need as much light 

What happens to the pupil in dim lighting (Vision)

It gets bigger because the eye has to account for the lack of light 

How do our eyes convey interest in another person? (Vision)

They dilate

What happens to the lens in our eyes when light enters the eye? (Vision)

It adjusts to the distance of objects by changing its thickness

What happens to the lens in our eyes when we squint (Vision)

They are adjusting the thickness of the lenses in their eyes 

What does the retina do? (Vision)

It's a sensitive surface in the eye that acts like the film in a camera. Captures light and sends signals to the brain allowing us to see

What carries images from our eyes to our occipital lobe? (Vision)

Nerve (optic nerve)

What happens with a blindspot? (Vision)

Lacks photoreceptors

Which type of photoreceptor helps us adjust the brightness of light? (Vision)

Rods photoreceptors

What do cone photoreceptors do? (Vision)

Provides color vision

What is dark adaption? (Vision)

Adjustment to lower lighting

What is visual acuity? (Vision)

The sharpness of vision

What does it mean if someone is farsighted? Which group of people is most likely to be farsighted? (Vision)

Farsighted people cannot see objects close up. 

How do we perceive other colors besides blue, green, and red? (Vision)

When more than one colors are stimulated at the same time

What is an afterimage? (Vision)

The visual sensation that occurs after the original stimulus has been removed 

What is color blindness? (Vision)

Due to absence of, or malfunction in the cones

What is the most common type of color blindness? (Vision)

Red green color blindness

What are vibrations called? (Hearing)

Cycle or sound waves

What is pitch? (Hearing)

How high or low the sound is

Why are women voices higher in pitch? (Hearing)

Shorter vocal cords

What is loudness and how is it measured? (Hearing)

The height or amplitude of sound waves

What does the eardrum do when sound strikes it? (Hearing)

Vibrates

Where does sound go after the eardrum? (Hearing)

3 bones in the middle ear (anvil, stirrup, the hammer)

What is the cochlea? Where is it located? (Hearing)

A tube that contains the fluids as well as neurons that move in response to the vibrations of fluids 

How does sound move from the inner ear to the brain (Hearing)

Using the auditory nerves

How do we locate the source of sounds? (Hearing)

Using the information of vision and other cues

How many Americans are deaf (Hearing)

2 million Americans

What are the three main causes of hearing loss? (Hearing)

Disease, injury or old age

What is conductive hearing loss? (Hearing)

Damage to the middle ear, and prevents people from hearing sounds that aren't loud enough

How can conductive hearing loss be helped? (Hearing)

Hearing aids

What is sensorineural deafness? (Hearing)

Deafeness that results from damage to the auditory nerve. Neurons in the cochlea are destroyed

How can sensorineural deafness be helped? (Hearing)

Cochlear implants, or artificial ears but if the auditory nerve is damaged then it cannot help. 

What are the four basic taste qualities? (Taste)

Sweet, sour, bitter, salty

Why do old people experience changes in taste? (Taste)

They lose their sense of smell, which impacts their taste 

How do we sense taste? (Taste)

Through receptor neurons on the taste buds on the tongue 

What happens when you burn your tongue? (Taste)

Kills taste cells, but they usually reproduce in a week

Why do dogs have a better sense of smell? (Smell)

They use 7x of their cerebral cortex for smell

What other sense is smell tied to? (Smell)

Taste

Where are our smell receptors located? (Smell)

Smell sends information to the olfactory nerve 

What is olfactory nerve? (Smell)

The nerve that transmits information about odors from olfactory receptors to the brain

How do realtors use smell to sell houses? (Smell)

Smell is associated with memories

What are the three touch sensations we experience? (Touch)

Pressure, temperature, pain

How does the hair on our body interact with our sensation of touch? (Touch)

Sensory receptors on the roots of the hair fire when the skin is touched 

Where are our temperature receptors located? (Touch)

Below the skin

How is pain adaptive (Touch)

It motivates you to stop

Why are some areas of the body more sensitive to touch than others? (Touch)

Some areas of the body are more sensitive than others because they have more pain receptors

How do we perceive pain? Describe the pathway of pain. (Touch)

It originates from the point of contact, sends the message to the spinal cord and thalamus then its projected to the cerebral cortex