16 Questions
What is the primary objective of sensation?
To detect an external stimulus
What is the term for the minimum amount of stimulation required for a sensory organ to detect a stimulus?
Absolute threshold
According to Table 2.1, what is the approximate distance at which a streetlight can be seen on a clear and dark night?
10 kilometres
What is the term for the process of combining current sensory information with prior knowledge to make judgments and choose behaviors?
Top-down processing
What is the principle that relates to our ability to detect the difference between two stimuli of different intensities?
Differential threshold
How do sensation and perception work together?
They work together to allow us to experience the world
What is the term for the process of detecting an external stimulus?
Signal detection
What influences how we interpret sensations?
All of the above
What is the primary function of our sensory systems?
To explore and respond to stimuli in our environments
What is the result of the stimulation of sensory organs?
Sensation
What do our sensory receptors constantly collect from the environment?
Environmental stimuli
What is the process of organising and interpreting sensory information called?
Perception
What type of processing involves the fact that perceptions are built from sensory input?
Bottom-up processing
What is the relationship between people and their environment?
People are continually in constant interaction with the environment
What is the outcome of the process of sensation and perception?
A unique experience of the world around us
What is the role of the mind in the process of sensation and perception?
The mind is bombarded with information
Study Notes
Introduction to Sensation and Perception
- People are constantly interacting with their environment, which influences their behavior and understanding of the world.
- Our sensory systems allow us to explore, understand, and respond to various stimuli in our environment, giving each of us a unique experience.
Defining Sensation and Perception
- Sensation is the awareness resulting from the stimulation of sensory organs (e.g., eyes, ears), and is a function of low-level, biochemical, and neurological mechanisms.
- Perception is the organization, interpretation, and conscious experience of sensory information.
- Perception involves both bottom-up processing (building from sensory input) and top-down processing (influenced by available knowledge, experiences, and thoughts).
Goals and Principles
- The goal of sensation is detection, while the goal of perception is to create useful information about the environment.
- Sensation and perception work together to allow us to experience the world through our senses and combine current learning with prior knowledge.
- The absolute threshold is the minimum amount of stimulation required to detect a stimulus, and varies for each sense.
- The differential threshold (or just noticeable difference) is the ability to detect the difference between two stimuli of different intensities, and changes depending on the stimulus intensity.
Examples of Absolute Thresholds
- Vision: a streetlight seen 10 kilometers away on a dark and clear night.
- Hearing: the ticking of a watch heard from six meters in absolute silence.
- Taste: one teaspoon of sugar in eight liters of water.
- Smell: one drop of perfume in a three-bedroom house.
- Touch: the wing of a bee falling on your back from a height of one centimeter.
Learn about the process of sensation and perception, the five senses and their functions, perceptual grouping, and types of waves and wavelengths.
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