Chapter Five Sensation

The Basics  Sensation  The mechanical process by which we “take in” physical information from the outside world  Psychophysics  Thresholds  Absolute vs. j.n.d. Weber’s Law  Signal Detection Theory Signal Detection Theory Subliminal Message Semantic Priming Behavior vs. Attitude  Adaptation Habituation

Vision  Transduction  Light Energy  Wavelength – hue  Amplitude – intensity  The Eye  Cornea  Pupil (Iris)  Lens  Retina  The Retina Rods, Cones Blind Spot & Fovea Blind Spot

Vision (cont’d)  Feature Detection Feature Detection  Parallel Processing  We process several things at once Visual interpretation takes 30% of the cortex!! Selective motion neglect Lateral neglect (blindsight)  Color Vision  Young-Helmholtz Trichromatic Theory  Opponent process theory Opponent process Red-green; blue-yellow; black-white Color blindness Afterimage Effect  Vision and Learning  Brightness Contrast Brightness Contrast

Auditory Processing (Audition)  Sound Wave  Outer Ear  Middle Ear  Inner Ear  Sound Wave Sound Wave  Amplitude – loudness (decibels)  Frequency – pitch  Outer Ear Outer Ear  Pinna  Auditory Canal  Tympanic Membrane  Middle Ear  Ossicles: Hammer  Anvil  Stirrup  Inner Ear  Cochlea: Oval Window  Basilar Membrane  Cilia (Loudness)  Auditory Nerve

Perceiving Pitch  Helmholtz’s Place Theory Helmholtz’s Place Theory  Different places on the cochlea’s basilar membrane  Frequency Theory  It is the frequency at which the basilar membrane vibrates  Locating sound in space

Heh? What? I can’t hear you!  Conduction hearing loss  Problems with the mechanics of the ear  Eardrum, ossicles  Sensorineural Deafness  Problems with nerves or cilia  Cochlear implant

The Other Senses  Touch  Pressure, temp & pain  Gate theory  Taste Taste  Sweet, Sour, Salty, Bitter  Smell & Taste  Smell Smell  Olfactory Nerve sends to limbic system and temporal lobe

Body Senses  Kinesthesis  Ability to sense position and motion  proprioception  Vestibular Sense  balance  Semicircular canals  Synesthesia