Intro to Sensation

sensation

the brain receives input from the sensory organs

the senses: vision, hearing, taste, smell, touch, + movement

perception

the brain makes sense out of the input from sensory organs

involves selecting, organizing, and interpreting sensations

transduction

the translation of external stimuli into a neural message

bottom-up processing

WHAT AM I SEEING?

• taking sensory info. and then assembling + integrating it

top-down processing

IS THAT SOMETHING I’VE SEEN BEFORE?

• using models, ideas, and expectations to interpret sensory info.

absolute threshhold

the minimum level of stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time

the smallest amount of a stimulus at which your senses can notice something

difference threshhold

the minimum difference between 2 stimuli required for detection 50% of the time.

also called “Just Noticeable Difference” (JND)

smallest change in volume that a person could sense

weber’s law

states the size of the JND is proportional to the intensity of the stimulus

if the stimulus is high…

JND will be larger

will need a bigger change to notice a difference

if the stimulus is low…

JND will be smaller

will take less of a change to notice difference

subliminal threshold

when stimuli are below the absolute threshold for conscious awareness

True

T/F: subliminal advertising is not effective

signal detection theory

our ability or likelihood to detect some stimulus is affected by the intensity of the stimulus AND your physical + psychological state

True

T/F: our threshold are NOT absolute (they change)

sensory adaption

diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation

• you get used to something and notice it/think about it less overtime

selective attention

the process of directing our awareness to relevant stimuli while ignoring irrelevant stimuli in an environment

enables us to focus on what’s important

inattentional blindness

failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere

• EX) gorilla + monkey in the middle

change blindness

a type of inattentional blindness

occurs when we fail to detect changes in visual scenes, especially when the changes happen gradually or during a brief interruption

cocktail party effect

the ability to focus your hearing on one specific thing, even though noise is all around

focusing on a single conversation while filtering out background noise in a crowded environment