Sensation & Perception

Question 1

Naïve Realism

Answer 1

The idea that our senses provide us with an accurate and true representation of the world as it really is.

Question 2

Monisms

Answer 2

The idea that only the brain gives rise to perception from internal and external stimuli. One single entity that gives rise to perception

Question 3

Dualism

Answer 3

The idea that something non-biological accounts for perception. We have a physical world and only humans have perception due to having a soul. Only things (humans) with a soul can have consciousness and perception.

Question 4

Sensation

Answer 4

Physical process - receiving stimuli from the environment via the sensory systems.
Physical stimulus TRANSDUCE into neural signal

Question 5

Perception

Answer 5

Cognitive process - interpreting and integrating sensory signals into a conscious experience.
modulated by top-down processing
TRANSMUTATION to recognition

Question 6

Recognition

Answer 6

Cognitive process - identifying and/or categorising our perceptions. Produces emergent psychological phenomena. Modulated by top-down processing.

Question 7

Psychophysics

Answer 7

Gustav Fechner was the first person to attempt to link physical stimuli to psychological percepts. The theory of “material, mental, physical and psychological worlds

Question 8

Absolute Threshold

Answer 8

DETECTION: The minimal limit of detection; the minimum of a stimulus that elicits sensation.

Question 9

Weber’s Law

Answer 9

Relationship between the stimulation level and perceived sensation is proportional (% based).
The larger the stimulus magnitude, the greater the amount of difference needed to produce a JND.

Question 10

Stevens’ Power Law

Answer 10

a psychophysical relationship stating that the psychological magnitude of a sensation is proportional to a power of the stimulus producing it.

Question 11

Fechner’s 3 methods for threshold experiments & general procedure for each

Answer 11

1. Constant Stimuli
   absolute threshold = stimuli 1,2,3,4… multiple times / random order
   do you detect yes/no?
   JND = stimulus standard vs comparison of a,b,c,d
   is the other weaker, stronger, same?
2. Limits
   to determine absolute threshold
   stimuli 1,2,3,4 present ascending/descending order
   tell me when you detect stimuli
   JND = standard vs comparator stimuli a,b,c,d in ascending value - say when comparator goes from weaker to stronger
3. Adjustments
   to determine absolute threshold adjust stimulus until you can just detect it.
   JND = standard stimulus provided, adjust comparator stimulus till it matches standard. Magnitude of variance = JND

Question 12

Describe an experiment using magnitude estimation / scaling

Question 13

Signal detection theory

Question 14

D - prime

Question 15

Criterion

Question 16

Weber’s Two Key Concepts

Answer 16

The Absolute Threshold & The Relative Threshold (JND)

Question 17

Relative Threshold / JND

Answer 17

DISCRIMINATION: the minimal change in a stimulus required to elicit a change in sensation 50% of the time.