8B - Perception

Question 1

how are perceptions formed

Answer 1

perceptions are experienced from our external world and are constructed based on inputs from our senses.

Question 2

what is sensation

Answer 2

the process of receiving and detecting raw sensory stimuli via sensory organs and sending this info to the brain

Question 3

how is sensory info sent to the brain

Answer 3

sensory data is received > converted into a neural impulse > sent to area of the brain responsible for processing the specific sensory info

Question 4

what is perception

Answer 4

the process of selecting, organising, and interpreting sensory info after sensation is complete

Question 5

what are the stages of perception

Answer 5

1. selection
2. organisation
3. interpretation

Question 6

what is selection

Answer 6

the process of attending to certain sensory stimuli, or features of certain stimuli, and excluding others

Question 7

what is conscious selection

Answer 7

actively choosing to block out disturbing stimuli to concentrate on one stimulus

Question 8

what is unconscious selection

Answer 8

only attending to the features of a stimulus that are the most prominent

Question 9

what is organisation

Answer 9

the process of regrouping selected features of sensory stimuli in order for them to be cohesively arranged. this allows the recognition of patterns or categories during interpretation.

Question 10

what is an example of organisation

Answer 10

interpreting the lines and shapes of a smiley face collectively so that it can be interpreted as a whole.

Question 11

what is interpretation

Answer 11

the process assigning meaning to sensory info in order to understand it. this can be based off our memory, current mood, concentration levels, expectations and beliefs

Question 12

what are the 3 stages of sensation and perception

Answer 12

sensation:
- reception (sensory info is received)
- transduction (info converted into neural impulse
- transmission (sent to brain for perception)

perception:
- selection
- organisation
- interpretation

Question 13

what is gustatory perception

Answer 13

the process of becoming consciously aware of flavour

Question 14

where are gustatory receptors located

Answer 14

they are located within our tastebuds, which are dispersed all around the mouth. some areas are more sensitive to certain flavours

Question 15

how does gustatory sensation occur

Answer 15

1. whilst chewing, saliva breaks down food into tastants (sensory stimuli received in chemical molecules that can be tasted)
2. tastants are first received by our gustatory receptors and converted into a neural impulse
3. the impulse is sent to the brain, where info about the type and intensity of the flavour makes its way to the primary gustatory cortex. (a sensory area in the parietal lobe responsible for receiving and processing tastes)

Question 16

what are the 5 basic flavours

Answer 16

• sweet (cherries)
• salty (popcorn)
• sour (lemon)
• bitter (coffee)
• umami (soy sauce)

Question 17

what is visual perception

Answer 17

the process of becoming consciously aware of visual stimuli due to interactions between the visual sensory system, and the individual’s internal and external environments.

Question 18

what is the visual sensory system

Answer 18

the network involved in the sensation and perception of visual stimuli, including the eyes, brain, and the neural pathways connecting them.

Question 19

how does visual sensation occur

Answer 19

1. sensory stimuli is received by the visual sensory receptors in the external stimuli of light, which comes in electromagnetic energy
2. light travels through the eye and is projected onto the retina, where receptors for light info are located
3. the light energy is converted into a neural message and sent to the brain
4. visual info is received in the PVC of the occipital lobe, ready for perception

Question 20

what are the 2 types of perceptual processing

Answer 20

bottom-up and top-down processing

Question 21

what is bottom-up processing

Answer 21

perception is determined by incoming sensory info moving from specific stimuli info to general knowledge.

• typically used with unfamiliar or highly complex stimuli and is processed in real time, and moves UP to the brain for perception

Question 22

what is top-down processing

Answer 22

perception driven by prior knowledge and expectations, moving from general knowledge to specific stimuli info

• typically used when perceiving relatively familiar or less complex stimuli, as our existing schemas store incoming sensory stimuli that are perceived as fitting within a category.

Question 23

examples of bottom-up and top-down processing

Answer 23

bottom-up:
stubbing your toe, where the sensation of pain is sent via receptors to the brain to make you say ‘ouch!’

top-down:
past experiences of stubbing your toe makes you understand to avoid corners in the future, perceiving them as a hazard.