14- Sensation + Perception, taste and vision

Question 1

Absolute threshold

Answer 1

the minimum amount of stimulus energy needed for an observer to perceive a stimulus, an ideal conditions, 50% of the time.

Question 2

Absolute threshold for the sense, hearing.

Answer 2

the ticking of a watch 6m away

Question 3

Absolute threshold for the sense, smell.

Answer 3

one drop of perfume in a large house

Question 4

Absolute threshold for the sense, taste.

Answer 4

one teaspoon of sugar dissolved in 10 L of water

Question 5

Absolute threshold for the sense, touch.

Answer 5

the wing of a fly falling on the cheek from a height of 1cm.

Question 6

Absolute threshold for the sense, vision.

Answer 6

the flame of a candle 50km away on a dark, clear night.

Question 7

The six stages of sensation and perception

Answer 7

• Reception
• Transduction
• Transmission
• Selection
• Organisation
• Interpretationu8

Question 8

Sensation in vision: Reception

Answer 8

• Light enters the eye through the cornea
• Passes through the pupil
• The lens focuses the light on the retina

Question 9

Sensation in vision: Transduction

Answer 9

• The light energy is converted by the rods and cones into electrochemical nerve impulses.
• This allows the visual information to travel along the fibres of the optic nerve to the brain.

Question 10

Sensation in vision: Transmission

Answer 10

• The rods and cones is to send the nerve impulses along the optic nerve to the primary visual cortex in the occipital lobes
• This is where specialised receptor cells respond as the process of visual perception continues.

Question 11

Perception in vision: selection

Answer 11

-The image is broken up by specialised cells called feature detectors.

Question 12

Perception in vision: organisation

Answer 12

-Our visual cortex in the brain recognises information so that we can make sense of it.
-we do this by using certain visual perception principles,
>Perceptual constancies
> Gestalt principles
> depth cues
-after the image is re-assembled is travels along 2 pathways
1, to the temporal lobe, to identify the object
2, to the parietal lobe, to judge where the object is in space.

Question 13

Perception in vision: interpretation

Answer 13

-This is where the visual stimulus (object) is given meaning.
-The temporal lobes identify what the object is by comparing incoming information with information already stored in memory.
eg, past experiences, motives, values and context.

Question 14

What is the wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum for light energy to be visible to the human eye.

Answer 14

Wavelengths of between 360-760 form the visible spectrum.

Question 15

What photoreceptors are contained in the retina of the eye?

Answer 15

Rods and cones

Question 16

Rods

Answer 16

-125,000,000 in each eye
-Responsible for vision in
>low light
>Peripheral vision
-They have low visual acuity (cant register detail)
-Only register in Black and White
-Most sensitive to light of approximately 500nm wavelength

Question 17

Cones

Answer 17

-6,500,000 in each eye
-Responsible for vision of
>detail
>colour (black and white vision in daylight)
-They require high levels of light to enable them to respond

Question 18

what part of the brain is responsible for taste

Answer 18

gustatory cortex

Question 19

what part of the brain is responsible for vision

Answer 19

visual cortex

Question 20

how many taste buds are located in the mouth and throat

Answer 20

10,000

Question 21

each taste bud contains how many taste receptor cells?

Answer 21

50-150

Question 22

Five primary taste

Answer 22

Bitter- back 
Sweet-tip
Sour -forward sides
Salty-back sides
Unami-middle

Question 23

Sensation in Taste: Reception

Answer 23

chemicals are dissolved in saliva during the process of chewing

Question 24

Sensation in taste: Transduction

Answer 24

The chemical energy is converted by receptor cells on the taste buds into electrochemical nerve impulses

Question 25

Sensation in taste: Transmission

Answer 25

the nerve impulses travel through the thalamus to the primary gustatory cortex low in the parietal lobe.

Question 26

Perception in taste

Answer 26

The brain simply recognises the sensation of a mixture of the five primary tastes, combined with smell, colour and texture can perceive the flavour of what we eat.