Sensation and Perception

Stimulus

anything that influences organisms

sensation

detection of envrionmental stimuli by sense organs and the conversion to electrochemical energy; unconscious and automatic

sensory organs

specialised organs containing sensory receptors

sensory receptors

specialised cells in body that detect sensory info

what are the three main steps of sensation?

reception, transduction, transmission

reception

detection of sensory info

transduction

changing sensory info into electrochemical energy

transmission

movement of electrochemical energy from sensory receptors to brain

perception

mental representation brain creates using sensory info; it elicits varying responses from people due to differing contexts

what are the three main steps of perception?

selection, organisation, interpretation

selection

important info are selected for processing

organisation

selected info is categorised

interpretation

meaning assigned to