Chapter 6: Sensation and Perception

Question 1

Sensation means…

Answer 1

Using sense organs, such as eyes, ears, tongue, nose, skin, and other tissues inside our bodies, for many processes of sensory responding, producing nerve signals that register in sensory receiving areas in the brain

Question 2

Perception is…

Answer 2

A set of mental operations that organize, identify, and recognize sensations, making meaningful patterns

Question 3

Parts of Perception:

Answer 3

• Organization
• Identification
• Recognition

Question 4

What are the Sense Receptors like?

Answer 4

• Some are dendrites (for smell, pressure, pain, temperature)
• Others are specialized cells (vision, hearing, taste)

Question 5

How do nerve signals get to the right address in the brain:

Answer 5

• Doctrine of specific nerve energies
• Functional Code

Question 6

Receptor Cells

Answer 6

1. Rod: detect light and dark, good for night

2. Cone: color differences, need lots of light though.

Question 7

How do we process colour

Answer 7

-Theory 1: Tri-Chromatic Theory
Retina has 3 cone types: blue, green, red
Colour of a stimulus is determined by how much of each cone type it activates
-Theory 2: Opponent Process Theory:
2nd Stage of Colour Processing (after cones): In retinal ganglion cells, thalamus, and visual cortex:
Some ganglia fire when receiving input from L cones but are inhibited by M cones - and vice versa (creating perception of opposites)

Question 8

Tri-Chromatic Theory

Answer 8

-Retina has 3 cone types: blue, green, red
-Colour of a stimulus is determined by how much of each cone type it activates
-Our perception of different colours is determined by the ratio of activity among the three cone receptors
But there is a problem: Afterimages!

Question 9

Opponent Process Theory:

Answer 9

• 2nd Stage of Colour Processing (after cones): In retinal ganglion cells, thalamus, and visual cortex:
• Some ganglia fire when receiving input from L cones but are inhibited by M cones - and vice versa (creating perception of opposites)
• Advantages of this theory
• And so: which theory has it right?

Question 10

Principles of Perceptual Organization

Answer 10

1. Proximity
2. Similarity
3. Continuity
4. Closure