Psychology: Sensation and Perception

Study Notes

Sensation

The detection of physical energy by our sense organs, which relay the information to the brain.
This process transforms the signal into an electrical, neuronal signal.
Sensory receptors are specialized neurons that detect various physical events.
Sensory transduction converts sensory events into changes in the cells' membrane potentials.
Receptor potentials are the electrical charges generated during transduction.

Perception

Refers to the way sensory information is organized, interpreted, and consciously experienced.

Vision

The stimulus is light, which consists of electromagnetic radiation, similar to radio waves but of a different frequency and wavelength.
Light travels at a constant speed of approximately 300,000 kilometers (186,000) per second.
Color can vary in three perceptual dimensions: hue, brightness, and saturation.
Hue refers to the dominant wavelength.
Brightness refers to intensity.
Saturation refers to the relative purity of light that is being perceived.

Anatomy of the Human Eye

Orbits are the bony pockets in front of the skull that house the eyes.
The sclera is the white outer coat of the eye.
The retina is the neural tissue and photoreceptive cells located on the inner surface of the posterior portion of the eye.
Vitreous humor is a clear gelatinous substance that fills the space between the lens and the retina.
The conjunctiva are mucous membranes that line the eyelid and fold back to attach to the eye.
The pupil is an opening in the iris, the pigmented ring of muscles situated behind the cornea.
The lens is situated immediately behind the iris and consists of a series of transparent, onion-like layers.
Accommodation refers to changes in the thickness of the lens of the eye, accomplished by the ciliary muscle, which focuses images of near or distant objects on the retina.
Rods are receptor cells of the retina sensitive to light of low intensity.
Cones are receptor cells of the retina, maximally sensitive to one of three different wavelengths of light, encoding for color vision.
Photoreceptors are receptor cells of the retina that transduce photic energy into electrical potentials.
The fovea is the region of the retina that mediates the most acute vision.
The optic disk is the location of the exit point from the retina of the fibers of the ganglion cells that form the optic nerve, responsible for the blind spot.

Audition

The stimulus is sound, which travels as waves.
Pitch corresponds to the fundamental frequency of sound waves, measured in Hertz (cycles per second).
Loudness corresponds to the intensity of sound waves.
Timbre corresponds to the complexity of sound waves.

Anatomy of the Ear

The external ear consists of the tympanic membrane (eardrum).
The middle ear consists of three ossicles (small bones): the malleus (hammer), the incus (anvil), and the stapes (stirrup).
The inner ear consists of the cochlea, a snail-shaped structure that contains auditory transducing mechanisms.
The oval window is an opening in the bone surrounding the cochlea that transmits sound vibrations into the fluid within the cochlea.
The organ of Corti is the sensory organ on the basilar membrane that contains the auditory hair cells.
Hair cells are the receptive cells of the auditory apparatus.
Deiters's cells are supporting cells found in the organ of Corti, sustaining the auditory hair cells.
The basilar membrane is a membrane in the cochlea that contains the organ of Corti.
The tectorial membrane is a membrane located above the basilar membrane, serving as a shelf against which the cilia of the auditory hair cells move.

Somatosenses

Provide information about what is happening on the surface of the body and within muscles, tendons, and joints.

Description

This quiz explores the concepts of sensation and perception, focusing on how our sense organs detect stimuli and how that information is interpreted by the brain. It covers sensory transduction, receptor potentials, and the characteristics of vision, including light and color perception.