Lesson 2: introduction to sensation and perception

Question 1

Sensation

Answer 1

The senses detecting changes in the environment (e.g., light, chemical composition, sound).

Question 2

Perception

Answer 2

Processing and interpreting sensory input to create an understanding of the environment.

Question 3

Illusion

Answer 3

Perceiving something that is not actually present, showcasing discrepancies between perception and reality.

Question 4

Direct Perception

Answer 4

Understanding complex scenes (like a beach) through innate processing of visual cues like texture and converging lines.

Question 5

Top-Down Processing

Answer 5

Using prior knowledge and experiences to construct an understanding of sensory input, especially in ambiguous situations.

Question 6

Bottom-Up Processing

Answer 6

Perception driven purely by sensory input, without prior knowledge or experience influencing the interpretation.

Question 7

Stimulus

Answer 7

Environmental change detected by sensory organs.

Question 8

Transduction

Answer 8

Conversion of sensory stimuli into neural signals (e.g., light into chemical reactions in photoreceptors).

Question 9

Thalamus

Answer 9

Acts as the brain’s sensory gateway for all senses except smell.

Question 10

Neuropsychology

Answer 10

The study of how brain damage affects cognition and behavior, using case studies like Phineas Gage.

Question 11

Biomotion

Answer 11

The ability to infer complex information (e.g., motion, intent) from simple stimuli, processed in specific brain regions.

Question 12

Absolute Threshold

Answer 12

The minimum stimulus intensity required to detect a sensation.

Question 13

Difference Threshold (JND)

Answer 13

The smallest detectable difference between two stimuli.

Question 14

Psychometric Function

Answer 14

A curve representing detection probability against stimulus intensity.

Question 15

Visual Illusions

Answer 15

Misinterpretations of sensory information that reveal underlying sensory and perceptual processes.

Question 16

Spars Coding

Answer 16

A concept where specific neurons respond to specific stimuli or individuals (e.g., Quiroga et al., 2009 finding a neuron responsive to Oprah Winfrey).

Question 17

Biological Motion

Answer 17

The perception of movement patterns unique to living beings.

Question 18

Autism and Sensory Differences

Answer 18

Autistic children may show impairments in perceiving biological motion but succeed in detecting global shapes.

Question 19

Motion Suppression

Answer 19

Motion processing in the brain can suppress the detection of other features like color changes.

Question 20

Single-Cell Recording

Answer 20

A method of measuring the responses of individual neurons to specific stimuli, providing insights into sensory and perceptual processes (e.g., Quiroga et al., 2009).

Question 21

TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation)

Answer 21

A technique that creates temporary disruptions in specific brain regions by generating magnetic fields, used to study their functions (e.g., disrupting biomotion perception).

Question 22

Psychophysics

Answer 22

The study of the relationship between physical stimuli and psychological responses, often used to measure thresholds like the absolute and difference thresholds.