Psychology Chapter on Sensation

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Questions and Answers

Which principle of perceptual organization explains why we group objects that are alike in color?

Closure

Good continuation

Similarity (correct)

Proximity

What is an example of a monocular cue for depth perception?

Linear perspective (correct)

Retinal disparity

Convergence

Binocular summation

Which type of apparent motion is demonstrated by watching a movie?

Induced movement

Autokinetic effect

Continuous motion

Stroboscopic movement (correct)

What term describes the phenomenon where we perceive a stationary object moving as a result of background movement?

Induced movement Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a form of extra-sensory perception (ESP)?

Peripheral vision Signup and view all the answers

What role does the cochlea play in the inner ear?

It converts sound waves into nerve impulses. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a major characteristic of anosmia?

It primarily affects taste sensation Signup and view all the answers

What are the four primary tastes detected by taste buds?

Sweet, bitter, salty, sour Signup and view all the answers

What type of sensory receptors are responsible for detecting touch?

Sensory cells located in various skin layers Signup and view all the answers

Which sense is responsible for detecting body movement and posture?

Kinesthetic sense Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the vestibular sense?

Detecting balance and body position Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following factors does NOT influence perception?

Color of the stimulus Signup and view all the answers

What is subliminal perception?

Perception of a stimulus below the conscious awareness threshold Signup and view all the answers

What is the minimum amount of energy required to activate a sense organ known as?

Absolute threshold Signup and view all the answers

Which part of the eye is responsible for focusing light onto the retina?

Lens Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of rods in the eye?

Black-and-white vision and night vision Signup and view all the answers

Which component of the ear is responsible for amplifying sound vibrations?

Ossicles Signup and view all the answers

What is referred to as the area in the retina where vision is sharpest?

Fovea Signup and view all the answers

What happens during sensory adaptation?

Decreased response to constant stimulus over time Signup and view all the answers

What type of stimuli are sound waves considered?

Mechanical vibrations Signup and view all the answers

Which part of the eye contains photoreceptors responsible for color vision?

Retina Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Sensation

The process of detecting information from the external world through the sense organs.
Any form of energy or event that activates a sense organ is known as a stimulus.
Absolute Threshold: Minimum energy required to activate a sense organ. Stimuli below this threshold are not detected.
Differential Threshold: Smallest difference in stimulation needed to detect a change in stimulus intensity.
Sensory Adaptation: Decreased sensitivity to a constant stimulus over time.

Visual Sense (Sight)

The ability to detect light and interpret visual stimuli using the eyes.
Stimulus: Light, with wavelengths between 400-700 nm visible to humans.
Parts of the Eye:
- Cornea: Transparent outer membrane that helps focus light.
- Aqueous humor: Fluid between the cornea and the lens.
- Pupil: Opening in the iris that regulates light entering the eye.
- Iris: Colored part of the eye that controls pupil size.
- Lens: Focuses light onto the retina by changing shape.
- Retina: Light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye containing photoreceptors (rods and cones)
- Rods: Photoreceptors responsible for night vision and black-and-white vision.
- Cones: Photoreceptors responsible for color vision and daylight vision.
- Fovea: Center of the retina where vision is sharpest.
- Blind spot: Area where the optic nerve leaves the eye (no photoreceptors).

Auditory Sense (Hearing)

Ability to detect sound waves through the ear and interpret auditory information.
Stimulus: Sound waves, changes in atmospheric pressure causing air molecules to vibrate.
Parts of the Ear:
- Outer Ear: Consists of the pinna, auditory canal, and eardrum (tympanic membrane).
- Middle Ear: Contains three ossicles (hammer, anvil, stirrup) that amplify sound vibrations.
- Inner Ear: Includes the cochlea (fluid-filled structure converting sound waves into nerve impulses) and the organ of Corti (contains hair cells that detect sound).

Olfactory Sense (Smell)

Detects airborne chemicals (odors) through receptors in the nasal passages.
Stimulus: Airborne chemicals binding to receptors in the olfactory epithelium.
Olfactory epithelium: Layer of tissue in the nasal cavity containing smell receptors.
Basic odors: Fragrant, fruity, spicy, putrid, resinous, and burned.
Anosmia: Inability to perceive smells, often caused by drug reactions or illness.

Gustatory Sense (Taste)

Detects dissolved substances (taste) through receptors on the tongue.
Stimulus: Substances dissolved in saliva stimulating taste buds.
Taste Buds: Sensory receptors located in the papillae of the tongue.
Four primary tastes: Sweet, sour, bitter, salty.

Somesthetic Sense (Skin Senses)

Detects touch, temperature, and pain through receptors in the skin.
Receptors: Sensory cells located in different layers of the skin.
Touch: Detects pressure and vibration.
Temperature: Detects warmth and cold.
Pain: Alerts the body to potential harm or injury.
Gate-control theory: Explains how the brain can regulate pain perception by opening or closing neural "gates."

Kinesthetic Sense

Detects body movement, posture, and orientation through receptors in muscles, joints, and tendons.

Vestibular Sense

Detects balance, body position, and motion.
Receptors: Located in the semicircular canals and vestibular sacs of the inner ear. Detects changes in body position and motion (e.g., tilting, moving).

Perception

The brain's process of interpreting sensory information to give it meaning.
Subliminal Perception: Perception of a stimulus below the conscious awareness threshold.
Factors Influencing Perception:
- Stimulus conditions: Size, intensity, movement, repetition, and contrast of a stimulus.
- Personal factors: Motivation, values, and interest.

Gestalt Psychology Principles

Proximity: Objects close to each other are perceived as a unit.
Similarity: Similar objects are grouped together.
Good Continuation: We tend to perceive smooth, continuous lines.
Closure: We mentally fill in gaps to perceive a complete figure.

Perception of Distance

Binocular cues: Use both eyes to perceive depth and distance (e.g., retinal disparity, convergence).
Monocular cues: Use one eye to perceive depth (e.g., linear perspective, relative size, overlap, texture gradient, atmospheric perspective).

Perception of Movement

Real motion: Actual movement of an object.
Apparent motion:
- Stroboscopic movement: Seen in movies through rapid successions of still images.
- Autokinetic effect: A stationary light appears to move in darkness.
- Induced movement: Stationary object appears to move when the background moves.

Visual Illusions

Misinterpretations of visual stimuli, leading to false perceptions.
Examples: Muller-Lyer illusion, Poggendorf illusion.

Extra-Sensory Perception (ESP)

Perception without the use of normal sensory processes.
- Telepathy: Transfer of thoughts between individuals.
- Precognition: Perceiving events before they occur.
- Clairvoyance: Gaining information about distant objects or events.
- Psychokinesis: Moving objects without physical contact.
- Astral projection: An out-of-body experience where consciousness separates from the body and travels.

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Description

Explore the fundamentals of sensation, including the processes involved in detecting stimuli and the characteristics of visual perception. This quiz covers essential terms such as absolute threshold, differential threshold, and sensory adaptation, along with the anatomy of the eye.