NP4 Fundamentals of Sensory Processing

Modality (chemical sense): Olfaction (Smell). What are the 7 submodalities?

1. Camphor

2. Musk

3. Floral

4. Peppermint

5. Ethereal

6. Pungent

7. Putrid

Modality (chemical sense): Gustation (taste). What are the 5 modalities?

1. Bitter

2. Sour

3. Salty

4. Sweet

5. Umami

General Concepts of Sensation

NP4 ppt, slide 4

Constantly bombarded by a variety of stimuli. But:

Nervous system tends to filter out information that is not relevant to us at a given time.

Sensory information:

Is transmitted to the cerebral cortex

Most signals are:

Filtered and do not reach our consciousness.

If the cortex believes that the information is relevant:

Then the information reaches consciousness and becomes a sensation.

Sensation

Physical feeling

The individual will interpret the significance of the sensation, and this becomes the:

Perception

Perception

Mental impression. This is a way of regarding, understanding, or interpreting the sensation.

Perception can vary. A given person can respond to the same stimulus in different ways:

Depending on the state of body and the environment.

Sensation: The sensory information is:

Identical

Perception: The sensory information can be:

Different

Sensory Systems: Receptors detect sensory stimuli.

NP4 ppt, slide 6