Open Stax Psychology 2e LN05 PDF

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OpenStax Psychology Chapter 5 Sensation and Perception Study Guide

5.1 Sensation versus Perception

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Sensation is based on a system of sensory receptor neurons that respond to varied types of stimuli. o A sensation occurs when sensory information is detected by these sensory receptors. Relaying messages across cells, sensory stimulus energy converts to what’s called an action potential; a process is known as transduction. o However, this does not mean all senses are detected. In order for the stimulus energy to be sensed, it must cross the absolute threshold, which is the minimum required stimulus energy needed to be detected. Perception: Although our sensory receptors continually pick up bits of information, it is how we interpret and perceive such information that affects how we view things regarding. In doing so, these bits of information are organized accordingly.

Perceptions encompass two types of information processing.   

Bottom-up processing refers to a specific concept or idea and branching out. Perceptions encompass two types of information processing. Top-down processing utilizes general, broad ideas that are further specified. Despite our constant take in of perceived stimuli, constant awareness is not maintained. This is due to sensory adaptation in that we lose perception over constantly present stimuli. For example, think about a meeting a friend at a coffee shop. You arrive early and hear the music of the store playing. When your friend arrives and you both start a conversation, you lose focus on the music and all you hear is your friend talking. This of course can also be due to the shift or lack in focus or attention, which can demonstrate inattentional blindness.

Questions: SENSATION 1. Briefly explain how we sense things in the environment 2. What is an example of what absolute threshold refers to? PERCEPTION 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

What does perception refer to? What is the difference between sensation and perception? What is the difference between bottom-up and top-down processes? Give an example of each. Why don’t all sensations result in perception? What are other factors that affect perception? i. How does attention affect our perception? ii. Describe the concept of innatentional blindness iii. Briefly describe one study that showed evidence for innatentional blindness

5.2 Waves and Wavelengths So it is evident that we constantly perceive stimuli but how are the stimuli actually presented? Both visual and auditory stimuli occur in the form of waves, which are composed of two physical characteristics.

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Amplitude is the height of the wave measured from the highest to lowest and is typically associated with loudness or volume. The wavelength refers to the length of a wave from the peak to the trough. ○ The frequency in these wavelengths describes the number of waves passed. All sounds possess a timbre, or quality that distinguishes it from others, making each sound truly unique despite similarities in amplitude or wavelength frequency.

Questions: i. Why do you think is important to know the characteristics of waves? ii. How is this related to sensation and perception? A. LIGHT WAVES iii. How much can humans see from the electromagnetic spectrum and what is it called? iv. In humans, what are light wavelengths associated with? B. SOUND WAVES v. How do we perceive sounds? vi. How is the loudness of sound measured and how loud can we withstand without leading to hearing damage?

5.3 Vision Despite sharing waves, visual processing works a rather differently. To construct a mental representation, the visual system must take into account color, depth, light, shape, and much more. The eyes play the most vital role and are the major sensory organs involved in visual perception. ● ● ● ● ●

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Light waves transmit across the cornea, the covering of the eye, into a small opening where light passes known as the pupil. The size of the pupil’s opening is controlled by muscles connected to the colored portion of the eyes known as the iris. Passing the pupil, light crosses the lens , a transparent structure for focus, hitting the back of the eyes. Here, the retina containing the fovea utilizes light detecting photoreceptors (rods and cones) to perceive color and light. Images then exit the back of the eye through the optic nerve that carries visual information to the brain. The two optic nerves from each eye cross at a point known as the optic chiasm, which shares images received from each eye respectively. However, life is not monochromatic or 2D in that we utilize a series of color and distanced based cues to determine both coloring and depth of the images we perceive.

Questions: ANATOMY OF THE VISUAL SYSTEM 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Briefly explain how light waves are transmitted thought the various parts of the eye What are the differences between rods and cones? Why do we have a blind spot? What is the role of the optic chiasm in transferring visual information into the brain? What do the “where/how” and “what” pathways refer to?

COLOR AND DEPTH PERCEPTION 6. Compare and contrast the theories of color vision and give evidence for each one of them 7. Explain what depth perception is and why you think it is important to have 8. What types of cues do we use to perceive depth?

5.4 Hearing Sound can be mainly perceived through the ears. Our auditory systems convert waves into actual sounds. ● ● ● ●

Waves enter the ear from the outer structure of the ear called the pinna. Through the auditory canal, waves eventually hit the eardrum. Tiny bones known as ossicles lead waves into the snail-shaped cochlea where pitch is perceived through tiny hair cells along the basiliar membrane. Much like vision, various proximal and frequency cues are utilized to determine volume and distance of the sound and its source.

Questions: 1. Using the terms to refer to the various parts of the auditory system, explain how sound waves are converted into information 2. Compare and contrast the theories that explain pitch perception 3. Why is it important to be able to localize sounds? 4. What type of cues do we use to localize sound? 5. What is deafness and what are the different types of hearing loss disorders?

5.5 The Other Senses

Senses of gustation (taste) and olfaction (smell) are deemed chemical senses due to their reaction to molecules to the food and air we intake. Because tastes and smells are heavily connected and utilized in tandem, there is a pronounced interaction between our chemical senses. ● ● ● ●

Food molecules are consumed and dissolved in our saliva and broken down and received through taste receptors called taste buds. Taste buds pick up tastes such as sweet or savory and transfer taste information to the brain, specifically the medulla, thalamus, and limbic systems. Smell is perceived within our olfactory receptors located in the mucous membrane at the top of our nose. Scents are caught by small hair-like extensions and are sent to the olfactory bulb, a structure in the frontal lobe.

Throughout the skin, a number of receptors are present to respond to touch based stimuli.

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The Meissner’s corpuscle responds to pressure and lower frequency vibrations while the Pacinian corpuscle responds to higher. The Merkel’s disks respond to light pressure while Ruffini corpuscles detect stretch. Because these all encompass a series of nerve endings to serve in sensory perception, pain is something commonly associated with this area.

Having discussed how we take in stimuli begs the question on how exactly is what we take in organized.

Questions: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

What are the different basic groupings of taste? How does our sense of taste perceive foods and beverages? What is an interesting fact about our taste buds? How are the smell receptors called and where are they found? How does an odor molecule gets converted into meaningful information for the brain to process? Why are pheromones important? List the different types of skin receptors and the type of stimuli they respond to Why do you think we have different types of skin receptors? What is congenital analgesia and what is another name for it? Where is the vestibular sense and what is its function? What is proprioception? What does kinesthesia refer to?

5.6 Gestalt Principles of Perception

A series of principles described by Max Wertheimer, known as Gestalt psychology, describes the form and patterns used in perception. ● ● ● ●

The main ideology behind Gestalt principle involves the figure-ground relationship, the tendency to segment what’s visually perceived into figure and ground, being shape and background respectively. The principle of proximity describes how things that are close tend to be grouped together. The principle of similarity describes how things, which are similar, tend to be grouped together. The principles move into form and movement with the law of continuity, things in a continuous alignment, and closure, thing in a complete shape rather than scattered.

Questions: 1. What does gestalt psychology studies? 2. Who founded gestalt psychology? 3. Compare and contrast the gestalt psychology principles and give examples of each....