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PSY101 - Khuc N. Toan, Psy.D.

SENSATION & PERCEPTION


The process of sensation and perception

Sensory receptors detect stimulus The brain organizes this input and
energies and convert them into neutral translates it into something
impulse, which are sent to the brain. meaningful
Sensation vs. Perception
Sensation is the stimulation of sense organs.
Sensation involves (1) absorption of energy
(e.g., light, sound waves) by sensory receptors
(e.g., eyes, ears) and (2) transmission of
sensory information to the central nervous
system.
Perception is the process of the selection,
organization and interpretation of sensory
input.
Absolute threshold
An absolute threshold
for a specific type of
sensory input is the
minimum stimulus
intensity that an
organism can detect
Absolute threshold is
defined as the intensity
level at which the
probability of detection
is 50%
Examples of absolute thresholds
Difference threshold

Difference threshold (Just noticeable difference -JND) is the


smallest difference in stimulus intensity that a specific sense
can detect.
Webers law: the size of a JND is a constant proportion (Weber
fraction) of the size of the initial stimulus
Standard of difference
- Light 2% of intensity
- Weight 2% of weight
- Sound one-third of 1% change in pitch (frequency)
-Taste 20% difference in saltiness
Signal-Detection Theory
The detection of stimuli involves the decision processes
as well as sensory processes, which are both influenced
by a variety of factors besides stimulus intensity.

Stimulus is Stimulus is
Present Absent
Response: Hit False Alarm
Present
Response: Miss Correct Rejection
Absent
Subliminal perception
Subliminal (i.e., below threshold) perception is the
registration of sensory input without consious
awareness.
Subliminal perception
Are there perceptions below threshold?
E.g., Jame Vicary (1957)s hidden message (eat
popcorn) in a film -> popcorn sales increased by 58%
Sensory Adaptation
A gradual decline in sensitivity to prolonged
stimulation
SENSE OF SIGHT: THE VISUAL SYSTEM
The stimulus: Light

Light is (the physical stimulus for vision) a spectrum of


electromagnetic radiation that travels as a wave, moving at the speed
of light.
Light waves vary in wavelength and amplitude; light that humans
normally see varies in its purity.
Wavelength = the distance between peaks; affects mainly the perception of color
Amplitude = the heigh of the light wave; affects mainly the perception of
brightness
Purity = mixtures of wavelength; influences the perception of saturation (i.e., the
relative amount of whiteness in color)
The Visible Spectrum

Human eyes can perceive only a very thin band of


electromagnetic waves, known as the visible spectrum
(400 700nanometers)
The Eye

Light enters through a narrow opening


Cornea transparent eye cover
Iris muscle; colored part of the eye
Pupil opening in the iris
Sensitive to light and emotion
8. The Eye

Light Sensitive Surface


Retina
Photoreceptors
Rods, Cones, Bipolar and ganglion cells

Optic Nerve
Axons of ganglion neurons form optic nerve
Conducts sensory input to brain (occipital lobe)
9. Rods and Cones

Cones
Most densely packed in center of retina (fovea)
Provide color vision, fine details
Rods
Provide vision in black and white
More sensitive to dim light than cones
10. Visual Acuity

Greatest in the fovea


Blind spot (demonstration/handouts)
Point in retina where ganglion cells converge
Nearsightedness, image in front of retina
Farsightedness-behind
Presbyopia
11. Light Adaptation

Dark adaptation: Process of adjusting to lower


lighting = the eyes become more sensitive to
the light in low illumination
Cones reach maximum adaptation in about 10
minutes
Rods continue to adapt up to 45 minutes
Light Adaptation: the process whereby the eyes
become less sensitive to light in high illumination
Process occurs within a minute or so
Perceptual Dimensions of Color

Afterimage
Persistent sensations of color are followed by
perception of the complementary color when the
first color is removed
12. Theories of Color

Trichromatic Theory
Three types of cones
Sensitive to red,
green, or blue
Opponent-Process Theory
Three types of color
receptors
Red-green, blue-
yellow, and light-
dark
13.Color Blindness

Trichromat
Normal color vision
Monochromat
Totally color blind
Dichromat
Partial color blindness
Discriminate between two colors (red & green, or blue &yellow)
More common in males (sex linked trait)
Plates from a Test for Color Blindness
1. Visual Perception

Process used to organize sensory impressions caused


by the light that strikes our eyes
Sensation is a mechanical process
Perception is an active process
Involves experience, expectations and motivations
1. Visual Perception

Process used to organize sensory impressions caused


by the light that strikes our eyes
Sensation is a mechanical process
Perception is an active process
Involves experience, expectations and motivations
Visual Perception

Process used to organize sensory impressions caused


by the light that strikes our eyes
Sensation is a mechanical process
Perception is an active process
Involves experience, expectations and motivations
How do we see things?
(Perception of forms, patterns, objects)
Feature analysis
(bottom-up processing)
is the process of
Beautiful
detecting specific
elements in visual input
attractive
and assembling them
into a more complex
form (i.e., start with
components)
How do we see things?
(Perception of forms, patterns, objects)
Top-down
processing =
The girl is
progression from the
whole to the
so bautiful
elements (i.e., start
with the whole) and
atractive
How do we see things?
(Perception of forms, patterns, objects)
Subjective contours =
the perception of
contours where none
actually exist.
Perceptual Organization

Figure Ground Perception


Ambiguous, unstable figures, we shift back & forth
Proximity
Elements that are close to one another tend to
be group together
Closure

Viewers tend to supply missing elements to


close or to complete a familiar figure
Similarity
Elements that are similar tend to be grouped
together
Simplicity

Viewers tend to organize elements in the


simplest way possible
Continuity
Viewer tend to see elements in ways that
produce smooth continuation
Perceiving depth/distance
Depth perception involves interpretation of
visual cues that indicate how near or far away
objects are.
Two type of visual cues that help people make
judgments of distance/depth: binocular vs.
monocular cues
Binocular depth cues are clues about distance
based on the different views of the two eyes
Monocular depth cues are clues about distance
based on the image in either eye alone
Binocular depth cues
Retinal disparity:
Objects within 25 feet
project images to slightly
different locations on the
right and left retinas, so
each eye sees a slightly
different view of the
object.
The closer the object, the
greater the disparity
between the images seen
by each eye.
Binocular depth cues

Convergence: The eyes are converging toward


each other as they focus on closer objects
Pictorial cues
Linear perspective:
Lines converge in the
distance
Pictorial cues

Texture
gradients:
Details getting
smaller as they
get further
Pictorial cues

Interposition: If an
object comes
between you and
another object, it
must be closer to
you
Pictorial cues

Relative size:
Closer objects
appear larger
Pictorial cues

High in plane:
Distant objects
appear higher
Pictorial cues

Monocular Cues
Perspective
Clearness
Overlapping
Shadows
Texture gradient
Motion parallax
Perception of Motion
(mini class discussion)

Visual perception of motion is based on change of


position relative to other objects
Illusions of movement
Stroboscopic motion (class discussion, how do we
know that a train moves?)
Perceptual Constancies

Acquired through experience; creates stability


Size Constancy (video)
Color Constancy
Brightness Constancy
Shape Constancy
Size Constancy

PLAY
VIDEO
Visual Illusions

Appearantly inexplicable discrepancy between the


appearance of a visual stimulus and its physical reality
Hering-Hemlholtz Illusion
Perceive drawing as three-dimensional
Mller-Lyer Illusion
Interpret length of lines based on experience
SENSE OF HEARING: THE AUDITORY SYSTEM
8. Sound

Sound waves require a medium; air or water


Sound waves compress and expand molecules of the
medium, creating vibrations
A single cycle of compression and expansion is one
wave of sound
Human ear is sensitive to sound waves with
frequencies of 20 to 20,000 cycles per second
9. Pitch and Loudness

Pitch
Frequency (# of cycles per second)
Expressed in hertz (Hz)
Pitch of womens voice is higher than mens
Loudness
Height (amplitude) of sound waves
Expressed in decibels (dB)
Sound Waves of Various Frequencies and
Amplitudes
Decibel Ratings of Familiar Sounds
10.The Ear

Shaped and structured to


capture sound waves,
vibrate in sympathy with them, and
transmit auditory information to the brain

Three parts: outer, middle & inner ear.


The Human Ear
11.Parts of the Ear

Outer Ear
Funnels sound waves to the eardrum
Middle Ear
Eardrum, hammer, anvil and stirrup
Acts as an amplifier
Oval window Round window-balances the
pressure
12. Parts of the Ear

Inner Ear
Cochlea (3 chambers-two membrane)
Basilar membrane
Organ of Corti- commend post- 25,000 hair cells
Auditory nerve- temporal lobes of cerebral cortex
13. Locating Sounds

Loudness and sequence in which sounds reach the ear


provide cues
May turn head to clarify information

Try at home: Virtual Barber Shop (requires


headphones to be appreciated fully).
Check it out at
http://youtube.com/watch?v=IUDTlvagjJA
14. Perception of Loudness and Pitch

Related to number of receptor neurons on the organ of


Corti
Sounds are perceived as louder when more sensory
neurons fire
15. Perception of Loudness and Pitch

Place theory
Pitch is sensed according to place that vibrates
Frequency theory
Pitch perceived on stimulation of impulses that
match the frequency of the sound
Both theories work together
16. Deafness

Conductive deafness
Damage to middle ear
Hearing aids can help
Sensorineural deafness
Damage to inner ear or auditory nerve
Cochlear implants may help with damage to inner
ear, but not auditory nerve
The Chemical Senses: Smell and Taste
Smell

Odors trigger receptor neurons in olfactory membrane


Odors are sample molecules of substances in the air
Sensory information about odors is sent to the brain
through the olfactory nerve
Odor contributes to flavor of foods
Smell: The Sense of Scents

Airborne chemical molecules enter the nose and


circulate through the nasal cavity.
Vapors can also enter through the mouth and pass into
nasal cavity.
Receptors on the roof of the nasal cavity detect these
molecules.
Olfactory System
Taste

Taste is sensed through taste cells


Receptor neurons on taste buds
Four primary taste qualities
Sweet, sour, salty and bitter
Umami (fifth basic taste) savory
Flavor of food depends on odor, texture, temperature
and taste
Individuals have taste sensitivities
Taste: Savoury Sensations
Papillae
Knoblike elevations on the tongue, containing the taste
buds (Singular: papilla).
Taste buds
Nests of taste-receptor cells.
Taste Buds
Photograph of tongue
surface (top),
magnified 75 times.
10,000 taste buds line
the tongue and mouth.
Taste receptors are
down inside the bud
Children have more
taste buds than adults.
Four Tastes

Four basic tastes


Salty, sour, bitter and sweet.
Different people have different tastes based
on:
Genetics
Culture
Learning
Food attractiveness
Sense of Touch: The Skin Senses
Touch and Pressure

Sensory receptors in skin fire when skin surface is


touched
Active touching
Some areas of the body are more sensitive
Nerve endings are more densely packed
More sensory cortex is devoted to perception of
sensations
Temperature

Receptors are located just beneath the skin


Skin temperature increases receptors for warmth
fire
Skin temperature decreases receptors for cold fire
Sensations for temperature are relative
Pain

Nociceptors in skin are stimulated


Pain is usually sharpest where nerve endings are
densely packed
Pain can be felt deep within body
No nerve endings for pain in the brain
Pain

Prostaglandins
Facilitate transmission of pain message
Heighten circulation to injured area (inflammation)
Pain-relieving drugs inhibit production of
prostaglandins
Emotional response and response to stress affect
degree of pain
Phantom Limb Pain

2 out of 3 combat veterans with amputated limbs


report phantom limb pain
May involve activation of nerves in the stump of
missing limb
May also involve reorganization of motor and
somatosensory cortex
Gate Theory of Pain

Nervous system can only process a limited amount of


stimulation
Rubbing the pained area competes for neural
attention
Closes the gate on pain messages to the brain
Acupuncture

Ancient Chinese method of pain control


Research shows it stimulates nerves to the
hypothalamus releasing endorphins
Endorphins are similar in structure and effect to
morphine
Kinesthesis and the
Vestibular Sense
Kinesthesis

Sense that informs you about the position and motion


of your body
Sensory information is sent to the brain from
sensory organs in joints, tendons and muscles
Vestibular System

Housed mainly in semicircular canals in your ears


Monitor your bodys motion and position in relation to
gravity
Beyond the Book
Video Connections: The Ames Room

Based on what you learn from the video about the


Ames Room, how do visual artists use illusions to
create a sense of depth in two-dimensional paintings?
The Ames Room

PLAY
VIDEO
Video Connections: The Ames Room

Have you ever been surprised at how large the moon


looks on the horizon, resting atop buildings or trees
in the distance? How do you explain why it looks
larger under these circumstances than when it is high
in the sky?

Can we rely on our past experience of rooms to make


sense of the Ames Room? Why or why not?
Virtual Reality

Perception of events that are fed directly into the sense


via electronic technology
Computer generated images used to overcome phobias
Cybersex

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