Sensation

1
Sensation Perception
Sensation stimulation of sensory
receptors. Transmission of sensory information to
brain. Perception Process by which sensations
are organized and interpreted, forming an inner
representation of the world. Fechners
Psychophysics (1860)
2
Sensation Perception

• Internet Listening General Fun
• Radio Lab (www.wnyc.org)
• Season Two Musical Language, Where Am I?
• http//www.girlsgotech.org/mixed_messages.html
• http//www2.b3ta.com/clickthecolour/
• Learning Objectives
• Vision Taction
• Audition Vestibular
• Olfaction Kinesthesis
• Gustation

3
Psychophysics

• Gustav Fechner
• Elements of Psychophysics 1860
• Considered by many as the true birth of
  Psychology as a science.
• Psychophysics gap between the physical and
  psychological worlds.

4
Sensation Perception

• Sensation
• stimulation of sensory receptors.
• transmission of sensory information to the brain.
• Perception
• Process by which sensations are organized and
  interpreted, forming an inner representation of
  the world.

5
Overview of the Senses

• Physical Energy Senses
• Vision / Audition / Taction
• Chemical Senses
• Gustation / Olfaction
• Motion-Gravity Senses

6
Vision
Sensing and perceiving light waves Lightwaves
vary in length and amplitude Wave length
affects color perception Wave amplitude affects
brightness Light is the source of all
color. Additive (light) vs. Subtractive (pigment)
7
Vision

• (L)ROY G BIV(S)
• So what colors are missing?

8
Structures of the Eye

• Cornea allows light in
• Iris muscle
• Pupil controls amount of light
• Lens focuses light
• Retina receives information about light

9
Retina

• Inner membrane of eye, receives information about
  light using rods cones.
• Functions much like the spinal cord acts as an
  information superhighway.

10
Rods

• 125 million, rod shaped receptors
• sensitive only to intensity of light
• important for night (very sensitive), and
  peripheral vision (many are located on periphery
  of retina).

11
Cones

• 6.5 million, cone shaped receptors.
• transmits sensation of colors.
• mostly located around the center of the eye
  (fovea).
• Important in daylight and color vision.
• Dont work well in dim light.

12
Fovea

• Located near the center of the retina.
• most dense with cones and some rods.
• Vision is most acute,
• where you bring images into focus.
• Fovea means pit

13
Optic Nerve

• Transmits sensory information from eye to brain
  (Occipital lobe of cerebral cortex).
• Converting physical energy into meaningful
  information for the brain.
• Critical Thinking Challenge

14
Theories of Color Vision

• Trichromatic Theory
• Afterimage (a problem)
• Opponent-Process Theory
• Trichromat (normal color vision)
• Color Blindness
• Dichromat, Monochromat

15
Visual Perception

• Gestalt Psychologists
• Wertheimer, Kohler, Koffka
• Gestalt rules
• Top-Down Processing
• Bottom-Up Processing

16
Perception of Movement

• Illusions (misperceptions)
• Autokinetic Effect
• Stroboscopic Motion
• Phi-Phenomenon

17
Some Fun Phenomenon

• Attention Cocktail Party Effect
• Stroop Effect
• GREEN / RED

18
3 PARTS OF THE EAR 3 PARTS OF THE EAR 3 PARTS OF THE EAR
PART FUNCTION STRUCTURE(S)
OUTER FUNNELS sound waves Pinnas or Auricles
MIDDLE AMPLIFIES sound waves Eardrum, hammer, anvil, stirrup
INNER TRANSLATES information for brain Cochlea, Basilar Membrane, Organ of Corti, AUDITORY NERVE
19
Hearing Problems

• Conductive Deafness
• Loss of conduction
• Middle ear
• Sensorineural Deafness
• Damage to hair cells
• inner ear

20
Chemical Senses

• Olfaction
• Sampling odor molecules
• Crucial contribution to gustation
• Gustation
• 4 Primary taste qualities
• 10,000 taste buds

21
Taction

• Touch and Pressure
• Temperature
• Pain
• Prostaglandins, Bradykinnin, Substance P
• Gate Theory

22

• Kinesthesis motion
• (kinesis motion, aisthesisperception)
• Vestibular Sense inner ear
• Position relative to gravity.
• Sense of equilibrium.
• ESP Is it sensory info?
• File-Drawer Problem
• Déjà vu Jamias vu