Topic 1: Introduction

Question 1

What you see/hear/taste/smell/feel is the result of…

Answer 1

Nervous system activity alongside your knowledge gained from past experiences.

Question 2

Focus is on the registration of physical stimuli on the sensory receptors that get transformed into information in our nervous system; “Detecting” that something is there

Answer 2

Sensation

Question 3

Involves turning sensory input into a meaningful experience; “Interpreting” what is there

Answer 3

Perception

Question 4

What are the seven steps in the perceptual process?

Answer 4

Step 1: Stimuli from the environment reaches our sensory receptors

Step 2: The distal stimuli get represented on the sensory receptors and become the proximal stimulus

Step 3: Involves the sensory receptors

Step 4: Neural processing

Step 5: Electrical activity becomes perception

Step 6: Perception leads to recognition

Step 7: Perception and (potentially) recognition lead to action

Question 5

Stimulus that is “out there/distant” in the external environment

Answer 5

Distal stimuli (step 1)

Question 6

“In proximity” to the receptors, in this case the image on the retina

Answer 6

Proximal stimulus

Question 7

Describe the principle of representation

Answer 7

Our perception is based not on direct contact with the stimuli, but rather on representations of that stimuli (which is passed on into the nervous system)

Question 8

Cells specialized to respond to environmental energy

Answer 8

Sensory receptors

Question 9

What two things do sensory receptors do when they receive information from the environment?

Answer 9

Transduction

They can provide some immediate information about our perception

Question 10

Transform environmental energy into electrical energy

Answer 10

Transduction

Question 11

Our conscious awareness of something (not specific yet)

Answer 11

Perception

Question 12

Ability to place an object in a category that gives it meaning

Answer 12

Recognition

Question 13

Inability to visually recognize whole objects (perceive the parts, but can’t identify)

Answer 13

Visual object agnosia

Question 14

Motor activities one makes in response to the stimulus

Answer 14

Action

Question 15

Explain why the steps to perception are “dynamic and constantly changing”

Answer 15

As you move, the initial distal stimulus changes, constantly restarting the process

Question 16

Any information that you (the perceiver) bring to a situation that can affect the perceptual process

Answer 16

Knowledge

Question 17

Using knowledge to influence perception is an example of…

Answer 17

Top-down processing

Question 18

—— is based solely on the stimuli information reaching the receptors

Answer 18

Bottom-up processing

Question 19

What are the three major components of studying perception?

Answer 19

Stimulus
Physiology
Behaviour

Question 20

The goal of perception research is to understand…

Answer 20

The relationships between stimuli, physiology, and behaviour

Question 21

Describe the grating acuity example for the stimulus-behaviour relationship

Answer 21

Find the smallest width of lines for which the orientation of a black and white striped stimulus can be accurately judged.

Acuity is best for gratings that are horizontal and vertical as opposed to oblique

Question 22

The stimulus-physiology relationship is often studied by…

Answer 22

Measuring brain activity

Question 23

Describe the grating acuity example for the stimulus-physiology relationship

Answer 23

Presented with horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines

Our environment is mostly verticals and horizontals, takes longer to process diagonals

Question 24

Describe the example demonstrating the physiology-behaviour relationship

Answer 24

Decrease the intensity difference between light and dark bars until the participant can no longer detect the orientation

Ask them what the orientation is (behaviour), look at their brain activity (physiology)

Question 25

Smallest stimulus level needed that can just barely be detected by a person

Answer 25

Absolute threshold

Question 26

What are the three methods for measuring absolute threshold?

Answer 26

Method of limits
Method of constant stimuli
Method of adjustment

Question 27

Describe the method of limits (measuring absolute threshold)

Answer 27

Stimuli presented on an ascending or descending scale and ask participants if they can detect it

The crossover point represents a switch from “I can perceive” and “I can’t perceive”

The stimuli are presented multiple times (in alternate order) and the mean crossover value indicates the threshold

Question 28

Provide an advantage and disadvantage for the method of limits

Answer 28

Benefit is that it’s fast and can be found in relatively few trials

Disadvantage is that you can predict what’s next

Question 29

Describe the method of constant stimuli (measure absolute threshold)

Answer 29

The intensities are presented in random order (many times)

Threshold = stimuli that results in detection on 50% of trials

Question 30

Provide an advantage and a disadvantage for the method of constant stimuli

Answer 30

Advantage is that one is less likely to predict what’s next

Disadvantage is that its time-consuming (need more than a couple trials)

Question 31

Describe the method of adjustment (measuring absolute threshold)

Answer 31

The participant adjusts the intensity of the stimuli themselves until they can just barely detect it.

Procedure is repeated multiple times, and the average threshold is taken.

Question 32

Smallest difference between two stimuli that enables us to tell the difference between them

Answer 32

Difference threshold

Question 33

Smallest amount of physical change observers notice as a perceptual change

Answer 33

Just noticeable-difference (JND)

Question 34

Name four techniques for measuring perception when a stimulus is already above the threshold

Answer 34

Magnitude testing

Recognition testing

Reaction time

Phenomenological report

Question 35

Participants judge and assign numerical estimates of the perceived strength of a stimulus

Answer 35

Magnitude estimation

Question 36

Perceptual measure that indicates the magnitude of an experience

Answer 36

Perceived magnitude

Question 37

Describe how to perform a magnitude estimation to evaluate the perceptual magnitude of a stimulus (when stimulus is above the threshold)

Answer 37

A “standard” stimulus (usually of moderate intensity) is initially given a score

Then ask participants to assign a value in proportion to the original score (perceived magnitude)

Question 38

Often used to study perceptual difficulties in those with brain injuries (e.g. visual agnosia)

Answer 38

Recognition testing

Question 39

Describe a recognition testing experiment and its typical outcome

Answer 39

How rapidly can you identify perceptual details when only given a short time?

Often successfully recognize the general features of rapidly presented stimuli but take much longer to recognize smaller details

Question 40

Time between presentation of a stimulus and a person’s reaction to it

Answer 40

Reaction time

Question 41

Give an example of a reaction time procedure and the expected outcome

Answer 41

Areas of screen labelled with different letters

Hit space when you see the x

Fixate on the + and pay attention to area A - how does reaction time compare if the dot appears in area A vs area B?

Longer reaction times when the dot doesn’t appear in the expected area

Question 42

Describe phenomenological reports

Answer 42

“Look around you now. Describe what you see.”

Goes beyond just objective, quantifiable numbers

A more qualitative research method that helps us explain to someone what we perceive