Psychology Chapter on Sensory Perception

Absolute Threshold

• Minimum amount of a stimulus that can be detected
• Measured in parts per billion (ppb) for odors
• Varies based on individual factors (age, health, attention, fatigue) and environmental surroundings

Sensory Perception

• Pressure Sensitivity: The lightest touch felt on the skin, akin to a feather brushing the arm
• Vibration Sensitivity: The lightest vibration felt on the skin, typically around 1 Hz, detectable on fingertips
• Pain Threshold: The minimum intensity of a painful stimulus, like a pinprick

Sensory Adaptation

• The process of becoming accustomed to a certain level of stimulation
• Consumers become desensitized to repetitive ads, requiring advertisers to change campaigns frequently
• Experiential marketing: Engaging consumers with brands through sensory experiences (e.g., IKEA sleepover, Marriott VR tours)

Differential Threshold

• The ability to detect changes or differences between two stimuli.
• Also known as Just Noticeable Difference (JND).
• Improvements below the JND are undetectable, while improvements at or above the JND are noticeable.
• Marketers should keep product changes below the JND to avoid detection (e.g., decreasing product size) or above the JND to make changes apparent (e.g., updated packaging).

Logos and Packaging

• Updating logos or packaging should be within the JND to maintain instant recognition.
• Changes exceeding the JND can confuse consumers (e.g., Coca-Cola's snow-white cans).

Stages of Perception

• Perceptual Selection: Consumers are selective when exposed to stimuli, choosing what to pay attention to.
• Perceptual Organization: Organizing sensory inputs into unified wholes.
• Perceptual Interpretation: Interpreting meaning from sensory information.

Perceptual Selection

• Factors that influence selection:
  • Previous Experience: Expectations based on familiarity.
  • Consumer Motivation: Increased awareness of things relevant to needs and interests.
• Perceptual Defense: Subconsciously screening out psychologically threatening stimuli.
  • Combatting Perceptual Defense: Varying and increasing sensory input (e.g., warning labels).

Perceptual Organization

• Figure and Ground: Interrelationship between stimulus (figure) and its surrounding environment (ground). Contrast helps stimuli stand out.
• Grouping: Instinctive tendency to group stimuli into unified wholes.
  • Implications for product placement (e.g., pickles near burgers).
• Closure: Completing incomplete images or messages.
  • Consumers fill in missing information to make sense of stimuli.

Perceptual Interpretation

• First Impressions: Tend to be lasting, requiring careful advertising of new products.
• Halo Effect: Prestigious image of one product transferring to others under the same brand name.
  • Examples: Apple products, Nike athletic wear.

Stereotype Triggers

• Appearance: Clothing, posture, facial expressions, grooming can influence perceptions.
• Language: Using gendered language can reinforce stereotypes (e.g., "bossy" vs. "assertive").
• Experience: Initial encounters can shape judgments, even if inaccurate.
• Association: Celebrity endorsements can influence perceptions of product quality.

Explore the concepts of absolute threshold, sensory perception, and adaptation in this quiz. Learn how individuals detect stimuli and how sensory experiences affect consumer behavior. Discover how various factors influence our perception and adaptation to stimuli.