Semester 2 Module 2 - Perception and Attention

Question 1

What is absolute threshold?

Answer 1

the smallest quantity of physical energy that can reliably be detected by an observer.

Question 2

What is kinaesthesia?

Answer 2

the ability to now the position of your body even when your eyes are closed.

Question 3

Explain sensation and perception.

Answer 3

sensation is the detection of physical energy emitted by physical objects. Perception is the process by which the brain organises and interprets sensory information.

Question 4

What are the physical dimensions of sound?

Answer 4

amplitude, frequency, and wavelength.

Question 5

Explain the types of attention.

Answer 5

Alertness & arousal- the basic aspects of attention that enable a person to extract information from the environment or to select a particular response (coma  full alertness)
Vigilance- the ability to sustain alertness continuously.
Selective attention- the ability to scan events/stimuli and pick out the ones that are relevant.
divided attention- obvious.