1. Sensation

2. The process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive stimulus from the environment.

3. Perception The process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events.

4. Bottom-Up v. Top-Down Processing NUMBER 70

5. What if we could sense everything? Life would hurt. So we can only take in a window of what is out there. This is the study of psychophysics: relationship between physical stimuli and our psychological experiences to them.

6. Absolute Threshold The minimum stimulation needed to detect a stimulus 50% of the time.

8. Difference Threshold The minimum difference that a person can detect between two stimuli. Also known as Just Noticeable Difference

9. Can you tell the difference?

10. Weber’s Law The idea that, to perceive a difference between two stimuli, they must differ by a constant percentage; not a constant amount.

11. Just noticeable difference

24. Signal Detection Theory Predicts how we detect a stimulus amid other stimuli. Assumes that we do not have an absolute threshold. We detect stuff based on our experiences, motivations and fatigue level. Signal Detection Theory

26. Subliminal Stimulation Below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness. Does this work? Yes and No studies showed some emotional reactivity (called priming a response). The effects are subtle and fleeting.

27. Sensory Adaptation Diminished sensitivity as a result of constant stimulation.

28. The concept of sensory adaptation applies to all of our senses.

29. We do not perceive the world how it really is, but as it is useful for us to perceive it.

30. Selective Attention The focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus.

31. An example of selective attention is: Cocktail Party Effect: ability to listen to one voice among many.

32. Selective Attention Selective Inattention Inattentional blindness

33. Selective Attention Selective Inattention Change Blindness

34. Module 17: Influences on Perception

35. Perceptual Set Perceptual set –Mental predisposition –Schemas

36. Perceptual set –Mental predisposition –Schemas Perceptual Set

37. Perceptual set –Mental predisposition –Schemas Perceptual Set From Leeper, R. W. (1935). A study of a neglected portion of the field of learning: The development of sensory organization. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 46, 41-75. Reprinted by permission of Taylor & Francis Ltd, http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals

38. Context Effects Context effects

39. Context Effects

40. Emotion and Motivation Motivation on perception Emotions on perception

41. Context Effects