16 Questions
The sense of touch is mediated by the eye.
False
The five main sensory modalities are vision, audition, touch, taste, and balance.
False
The absolute threshold is the maximum level of stimulation required for a person to detect a sensation.
False
The sense of hearing is facilitated by the eye.
False
The sense of smell is the special sense through which sounds are perceived.
False
The five basic taste qualities are sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and spicy.
False
Sensation is the process by which our sensory receptors transform physical energy into electrical signals that can be interpreted by the brain.
True
The sense of vision is mediated by the ear.
False
Subliminal stimulation occurs when a stimulus is presented above the absolute threshold.
False
The difference threshold is the largest change in a stimulus that can be detected by the senses.
False
Signal detection theory examines how well a person can ignore signals and focus on noise.
False
Sensory adaptation leads to increased sensitivity to all stimuli.
False
Desensitization is the process by which organisms become more sensitive to stimuli.
False
Habituation is a process that leads to increased sensitivity to stimuli.
False
Sensitization is the process by which the nervous system becomes less responsive to stimuli.
False
The absolute and difference thresholds remain constant and do not change due to sensory adaptation.
False
Study Notes
Sensation and Perception
- Sensation is the immediate and basic awareness of sensory stimuli, involving the process of transforming physical energy into electrical signals that can be interpreted by the brain.
The Five Main Sensory Modalities
- Vision: mediated by the eye, which converts light into electrical signals, allowing us to perceive color, depth, and fine details.
- Hearing: facilitated by the ear, which detects a wide range of sound frequencies and intensities, and converts sound waves into neural impulses.
- Touch: mediated by a network of specialized receptors in the skin, detecting pressure, temperature, and texture, allowing us to explore and interact with our physical environment.
- Taste: facilitated by the taste buds on the tongue, detecting the five basic taste qualities: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami.
- Smell: the special sense through which smells (or odors) are perceived, detecting desirable foods, hazards, and pheromones, and playing a role in taste.
Thresholds
- Absolute Threshold: the minimum level of stimulation required for a person to detect a sensation, representing the point where a stimulus becomes noticeable.
- Subliminal Stimulation: occurs when a stimulus is presented below the absolute threshold, meaning the person is not consciously aware of it, but it can still impact their behavior and perception.
- Difference Threshold: the smallest change in a stimulus that can be detected by the senses, representing the limit of our ability to perceive differences in sensory inputs, and varying depending on the sensory modality and specific task.
Signal Detection Theory
- Examines how well a person can detect and distinguish between signals and noise, involving the interaction of physical, biological, and psychological factors.
- Sensitivity: examines how well a person can detect and distinguish between signals and noise.
- Decision Criteria: looks at how people set decision criteria to determine whether a stimulus is present or not.
- Optimal Detection: seeks to find the optimal balance between hits, misses, false alarms, and correct rejections.
Sensory Adaptation
- Sensory Adaptation: the process by which organisms become more sensitive to stimuli that are low in magnitude and less sensitive to stimuli that are constant or ongoing in magnitude.
- Desensitization: repeated exposure to a stimulus leads to a reduced response over time.
- Threshold Changes: the absolute and difference thresholds can shift due to sensory adaptation, affecting our ability to detect and distinguish stimuli.
- Habituation: the absolute and difference thresholds can shift due to sensory adaptation, affecting our ability to detect and distinguish stimuli.
- Sensitization: the nervous system can also become more responsive to stimuli over time, leading to an increased response.
Explore the fascinating world of sensation and perception, and discover how our senses gather information and our brains process it to create our understanding of the world.
Make Your Own Quizzes and Flashcards
Convert your notes into interactive study material.
Get started for free
