Sensation and Perception

what is memory?

memory refers to the processes that are used to encode, store, retain and later retrieve information

why do we need sensation and perception?

play crucial a crucial role in retrieving memories and forming memories

what is sensation?

it is the initial detection and processing of stimuli

what are the five senses, their stimuli type and sensory organ?

sight - electromagnetic radiation sensed by the eye

hearing - sound waves from the ear

smell - chemical energy from the nose

taste - chemical energy from tongue

touch - mechanical and thermal from skin

three steps of sensation

reception - stimulation of sensory receptor cells by energy

transduction - transforming this stimulation into neural impulses

transmission - deleivering the neural info to the brain for processing

difference between bottom up processing and top down processing in sensation

bottom up is taking sensory info and assembling and integrating it while top down is using models, ideas and expectations to intepret sensory info. what am i seeing vs something ive seen before?

what is perception?

the intepretation of the stimuli to give it meaning, it is a psychological process

what are the steps of perception?

selection - filtering and selection of important info by the brain

organistion - groupung the selected features of stimuli into a whole or pattern

intepretation - the brain uses past experiances and knowledge to give meaning to stimulus

factors influencing perception

attention - our perception is influenced by our ability to attend to certain stimuli while filtering others out selectively

past experiences - this shapes our perception of the world around us. lead stimuli differently to others

culture - different cultures have unique values, norms and beliefs that shape our perceptions

thinking process - believe people thinking processes are influenced by beliefs, backrounds, even language

why do we have sensation and perception? (reason 1)

information intake - sensation is the process of receiving info while perception is organising and intepreting the info. before a memory can form wwe need to perceive and make sense of what we receive

why do we have sensation and perception? (reason 2)

memory encoding - sensory info is initially encoded into STM before potentially being tranferred to LTM how we perceive and intepret stimuli can affect how its encoded

why do we have sensation and perception? (reason 3)

memory retrieval cues - memories are often stored with asscociations to sensory experiences. sensory cues can trigger retrieval and perception can serve as a powerful cue in recalling past events

why do we have sensation and perception? (reason 4)

memory consolidation - sensory experiences can aid in memory consolidation, the process by which memories become stable in the brain. re experiencing sensory elements related to a memory can strengthen neural connections, making it easier to recall