Sensation and Perception Overview
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Questions and Answers

What is the difference between sensation and perception?

Sensation is the physical processing of environmental stimuli by the sense organs, while perception is the psychological process of interpretation of sensory information.

What is psychophysics?

Methods that measure the relationship between the strength of a stimulus and the observer's sensitivity to that stimulus.

What is an absolute threshold?

The minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time.

What is Just Noticeable Difference (or JND)?

<p>The minimum difference between two stimuli needed to detect a difference between them 50% of the time.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is signal detection theory?

<p>A theory that suggests that response to a stimulus depends not only on a person's sensitivity but also on their decision criteria.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between top-down and bottom-up processing?

<p>Top-down processing is influenced by expectations or prior knowledge, while bottom-up processing occurs when we perceive individual bits of sensory information.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is sensory adaptation?

<p>Diminished sensitivity as a result of constant or recurring stimuli.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is selective attention?

<p>Focus on a particular task or event.</p> Signup and view all the answers

How is light projected on the eye's retina?

<p>When light passes through the cornea and lens, it is bent and projects an upside down and backwards image on the retina.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the two types of photoreceptors in the eye?

<p>Cones and rods.</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does the retina work?

<p>Photoreceptors transform light into a neural signal, ganglion cells gather information from photoreceptors, and messages are sent to the brain via the optic nerve.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the two theories about color vision?

<p>Trichromatic color theory and opponent process theory.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the visual projection pathway inside the brain?

<p>Signal travels down the optic nerve to the brain, passes through the thalamus, and is sent to the primary visual cortex.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the two processes streams of visual information after the primary visual cortex?

<p>Dorsal ('Where pathway') and Ventral ('What pathway').</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are monocular depth cues?

<p>Aspects of a scene that yield information about depth when viewed with only one eye.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are binocular depth cues?

<p>Clues about distance based on the differing views of the two eyes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is multimodal perception?

<p>The effect that concurrent stimulation in more than one modality has on perception.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the McGurk effect?

<p>A perceptual phenomenon that demonstrates an interaction between hearing and vision in speech perception.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between point of objective equality and point of subjective equality?

<p>POE is the point at which the comparison stimulus value physically equals the value of the standard stimulus, while PSE is the point at which they are perceived to be equal.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Sensation and Perception

  • Sensation involves the physical processing of environmental stimuli through the sense organs, while perception involves interpreting these sensory inputs psychologically.

Psychophysics

  • Psychophysics measures the relationship between stimulus strength and observer sensitivity, determining thresholds of perception.

Absolute Threshold

  • The absolute threshold is the minimal stimulation required to detect a stimulus 50% of the time.

Just Noticeable Difference (JND)

  • JND refers to the smallest difference between two stimuli that can be detected 50% of the time, influenced by the intensity of the original stimulus.

Signal Detection Theory

  • This theory proposes that response to a stimulus is influenced by both sensory sensitivity and decision criteria, which include experience, expectations, motivation, fatigue, and potential consequences.

Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up Processing

  • Top-down processing uses expectations and prior knowledge to influence perception, while bottom-up processing constructs perception from individual sensory bits.

Sensory Adaptation

  • Sensory adaptation leads to diminished sensitivity due to constant exposure to the same stimuli.

Selective Attention

  • Selective attention focuses on specific tasks, potentially causing inattentional blindness (missing objects not in focus) and change blindness (failure to notice changes in visual scenes).

Light Projection on the Retina

  • Light is bent by the cornea and lens, projecting an upside-down and reverse image onto the retina.

Photoreceptors in the Eye

  • Two main types of photoreceptors:
    • Cones (6 million, located centrally) detect color and fine detail.
    • Rods (120 million, located peripherally) are sensitive in low light but do not detect color.

Retina Function

  • Photoreceptors transform light into neural signals (transduction), and ganglion cells process this information before sending it to the brain via the optic nerve.

Color Vision Theories

  • Trichromatic color theory suggests three types of cones sensitive to different light wavelengths but does not explain negative afterimages.
  • Opponent process theory proposes color perception in opposing pairs and explains rebound effects when particular colors are no longer perceived.

Visual Projection Pathway

  • Visual signals travel through the optic nerve to the brain, passing through the thalamus and arriving at the Primary Visual Cortex.

Streams of Visual Information

  • After the Primary Visual Cortex, visual information is processed through:
    • Dorsal stream ("Where pathway") for spatial awareness.
    • Ventral stream ("What pathway") focused on object and face recognition, with conditions like visual agnosia and prosopagnosia affecting recognition.

Monocular Depth Cues

  • Monocular depth cues provide depth information using one eye, including aspects such as relative height, size, linear perspective, interposition, light, and shadow.

Binocular Depth Cues

  • Binocular depth cues involve retinal disparity, allowing distance estimation from differing views of the two eyes.

Multimodal Perception

  • Multimodal perception relates to how simultaneous activation of multiple senses influences the perception of events and objects.

McGurk Effect

  • The McGurk effect illustrates the interaction of visual and auditory stimuli in speech perception, creating an illusory perception of a different sound when mismatched visual and auditory inputs are combined.

Points of Objective Equality vs. Subjective Equality

  • Point of Objective Equality (POE) is the moment when a comparison stimulus physically matches a standard stimulus, whereas Point of Subjective Equality (PSE) occurs when a comparison stimulus is perceived as equal to a standard stimulus.

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Description

Explore the fundamental concepts of sensation and perception, including psychophysics and the absolute threshold. Understand the just noticeable difference (JND) and the signal detection theory, alongside the distinctions between top-down and bottom-up processing. This quiz will help reinforce essential psychological principles related to how we process sensory information.

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