Psychology exam 2 Flashcards
What are sensations and how are they measured?
the 5 senses, sight, sound, smell, touch and pain, through thresholds
Visual
Light detected by the eyes (candle flame 30 miles away)
Auditory
Sound waves detected by the ears (Watch ticking 20 feet away)
Tactile
Pressure, temperature, and pain detected by the skin. (Wing of a fly on your cheek, dropped 1 cm)
Gustatory
Taste detected by the taste buds. (teaspoon of sugar in 1 gallon of water
Olfactory
Smells detected by the nose. (drop of perfume in a 6-room house)
Absolute threshold
The minimum stimulus intensity that can be detected.
Difference threshold
(Just Noticeable Difference): The smallest change in stimulus intensity that can be detected.
Method of limits
Gradually increasing or decreasing stimulus intensity until the participant detects it.
Method of constant stimuli
Presenting stimuli of varying intensities in random order to determine the detection threshold.
Rating Scales
Participants rate their sensations using scales (e.g., from 1 to 10) for intensity or quality.
Functional Imaging
Techniques like fMRI and PET scans measure brain activity associated with different sensations.
Sensation
The process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment. What our 5 senses are.
Perception
The process by which our brain organizes and interprets sensory information transforming it into meaningful objects and events, smell identification, optical illusions. The ability to detect correctly or incorrectly.
Visual Sensation parts
optic nerve, visual cortex, eyes
