Sensation and Perception Overview

Sensory receptors are specialized neurons that respond to specific types of stimuli, allowing the detection of sensory information.

Transduction is the conversion of sensory stimulus energy into action potentials that can be processed by the nervous system.

The absolute threshold is the minimum amount of stimulus energy necessary for a stimulus to be detected 50% of the time.

<p>Perception can vary because individuals interpret stimuli based on their learning, memory, emotions, and expectations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Chronic pain can require users to position their body in a specific way to use a product comfortably.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Three additional sensory systems are the vestibular sense, proprioception, and nociception.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Sensations such as sights, sounds, and haptics can lead to discomfort or overstimulation in users who are hypersensitive.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Subliminal messages are stimuli presented below the absolute threshold for conscious awareness.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Emotions strongly influence our decisions by driving us towards choices that align with feelings such as joy or away from those that evoke fear.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Emotional awareness allows individuals to recognize their internal state, leading to better stress management and emotional regulation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Sensitivity can be quantified by stating that the most sensitive sensory cells in the eye can detect a candle flame 30 miles away.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Improved self-awareness enables individuals to tune into their emotions and respond more effectively to situations, influencing their decisions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Learning and memory shape how we interpret stimuli based on past experiences, influencing our individual perceptions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Sensation is a physical process of detecting stimuli, while perception is the psychological process of interpreting those sensations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Top-down processing involves interpreting sensory information based on our expectations and prior knowledge.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Sensory adaptation is the diminished sensitivity to a constant stimulus over time, resulting in the inability to perceive it.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Attention determines what stimuli we notice versus what we ignore, impacting our overall perception of the environment.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Inattentional blindness occurs when an individual fails to notice an unexpected stimulus while focused on a specific task.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Signal detection theory explains how we identify stimuli amidst background noise and distractions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Motivation can enhance our perception of certain stimuli, making us more likely to notice what we are eager to detect.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The 'carpentered world' refers to the perceptual context influenced by the prevalence of straight lines and right angles in Western cultures.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Cultural factors can shape how individuals perceive and interpret sensory information, like odors or visual stimuli.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Personality traits, such as being a thrill-seeker, can influence an individual's preferences for intense flavors.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>An individual's sensitivity to touch can be influenced by anatomical or neurological differences affecting sensory processing.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Engaging in activities can lead to sensory adaptation, causing individuals to become unaware of certain stimuli over time.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>One practical application is in air traffic control, where controllers must accurately detect planes among many signals on radar.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Contextual factors, such as cultural background, can significantly affect how individuals identify and rate the pleasantness of odors.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The absolute threshold is the minimum stimulus intensity required to excite sensory receptors and send nerve impulses to the brain.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Subliminal messages are not consciously perceived, while supraliminal messages are perceived but may still influence behavior outside of conscious awareness.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Mere exposure suggests that repeated exposure to a stimulus can result in a more positive attitude towards it, even without conscious awareness.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The just noticeable difference (jnd) is the minimum difference in stimulus intensity required to perceive a change between two stimuli.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Weber's Law states that the difference threshold is a constant fraction of the original stimulus, meaning larger stimuli require larger differences to be noticed.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>John Bargh's experiment demonstrated that participants exposed to elderly-related words walked slower, indicating that priming can influence behavior unconsciously.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Subliminal messaging is tested by presenting stimuli below the threshold of conscious awareness and measuring responses or preferences without participants knowing.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Mere exposure effects can happen subliminally because repeated, albeit unconscious, exposure can still shape attitudes positively.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Their studies showed that priming with stereotypes can significantly affect cognitive performance, raising questions about the effects of implicit cues.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Bottom-up processing involves building perceptions from sensory input, starting with raw data and constructing a final interpretation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Subliminal stimuli are below conscious awareness, whereas supraliminal stimuli are consciously perceived and may influence behavior.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Environmental context, like lighting conditions, can significantly impact whether a change in stimulus is noticed, as seen in the jnd concept.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Attitude formation is linked to mere exposure through the principle that repeated encounters with a stimulus enhance its favorability, often unconsciously.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Research indicates that while subliminal messages can be processed, their actual behavioral impact is minimal in real-world contexts.</p> Signup and view all the answers