Running head: SENSATION PERCEPTION AND ATTENTION PAPER

Sensation, Perception, and Attention Paper Psychology 300

SENSATION PERCEPTION AND ATTENTION PAPER

Abstract An open dialogue has been conducted among Learning Team A discussing each team members threshold for auditory stimuli. It was interesting to find how each individual handled themselves in different situations. The experiences and comfort levels are different for each, some could divide their attention between their conscious and subconscious and others needed complete concentration to focus. Sensory perception is based on the each individual there is no right or wrong answer, what appears to one as noise may not appear to the other as the same. The way individuals adapt to certain situations is remarkable as well. The benefit of online classes allows each person to adapt to his or her own environment. While still adapting to working online and mostly in written communication we are also able to keep the current environment at home so that we are allowed the proper concentration levels individually.

SENSATION PERCEPTION AND ATTENTION PAPER

Sensation Perception and Attention Paper Through examination of a six-person team in an online class it was determined how each person is affected by sound. To accomplish this each team member listed how he or she felt when functioning in a situation in which auditory stimuli are present. Discussion will show how sound effects attention in the learning process, comforts levels of dichotic listening, and the perception of sound in relation to the individual responses. Concluding with rules and recommendations of how the team should handle team meetings in consideration of these feelings toward sound. Proposed by psychologist Fechner, sensation is proportional to the logarithm of the stimulus intensity (Bunn, G (2010). In discussing the sensation of auditory stimuli it is interesting to find how each individual style dictates to the way each teammate can concentrate. The following is a description of each persons expression of this stimulus. Beginning with Dominique auditory stimuli hampered the ability to concentrate. When put in this situation, whether it was conversation or any other outside noise, Dominique found it difficult to concentrate without changing the circumstances. Kathryn also expressed the inability to concentrate in a noisy environment. The outside noise is often confusing as Kathryn suffers from deafness in her right ear, this seems to add to the inability to filter noise and accept what is truly going on around her. Sarah expressed the opposite in the ability to accept auditory stimuli in differing settings. When studying, music is a pleasant way to create a productive environment. Sarah also expressed a need to have outside sounds in most settings, such as sleeping with the TV on and finds it difficult to adapt to silence. While Debra refers to a need for silence, she associates it with her handicap. Debra describes the need for silence to completely understand and concentrate. The need for outside

SENSATION PERCEPTION AND ATTENTION PAPER noise or additional auditory stimuli is apparent in Judys description. Whether it is a school setting, a personal setting the need for music or a movie playing when studying fosters learning for Judy. It is definite that some type of outside sound is important to concentration for Judy. Scot is a person who likes subtle background noise. Stating that the low constant tone is nice when studying or merely relaxing, but loud sounds like dogs barking, horns, and babies crying

offer annoyance and distraction. Overall, noise does affect every team members attention span. Attention is the process of focusing consciousness on a limited range of experience (Kowalski & Westen, 2009, p. 291). Dividing attention facilitates or impedes each team members learning because the mind can only focus on one primary idea at a time. When a team members focus is divided between two things, one thing is the primary focus and the second goes to the subconscious. Even though the second focus is going to the subconscious, some information is still retained, though it is not as much information as the primary focus. Scientists figured this out by doing a test called dichotic listening. One way researchers study divided attention is through dichotic listening tasks, in which participants are fitted with earphones and different information is simultaneously presented to the left and right ears Participants can be instructed to attend only to the information from one ear by repeating aloud what they hear in that ear, a procedure called shadowing (Kowalski & Westen, 2009, p. 292). Very few people can divide their attention evenly between two topics and retain information from both. A summary of Kants thoughts on attention explains this well, by applying the mind to attention, one not only becomes inattentive to other things, rather, since such inattention is effective precisely in what is attended to(Gasch, R., 2008). All though the mind can adapt to this, it still retains more information when there is only one main focus.

SENSATION PERCEPTION AND ATTENTION PAPER

Perception is the related process by which the brain selects, organizes, and interprets sensation (Kowalski & Westen, 2009, p. 101). Several participants enjoyed and even required background noise such as music or a movie, while several preferred quiet. The degree in which each team member perceives noise is the degree to which he or she tolerates. For example, a noisy construction site may be just that to a housewife trying to put her baby to sleep for an afternoon nap. While the very same construction site may be the sweet sound of money to a real estate developer looking to make a large amount of money in later sales. To the housewife the construction site is only noise while the job supervisor depends on the noise to understand everything going on without watching every square foot of the jobsite. Hearing is much like vision. There is no direct connection from the outside world to the inside receptors of the human brain but there are many stops along the way (Kowalski & Westin, 2009). As the example demonstrates while noise is processed in the brain, the stops receive the noise in many ways depending on where an individuals attention is focused. As with the participants of the above survey, some require background, or white noise while others need silence. Some indicated the need for silence when sleeping while others require background noise. This given team A now has a better understanding of what each person can do to foster a better learning during the team meeting. An online class allows students flexibility in more ways than just to work at your own pace. In team learning everything is construed as visual by what is read from each team member, sometimes this causes major disruptions in progress on projects. This particular learning team environment takes some adaptation from the traditional classroom setting. The need for immediate response or reaction is completely removed because we are each working on our own time. The benefit of this environment is that we can each accommodate ourselves in the

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desired settings at home so that our senses, perceptions, and attention levels are exactly where they need to be for us to retain the information and apply it properly. Dominique, Deborah, and Kathryn should continue their activities in quiet settings because that is when they are able to focus. Sarah, Judy, and Scot should continue with their music as background noise, which will allow them to continue to focus on their current task and not be distracted by other simple noises. In order for all team members to learn and teach effectively he or she needs to provide the best environments necessary because each learning style is critical. If each member follows the above recommendations the ability to retain and process the class material properly while re-laying information on and learning from the other members of the team, regardless of the communication style can be accomplished. The definitions of perception, attention, and sensation are fairly simple. The way in which each individual can interpret these processes are quite different. Half of team A needs background music to have focused attention while the other half prefers the quiet to be attentive. Similar, noise affects each members learning and the comfort levels of listening and retention processes. The goal is for each member of the team to have the surrounding environment best for him or her to learn in while, conducting team meetings, projects, and other team activities.

SENSATION PERCEPTION AND ATTENTION PAPER

Reference

Bunn, G. (2010). The experimental psychologist's fallacy. Psychologist, 23(12), 964-967. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Gasch, R. (2008). On seeing away: Attention and abstraction in Kant. CR: The New Centennial Review, 8(3), 1. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/232005794?accountid=35812 Kowalski, R., & Westen, D. (2009). Psychology (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc.