STUDENT OUTLINE AP PSYCH - Ch 5-6 Sensation and Perception I.

Sensation & Perception

Objective: Explain the role of top-down processing in producing vulnerability to illusion.

a. sensation: b. bottom-up processing: c. psychophysics:

perception: top-down processing:

Objective: Discuss basic principles of absolute threshold, signal detection, difference threshold, & sensory adaptation d. Absolute Threshold: e. Signal Detection Theory: f. Subliminal Stimulation i. Can we sense stimuli below our absolute thresholds? ii. Can we be affected by stimuli too weak for us ever to notice? iii. Can advertisers manipulate us w/subliminal persuasion? 1. priming:

g. Difference Threshold also called Just Noticeable Difference (jnd): Objective: Identify the major historical figures (Earnst Weber, Gustav Fechner): i. Webers Law: two stimuli must differ by a constant ___________ 1. Gustav Fechner came up with formulas for Webers Law (now called Fechners Law or Weber-Fechner Law) a. lights must differ in brightness by ___% b. objects must differ in weight by ___% c. tones must differ in frequency by ____% h. Sensory Adaptation: i. Examples in the classroom: ii. Our eyes are constantly moving so that the retinal stimulation constantly changes 1. If eyes were stable, images would begin to _____________ 1

II.

Vision

stimulus input =

Objective: Discuss basic principle of sensory transduction i. transduction:

j. electromagnetic spectrum: short gamma rays to visible light to long radio waves; visible light is only part of this spectrum k. wavelength or frequency determines a lights ___________ l. amplitude or intensity determines a lights ___________ m. The Eye: Objective: Describe vision including the specific nature of energy transduction, relevant anatomical structures and specialized pathways in the brain cornea lens makes accommodations to focus the light pupil iris retina: 1. rods and cones 2. blind spot 3. fovea vi. bipolar cells vii. ganglion cells converge to form the optic nerve viii. Acuity: Objective: Explain common sensory disorders (e.g., visual impairments) 1. nearsightedness vs. farsightedness: i. ii. iii. iv. v.

n. Visual Information Processing

Objective: Identify major historical figures (David Hubel & Torsten Wiesel):

i. feature detectors & Hubel & Weisels experiments ii. parallel processing iii. The color we see is the color the object rejects. iv. colorblindness: usu. males: lack functioning of _____ or _____ sensitive cones v. Young-Helmholtz Trichromatic Theory 1. Note: when red, blue, and green cones are all stimulated we perceive vi. Opponent-Process Theory & afterimages vii. color constancy 2

III.

Audition

stimulus input =

o. wavelength or frequency determines a sounds ___________ p. amplitude or intensity determines a sounds ___________ q. decibels IV. The Ear
Objective: Describe the process of hearing including the specific nature of energy transduction, relevant anatomical structures and specialized pathways in the brain

r. outer ear: auditory canal to the______________, a tight membrane that vibrates s. middle ear: t. inner ear: i. cochlea ii. oval window iii. basilar membrane iv. auditory nerve v. auditory cortex V. How do we Perceive Pitch? u. Place Theory: the pitch we hear depends on i. High frequency waves stimulate places closer to the beginning of the basilar membrane which leads to a high pitch. ii. Best explains how we perceive ______ pitched sounds v. Frequency Theory: the pitch we hear depends on i. sound wave of 100 waves/second = neural impulses of 100 pulses/second ii. Best explains how we perceive _____ pitched sounds iii. Butneurons cant fire faster than 1000 x/second so frequency theory has a problem explaining high pitched sounds. To address this problem, researchers came up with Volley Theory

VI.

Sound Location w. Two ears are better than one; three-dimensional hearing Hearing Loss and Deaf Culture
Objective: Explain common sensory disorders (e.g., hearing impairments)

VII.

x. conduction hearing loss y. sensorineural hearing loss (nerve deafness) & cochlear implants 3

Objective: Describe processes (e.g., touch, taste, smell, vestibular, kinesthesis, pain), including the specific nature of energy transduction, relevant anatomical structures and specialized pathways in the brain for each of the senses:

VIII.

The Other Senses: note: our brains give sight and hearing cortical priority z. Touch i. a mixture of pressure, warmth, cold, and pain; only ______ has specific receptors ii. premature babies gain weight faster when touched iii. Pain 1. 2. 3. 4. has survival value a property not only of the senses but also of the brain (ex: phantom limb) no one type of stimulus triggers pain no special receptors for pain

5. Gate Control Theory of Pain: 6. Pain Control: a. psychological nature of pain (distraction, fire walking) b. Lamaze includes relaxation, counter stimulation, distraction

aa. Taste i. a chemical sense ii. 200+ taste buds 1. Each bud has 50 taste receptor cells; reproduce every 1-2 weeks 2. some respond to sweet, others to salty, sour, bitter, or umami 3. as we age, # taste buds and taste sensitivity decreases iii. sensory interaction bb. Smell i. a chemical sense; 5 million receptors at top of ea nasal cavity (olfactory membrane->olfactory nerve) ii. dont have distinct receptors for different odors iii. women & young adults have the best sense of smell iv. everyone has his/her own scent v. odors powerfully evoke memories and emotions vi. pleasant scents boost workers performance & self confidence cc. Body Position and Movement i. kinesthesis ii. vestibular sense dd. Sensory Restriction i. loss of a sense 4

ii. sensory monotony: increases relaxation, creative thinking, & hallucinations PERCEPTION I. Selective Attention: Objective: Discuss the role of attention in behavior. i. cocktail party effect: ii. inattentional blindness: iii. Perceptual Illusions b. visual capture: i. Perceptual Organization Objective: Describe general principles of organizing and integrating sensation to promote stable awareness of the external world (e.g., Gestalt principles, depth perception) c. Form Perception i. illusory contours: vase or face? ii. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Gestalt Theories of Grouping: (Gestalt means whole) figure/ground proximity similarity continuity closure connectedness

d. Depth Perception: i. visual cliff: ii. Binocular Depth Cues 1. retinal disparity 2. convergence

iii. Monocular Depth Cues 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. relative size interposition relative clarity texture gradient relative height relative motion (also called motion parallax) linear perspective light and shadow (also called relative brightness)

e. Motion Perception i. stroboscopic movement ii. phi phenomenon: f. Perceptual Constancy: i. shape constancy ii. size constancy iii. lightness/brightness constancy g. Sensory Deprivation and Restored Vision i. Early experiences affect neural networks (deprivation lifetime limitations) ii. perceptual adaptation (ex: inverted glasses) h. Perceptual Set: Objective: Discuss how experience and culture can influence perceptual processes (e.g., perceptual set, context effects) i. Schemas & context/environment influence what we perceive ii. Culture i. Human factors psychologists: i. Extrasensory Perception Objective: Challenge common beliefs in parapsychological phenomena. j. parapsychologists k. Extrasensory Perception: Does any lab evidence support the concept of ESP? i. telepathy ii. clairvoyance iii. precognition iv. telekinesis 6

Sensation and Perception (6-8%), National Learning Objectives A. Thresholds and Signal Detection Theory B. Sensory Mechanisms C. Attention D. Perceptual Processes Everything that organisms know about the world is first encountered when stimuli in the environment activate sensory organs, initiated awareness of the external world. Perception involves the interpretation of the sensory inputs as a cognitive process. AP students should be able to do the following: Discuss basic principles of: o Sensory transduction o Absolute threshold o Difference threshold o Signal detection o Sensory adaptation Describe processes (e.g., hearing, vision, touch, taste, smell, vestibular, kinesthesis, pain), including the specific nature of energy transduction, relevant anatomical structures and specialized pathways in the brain for each of the senses: Explain common sensory disorders (e.g., visual and hearing impairments) Describe general principles of organizing and integrating sensation to promote stable awareness of the external world (e.g., Gestalt principles, depth perception) Discuss how experience and culture can influence perceptual processes (e.g., perceptual set, context effects) Explain the role of top-down processing in producing vulnerability to illusion. Discuss the role of attention in behavior. Challenge common beliefs in parapsychological phenomena. Identify the major historical figures in sensation and perception: o Earnst Weber o Gustuv Fechner o David Hubel & Torsten Wiesel

Review: synonym: small wavelength large wavelength small amplitude large amplitude illustration: light waves: sound waves :