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James A. McCubbin, PhD
Clemson University

Worth Publishers
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` Úensation
` a process by which our sensory
receptors and nervous system receive
and represent stimulus energy
` Perception
` a process of organizing and interpreting
sensory information, enabling us to
recognize meaningful objects and
events
Ú

` |ur
sensory
and
perceptual
processes
work
together to
help us
sort out
complext
processes
Ú


` Ôottom-Up Processing
` analysis that begins with the sense receptors
and works up to the brainƞs integration of
sensory information
` Top-Down Processing
` information processing guided by higher-level
mental processes
` as when we construct perceptions drawing on
our experience and expectations
Ú
 


` Psychophysics
` study of the relationship between
physical characteristics of stimuli and
our psychological experience of them
` Light- brightness
` Úound- volume
` Pressure- weight
` Taste- sweetness
Ú
 


` Absolute Threshold
` minimum stimulation needed to detect a
particular stimulus 50% of the time
` Difference Threshold
` minimum difference between two stimuli
required for detection 50% of the time
` just noticeable difference (JND)
Ú
 

` Úignal Detection Theory
` predicts how and when we detect the presence
of a faint stimulus (signal) amid background
stimulation (noise)
` assumes that there is no single absolute
threshold
` detection depends partly on personƞs
` experience
` expectations
` motivation
` level of fatigue
 Ú
 

100
Percentage
` Úubliminal
of correct
detections 75 ` When stimuli are
below oneƞs
50 absolute
Subliminal threshold for
25 stimuli conscious
awareness
0
Low Absolute Medium
threshold
Intensity of stimulus
Ú
 


` Weberƞs Law- to perceive as different,

two stimuli must differ by a constant
minimum percentage
` light intensity- 8%
` weight- 2%
` tone frequency- 0.3%
` Úensory adaptation- diminished
sensitivity as a consequence of constant
stimulation
a Ú

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a
` Transduction
` conversion of one form of energy to
another
` in sensation, transforming of stimulus
energies into neural impulses
` Wavelength
` the distance from the peak of one
wave to the peak of the next
a
` ue
` dimension of color determined by
wavelength of light
` Intensity
` amount of energy in a wave
determined by amplitude
` brightness
` loudness
The spectrum of
electromagnetic
energy
 a  


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Short wavelength=high frequency Great amplitude

(bluish colors, high-pitched sounds) (bright colors, loud sounds)

Long wavelength=low frequency Small amplitude

(reddish colors, low-pitched sounds) (dull colors, soft sounds)
a
` Pupil- adjustable opening in the
center of the eye
` Iris- a ring of muscle that forms the
colored portion of the eye around the
pupil and controls the size of the
pupil opening
` Lens- transparent structure behind
pupil that changes shape to focus
images on the retina
a
a
` Accommodation- the process by which
the eyeƞs lens changes shape to help
focus near or far objects on the retina

` Retina- the light-sensitive inner serface of

the eye, containing receptor rods and
cones plus layers of neurons that begin
the processing of visual information
a
` Acuity- the sharpness of vision
` Nearsightedness- condition in which
nearby objects are seen more clearly than
distant objects because distant objects in
front of retina
` Farsightedness- condition in which
faraway objects are seen more clearly
than near objects because the image of
near objects is focused behind retina
a

` Normal Nearsighted Farsighted

Vision Vision Vision
$
$

# $


` Rods
` peripheral retina
` detect black, white and gray
` twilight or low light
` Cones
` near center of retina
` fine detail and color vision
` daylight or well-lit conditions
$
$

#

` |ptic nerve- nerve that carries neural

impulses from the eye to the brain
` Ôlind Úpot- point at which the optic nerve
leaves the eye, creating a Ơblind spotơ
because there are no receptor cells located
there
` Fovea- central point in the retina, around
which the eyeƞs cones cluster
a $


ñeceptors in the Human Eye

Cones ñods
Number 6 million 120 million
Location in Center Periphery
retina
Sensitivity in Low High
dim light

Color sensitive? Yes No

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a) 
*
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#
` Feature Detectors
` nerve cells in the
Cell¶s
brain that responses
respond to specific
features Stimulus
` shape
` angle
` movement
(

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'

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Õ
#

` Parallel Processing
` simultaneous processing of several
aspects of a problem simultaneously
a)!%"
Õ
#
` Trichromatic (three color) Theory
` Young and elmholtz
` three different retinal color receptors
` red
` green
` blue
Ê+
%
a

` People who suffer

red-green
blindness have
trouble perceiving
the number within
the design
a)!%"
Õ
#
|pponent-Process Theory- opposing retinal
processes enable color vision
Ơ|Nơ Ơ|FFơ
red green
green red
blue yellow
yellow blue
black white
white black
|
Õ

,%
"#
%%

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Õ
#

` Color Constancy
` Perceiving familiar objects as having
consistent color, even if changing
illumination alters the wavelengths
reflected by the object
,)
` Audition
` the sense of hearing
` Frequency
` the number of complete wavelengths
that pass a point in a given time
` Pitch
` a toneƞs highness or lowness
` depends on frequency

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,) 

` Middle Ear
` chamber between eardrum and cochlea
containing three tiny bones (hammer, anvil,
stirrup) that concentrate the vibrations of the
eardrum on the cochleaƞs oval window
` Inner Ear
` innermost part of the ear, contining the
cochlea, semicurcular canals, and vestibular
sacs
` Cochlea
` coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear
through which
,)
` Place Theory
` the theory that links the pitch we hear with
the place where the cochleaƞs membrane is
stimulated
` Frequency Theory
` the theory that the rate of nerve impulses
traveling up the auditory nerve matches the
frequency of a tone, thus enabling us to
sense its pitch
(&


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,)
` Conduction earing Loss
` hearing loss caused by damage to the
mechanical system that conducts sound
waves to the cochlea
` Nerve earing Loss
` hearing loss caused by damage to the
cochleaƞs receptor cells or to the auditory
nerve
 ,)
` |lder people tend to hear low
Amplitude required for
perception relative to frequencies well but suffer hearing loss
20-29 year-old group for high frequencies

1
time

10
times

100
times

1000
times
32 64 128 256 512 1024 2048 4096 8192 16384
Frequency of tone in waves per second

Low Pitch High

)

` Úkin Úensations
` pressure
` only skin
sensation with
identifiable
receptors
` warmth
` cold
` pain
Õ
` pate-Control Theory
` theory that the spinal cord contains a
neurological Ơgateơ that blocks pain
signals or allows them to pass on to the
brain
` Ơgateơ opened by the activity of pain
signals traveling up small nerve fibers
` Ơgateơ closed by activity in larger fibers
or by information coming from the brain


` Taste Úensations
` sweet
` sour
` salty
` bitter
` Úensory Interaction
` the principle that one sense may influence
another
` as when the smell of food influences its taste
Ú"

Olfactory
nerve
Olfactory
bulb

Nasal ñeceptor cells in

passage olfactory membrane
 ,#
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%Ú"

Number
omen and young adults
of correct have best sense of smell
answers
4
omen

Men
2

0
10-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70-79 80-89 90-99
Age Group
 Õ
m'
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` ·inesthesis
` the system for sensing the position and
movement of individual body parts
` Vestibular Úense
` the sense of body movement and
position
` including the sense of balance