Lecture 1 - Introduction to Sensation and Perception Flashcards
What is the purpose of perception?
To inform us about all properties of the environment that are important for our survival.
What is the process of perception?
Using information from our senses, our perceptual system creates a model of the environment in our mind.
What does perception depend on?
Background, spatial configuration, illumination, presence of other objects.
Context - brightness, colour, line orientation
Top down processing is …
Perceptual or cognitive processing based on prior knowledge or experience.
Bottom up processing is …
Perceptual or cognitive processing based on info coming directly from a stimulus and activating receptors in the sensory organ.
What is change blindness?
Fail to see things
Describe the perceptual process.
1 - interact with a stimulus in the environment, which engages our sensory organs
eg. light reflects off a tree and onto retina
2 - receptors in sensory organs (photoreceptors) are stimulated, send electrical impulses to sensory neurons in brain
3 - neural processing which leads to perception
Perception - Recognition - Action
Sensation and Perception occurs in the:
Tongue - taste (chemical stimuli)
Nose - odour (chemical stimuli)
Ear - sound (air pressure)
Eye – light (electromagnetic energy)
Skin – touch, temperature, pain (mechanical thermal and chemical stimuli)
Muscles – movements – gravity and acceleration (mechanical energy)
What is transduction?
Where does it take place?
The transformation of stimulus energy into electrical signalling that can be transmitted and processed in our nervous system.
Takes place at level of receptors.
What is neural transmission?
Where does it take place?
The transmission of nerve impulses between neurons and from receptors to neurons.
Takes place between receptors and sensory areas of brain.
What is neural processing?
Where does it take place?
The process in which environmental stimuli are converted into neural activity
eg. skin - touch, pressure, wanrm, cold, pain
Takes place between networks of neurons in sensory regions.
How do we study perception?
Psychophysical approach PP - stimulus perception relationship
Physiological approach - PH1 – stimulus physiology relationship
Physiological – PH2 – physiology and perception relationship
Psychophysical example - Egly et al. 1994
Two blocks - A and B with + in between
Subject told to look at + but pay attention to A
Push button asap when target flashes on display
Reaction times faster when target flashed at A compared to B
What is proprioception?
The ability to sense position of the bpdy and limbs in space
