Lecture 10: Sensation and Perception

Question 1

Sensory Systems

Answer 1

− Sight (visual)
− Hearing (auditory)
− Touch (haptic)
− Smell (olfactory)
− Taste (gustatory)
− Balance/acceleration (vestibular)
− Body awareness (proprioception,
kinesthetic sense)
− Temperature (thermo reception)

Question 2

Motor systems

Answer 2

− Arms, hands, fingers
− Head, face eyes
− Vocal system
− Legs, feet, toes
− Jaw, tongue

Question 3

(Eye) Light travels through…

Answer 3

cornea
→ lens
→ retina

Question 4

Iris

Answer 4

controls amount of light

Question 5

Photo receptor

Answer 5

− Rods (low-light vision) − Cones (color vision)

Question 6

Optic nerve

Answer 6

transmits
processed light to visual cortex

Question 7

Rods

Answer 7

Primarily for night vision and perceiving movement
− Sense intensity or shades of gray
− Can’t discriminate between colors
− ~75M – 150M rods

Question 8

Cones

Answer 8

Used to sense color
− ~4.5M – 7M cones
− Note: Many, many more rods than cones

Question 9

Most cones where?

Answer 9

Center of retina has most of the cones
− Allows for high acuity of objects focused at the center

Question 10

Edge of retina

Answer 10

dominated by rods
− Allows detecting motion (threats) in periphery

Question 11

Soundwaves

Answer 11

Pressure

Question 12

Human ear

Answer 12

Peripheral auditory system

Question 13

Aspects of environmental sound are processed in different areas of the
brain

Answer 13

attenuation: how loud the sound is;
location in space;
frequency,
combination sensitivity