10 Questions
What is the main difference between sensation and perception?
Sensation refers to the raw data of experience, while perception refers to organized experience.
What is the absolute threshold, and how does it relate to our senses?
The absolute threshold is the weakest amount of a stimulus required to produce a sensation, and it varies from person to person and from one sense to another.
What is signal detection theory, and how does it apply to our everyday lives?
Signal detection theory refers to our ability to focus on one particular stimulus and ignore the flood of information entering our senses, and it helps us to selectively attend to certain stimuli, like a friend's conversation in a noisy party.
Why do we respond more strongly to changes in stimulation rather than to constant stimulation?
Our senses are more responsive to increases and decreases in stimulation rather than to constant stimulation, because changes in stimulation are more likely to be relevant to our survival and well-being.
How do our thresholds for sensation compare to those of other animals?
Our thresholds for sensation are different from those of other animals, and even from each other, which is why some animals have more sensitive senses, like a bloodhound's sense of smell or a hawk's sense of sight.
What is the absolute threshold of a sense, and what does it mark?
The absolute threshold of a sense is the minimum amount of sensory stimulation that can be detected 50% of the time, and it marks the difference between not being able to perceive a stimulus and being just barely able to perceive it.
What is the range of sound frequencies that humans can hear?
Humans can hear sounds down to 20 Hertz (vibrations) per second and up to 20,000 hertz.
What is an example of a sound that is beyond human awareness?
Dog whistles, which have frequencies between 40,000 to 50,000 hertz, are beyond human awareness but can be heard by dogs.
What is the minimum amount of visual stimulation that can be detected 50% of the time?
A candle flame 30 miles away on a clear night.
What is the minimum amount of tactile stimulation that can be detected 50% of the time?
A bee's wing falling a distance of 1 centimeter onto the cheek.
Study Notes
Sensation: Studying the Gateways of Experience
- Sensation refers to the raw data of experience, while perception refers to organized experience, and cognition refers to knowing.
- Through their senses, humans perceive the world around them.
Absolute Thresholds
- Absolute threshold is the weakest amount of a stimulus required to produce a sensation.
- The difference threshold is the minimum amount of distinction a person can detect between two stimuli.
- Senses are most responsive to increases and decreases, rather than unchanging stimulation.
Examples of Absolute Thresholds
- Humans don't notice radio waves, x-rays, or microscopic parasites crawling on their skin.
- Humans don't sense all the odors around them or taste every individual spice in their food.
- Absolute thresholds differ from one person to another and from animal to animal.
Signal Detection Theory
- This refers to the attempt to focus on one particular stimulus and ignore the flood of information entering our senses.
- Example: focusing on a friend's conversation at a party while trying to ignore the surrounding noises.
Investigating Absolute Thresholds
- Investigated by sensory psychology.
- The absolute threshold of a sense marks the difference between not being able to perceive a stimulus and being just barely able to perceive it.
Measuring Absolute Thresholds
- The dimmest light that can be perceived in the darkness.
- Absolute thresholds define the sensory worlds of humans and animals.
- Examples of absolute thresholds:
- Vision: a candle flame 30 miles away on a clear night.
- Hearing: a watch ticking 20 feet away.
- Taste: 1 teaspoon of sugar dissolved in 2 gallons of water.
- Smell: a single drop of perfume in a three-room house.
- Touch: a bee's wing falling a distance of 1 centimeter onto the cheek.
Range of Human Sensation
- Humans can hear sounds down to 20 Hertz (vibrations) per second and up to 20,000 hertz.
- This range is practical because if the ears could sense tones below 20 hertz, one would hear the movements of their muscles.
- Dogs, bats, and cats can hear sounds well above 20,000 hertz, such as dog whistles (40,000 to 50,000 hertz).
This quiz covers the basics of sensation and perception in psychology, including the process of obtaining information about external reality through our senses, the absolute threshold, and the distinction between sensation and perception.
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