Philosophy

Question 1

Match the theoretical approach of sensation and perception to the explanation…

1. structuralism
2. Gestalt’s Psychology
3. Ecological / Direct Approach
4. Computational

a) sensory systems are like computers programmed to perceive - a series of processing = final perceived form.
b) perception = sum of sensation
c) proposed by Gibson it states perception is the direct result of information from the environment - stimulation of sense organs affects our minds
d) perception is based on the organisation of stimuli into a whole and meaningful form

Answer 1

1 - b
2 - d
3 - c
4 - a

Question 2

What is the representational theory of the mind?

Answer 2

= a theory of indirect realism
This model believes that our experiences are a representation of virtual reality - what we experience is a model of the real world, constructed in our heads - it is a mental represntation.
- it states the idea of two worlds…
1) the outer world - the physical world that constitutes mass, energy and molecules.
2) the inner world - mental states

Question 3

What is the difference between sensation and perception?

Answer 3

SENSATION = an awareness or mental process, which is aroused by stimulation of a sense organ - a pre-requisite of perception

PERCEPTION = the ability to apprehend something through the senses - it brings together our knowledge of the world to organise raw sensory data

Question 4

What are the two main theories for the origin of knowledge?

Evidence that perception depends on implicit knowledge?

Answer 4

a) Empiricism - we all start with a blank state - all knowledge comes from sensory experiences ordered by learning associations between them.

Nativism - we are all born with some innate knowledge, which we use to organise experience.

b) Sheppard 1990: the 3d table illusion of 2d table top size. –> we make assumptions based on our knowledge of the 3d world.

The dalmation illusion: once seen you know what to look for.

Question 5

What are the three main theories of the mind body debate?

Answer 5

Dualism: The mind and body and separate substances

Materialsim: The mind is the brain, or rather arises from physical activity of the brain.

Fucntionalism: the brain is what the brain does.

Question 6

What ways are there to measure psychophysical correlation?

Answer 6

fMRI - but low temporal resolution.

Microneurography - can efferently record or become an afferent to stimulate nervous tissue. In a peripheral neuron.

Microelectrode recording from he cerebrum - analogous to above but in the CNS.

ERPs on EEGs - can record signals with excellent temporal but low spatial resolution.