Unit 4 - Sensation and Perception Lecture Notes

sensation and perception
psychology
fourth edition
Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White
2015, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Learning ObjectivesLine: Options
Explosion
3.1 How does sensation travel through the central nervous system, and why are
some sensations ignored?
3.2 What is light, and how does it travel through the various parts of the eye?
3.3 How do the eyes see, and how do the eyes see different colors?
3.4 What is sound, and how does it travel through the various parts of the ear?
3.5 Why are some people unable to hear, and how can their hearing be improved?
3.6 How do the senses of taste and smell work, and how are they alike?
3.7 What allows people to experience the sense of touch, pain, motion, and
balance?
3.8 What are perception and perceptual constancies?
3.9 What are the Gestalt principles of perception?
3.10 What is depth perception and what kind of cues are important for it to occur?
3.11 What are visual illusions and how can they and other factors influence and alter
perception?

AP Learning Objectives
V. Sensation and Perception

Discuss basic principles of sensory transduction, including absolute
threshold, difference threshold, signal detection, and sensory adaption.
Identify the major historical figures in the study of sensation and
perception.
Describe the sensory processes, including the specific nature of energy
transduction, relevant anatomical structures, and specialized pathways in
the brain for each of the senses.
Explain common sensory disorders.
Discuss the role of attention in behavior.
Describe the general principles of organizing and integrating sensation to
promote stable awareness of the external world.
Discuss how experience and culture can influence perceptual processes.
Explain the role of top-down processing in producing vulnerability to
illusion.
Challenge common beliefs in parapsychological phenomena.

Connection
How many times does the white team

pass the ball?
Awareness

Sensation
LO 3.1 Sensation and How It Enters the Central Nervous System AP: Basic Principles of Sensory Transduction
Sensation: the activation of receptors in the various sense

organs
Sensory receptors: specialized forms of neurons
Stimulated by different kinds of energy rather than by
neurotransmitters

Sensation vs. Perception
Perception refers to how we organize
and interpret sensory information.
Sensation provides the raw information
that perception constructs into our
experiences.

Look at your handout. What do you see in

image 1?

The subject in image 1 is a Dalmatian dog.
The image 2, which is known as the Fraser
Spiral, is another example of the distinction
between sensation and perception. What do you
see?

The subject in image 1 is a Dalmatian dog.
The image 2, which is known as the Fraser
Spiral, is another example of the distinction
between sensation and perception. What do you
see?
Place one finger on any line composing the
spiral.
Place a marker/highlighter from your other hand
beside your other finger.
Begin tracing the circle while holding your first
finger in place.
This should confirm this image is made of
circles not spirals.
Sensation
Sense organs:
eyes
ears
nose
skin
taste buds
Transduction: turning outside stimuli (energy)
into neural impulses our brain can interpret

Sensory Thresholds AP: Basic Principles of Sensory Transduction
Identify Historical Figures
LO 3.1 Sensation and How It Enters the Central Nervous System
Absolute threshold: the smallest

amount of energy needed for a person
to consciously detect a stimulus 50
percent of the time it is present
Gustav Fechner (1801-1887)
Three methods for sensory phenomenon
Limits
Right and Wrong
Adjustment

Sensory Thresholds AP: Basic Principles of Sensory Transduction
Identify Historical Figures
LO 3.1 Sensation and How It Enters the Central Nervous System
Just noticeable difference (jnd or the

difference threshold): the smallest
difference between 2 stimuli that is
detectable 50 percent of the time
Ernst Weber
Webers law- to be perceived as different,
two stimuli must differ by a constant
minimum percentage, the greater the
stimuli, the greater the difference
Subliminal Sensation
Subliminal stimuli: stimuli that are

below the level of conscious awareness
just strong enough to activate the sensory
receptors, but not strong enough for people
to be consciously aware of them
limin: threshold
sublimin: below the threshold

Subliminal Sensation
Subliminal perception: the process by

which subliminal stimuli act upon the
unconscious mind, influencing behavior
Advertising

# Sense What Scienti Universal Specific Energy Absolut
Organ sense fic Energy sight of langua e
does term Source transducti ge of human
on the thresho
BRAIN ld
EYE SEES VISUAL ELECTROMAG LIGHT ELECTR CANDL
1 SENSE NTIC ENERGY PHOTOREC OCHEMI E FLAME
VISIBLE EPTOR CAL FROM
LIGHT NEURONS 30
IN RETINA MILES
(RODS AND AWAY
CONES) ON A
CLEAR
DARK
NIGHT

# Sense What Scientifi Universal Specific Energy Absolut
Organ sense c term Energy sight of langua e
does Source transducti ge of human
on the thresho
BRAIN ld
MOLECULES HAIR ELECT TICKIN
2 EAR HEARS AUDITOR OF AIR CELLS IN ROCHE G
Y SENSE EXPANDING THE MICAL WATCH
AND ORGAN OF FROM
COMPRESSI CORTI OF 20FT
NG THE AWAY
TRAVELING COCHLEA IN A
IN WAVES SENT BY QUIET
BASILAR ROOM
MEMBRAN
E

on the thresho
BRAIN ld
SMEL OLFACTO CHEMICALS NEURONS ELECTR DROP
3 NOS LS RY SENSE IN GAS FORM IN OCHEM OF
E IN EPITHELIU ICAL PERFU
AIR/SUBSTAN M TISSUE ME
CE FORM INSIDE DIFFUS
THE ED IN A
OLFACTOR SMALL
Y HOUSE
CHANNEL

Smell
LO 3.6 How Senses of Taste and Smell Work AP: Describe Sensory Processes
Olfaction (olfactory sense)

sense of smell
Only sense not processed by the thalamus
Olfactory bulbs
areas of the brain located just above the sinus
cavity and just below the frontal lobes that
receive information from the olfactory receptor
cells
At least 1,000 olfactory receptors

Figure 3.13 The Olfactory Receptors

Tastes and smells are the perception of chemicals in the air or in
our food. Separate senses with their own receptor organs, taste
and smell are nonetheless intimately entwined.
This close relationship is most apparent in how we perceive the

flavors of food. As anyone with a head cold can attest, food
tastes different when the sense of smell is impaired. Actually,
what is really being affected is the flavor of the food, or the
combination of taste and smell. Thats because only the taste, not
the food odors, are being detected. Taste itself is focused on
distinguishing chemicals that have a sweet, salty, sour, bitter, or
umami taste (umami is Japanese for savory). However,
interactions between the senses of taste and smell enhance our
perceptions of the foods we eat.
on the thresho
BRAIN ld
TONG TASTES GUSTAT CHEMICALS IN THE ELECTR 1 TSP
4 UE ORY PASSING TASTE OCHEM OF
SENSE OVER TAST NEURON ICAL SUGAR
BUDS IN CELLS- DISSOL
WHICH RECEPTIO VED IN
HUNDREDS N SITES 2
OF TASTE ACTIVIATE GALLON
NEURONS D BY S OF
RESIDE DIFFERENT WATER
CHEMICAL
S

Taste
Taste buds
taste receptor cells in mouth; responsible for
sense of taste
Gustation
the sensation of a taste
Suptertaster- a person with highly sensitive

receptor cells (taste buds)

Figure 3.11 The Tongue and Taste Buds-A crosscut View of the Tongue (a) Nerves in the tongues deep tissue (b) Taste
buds location inside the papillae (c) Microphotograph of the surface of the tongue showing two different sizes of papillae

Taste
Five basic tastes

sweet
sour
salty
bitter
brothy, or umami

# Sense What Scientific Universal Specific Energy Absolut
Organ sense term Energy sight of languag e human
does Source transductio e of the threshol
n BRAIN d
1. NEURONS SENSORY ELECT THE

5 SKIN FEELS TACTILE FOR TOUCH NEURONS ROCHE WEIGH
SENSE 2. PRESSURE IN THE MICAL T OF
(INTERNAL, SKIN THE
STOMACH WING
ACHE) OF A
3. COLD BEE
4. WARM WHEN
DROPP
ED ON
A
CHEEK
(SOME
BOOKS
SAY
FLY)
# Sense What Scientific Universal Energy Specific sight
Energy Absolute
Organ sense does term Source of transduction
language human
of the threshold
BRAIN
EYE SEES VISUAL SENSE ELECTROMAGNTIC LIGHT ELECTROCH CANDLE
1 ENERGY PHOTORECEPTOR EMICAL FLAME FROM
VISIBLE LIGHT NEURONS IN 30 MILES
RETINA AWAY ON A
(RODS AND CLEAR DARK
CONES) NIGHT
MOLECULES OF AIR HAIR CELLS IN ELECTROCH TICKING
2 EAR HEARS AUDITORY EXPANDING AND THE ORGAN OF EMICAL WATCH
SENSE COMPRESSING CORTI OF THE FROM 20FT
TRAVELING IN COCHLEA SENT AWAY IN A
WAVES BY BASILAR QUIET ROOM
MEMBRANE
SMELLS OLFACTORY CHEMICALS IN GAS NEURONS IN ELECTROCH DROP OF
3 NOSE SENSE FORM IN EPITHELIUM EMICAL PERFUME
AIR/SUBSTANCE TISSUE INSIDE DIFFUSED IN
FORM THE OLFACTORY A SMALL
CHANNEL HOUSE
TONGUE TASTES GUSTATORY CHEMICALS IN THE TASTE ELECTROCH 1 TSP OF
4 SENSE PASSING OVER TAST NEURON CELLS- EMICAL SUGAR
BUDS IN WHICH RECEPTION SITES DISSOLVED
HUNDREDS OF ACTIVIATED BY IN 2
TASTE NEURONS DIFFERENT GALLONS OF
RESIDE CHEMICALS WATER

5
# Sense What Scientific Universal Specific Energy Absolut
Organ sense term Energy sight of languag e human
does Source transductio e of the threshol
n BRAIN d
1. NEURONS SENSORY ELECTR THE

5 SKIN FEELS TACTILE FOR TOUCH NEURONS IN OCHEMIC WEIGHT
SENSE 2. PRESSUE THE SKIN AL OF THE
(INTERNAL, WING OF
STOMACH A BEE
ACHE) WHEN
3. COLD DROPPE
4. WARM D ON A
CHEEK
(SOME
BOOKS
SAY FLY)

Somesthetic Senses
LO 3.7 Sense of Touch, Pain, Motion, and Balance AP: Describe Sensory Processes
Somesthetic senses: the body senses consisting

of the skin senses, the kinesthetic sense, and
the vestibular senses
soma: body
esthetic: feeling

Somesthetic Senses
LO 3.7 Sense of Touch, Pain, Motion, and Balance
AP: Describe Sensory Processes
Common Sensory Disorders
Skin senses: the sensations of touch,

pressure, temperature, and pain
sensory receptors in the skin
visceral pain vs. somatic pain
gate-control theory: pain signals must pass
through a gate located in the spinal cord
Pain disorders:
congenital analgesia
congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis
(CIPA)

Figure 3.14 Cross Section of the Skin and Its Receptors

Somesthetic Senses
Kinesthetic sense: sense of the location of body parts

in relation to the ground and each other
Kinesthetic sense demonstration

Stand up and close your eyes and extend your arms out
to your sides
Point your index fingers
Quickly bring your index fingers towards each other in
front of your body
Toes

Somesthetic Senses
Vestibular senses: the sensations of movement,

balance, and body position
Demonstration
Stand up and lift one leg
Repeat, but with your eyes closed
Spin and try to stand on one leg
Sensory conflict theory: an explanation of motion sickness in
which the information from the eyes conflicts with the
information from the vestibular senses
results in dizziness, nausea, and other physical discomforts

Habituation and Sensory
Adaptation
Habituation: the tendency of the brain to stop
attending to constant, unchanging information
Sensory adaptation: the tendency of sensory
receptor cells to become less responsive to a
stimulus that is unchanging

Change Blindness
NOVA

Figure 3.1 The Visible Spectrum
The wavelengths that people can see are only a small part of the whole electromagnetic spectrum.

How do we see?
Light travels as electromagnetic energy
The receptors in our eyes are only able to sense a small part of
the spectrum
Light has two physical characteristics that help determine the
sensory experience
1. wavelength- distance from one wave peak to the next
determines hue (the color we experience)
long wavelengths are found at the red end of the visible spectrum
(the portion of the whole spectrum of light that is visible to the
human eye)
shorter wavelengths are found at the blue end

How do we see?
Light travels as electromagnetic energy
The receptors in our eyes are only able to sense a small part of
the spectrum
Light has two physical characteristics that help determine the
sensory experience
1. amplitude the height of waves
determines brightness or intensity of color
the higher the wave, the brighter the light will be
low waves are dimmer

Color and Wavelength

Color and Wavelength

Habituation and Sensory
Adaptation
Microsaccades: constant movement of the eyes;
tiny little vibrations that people do not notice
consciously
prevent sensory adaptation to visual stimuli

The Human Eye

Figure 3.2 Structure of the Eye
Light enters the eye through the cornea and pupil. The iris controls the size of the pupil. From the pupil, light passes
through the lens to the retina, where it is transformed into nerve impulses. The nerve impulses travel to the brain along
the optic nerve.

Structure of the Eye
LO 3.2 What Is Light? AP: Describe Sensory Processes
Cornea: clear membrane that covers the

surface of the eye
protects the eye
focuses most of the light coming into the eye
photoreactive keratectomy (PRK) and laser-
assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK): vision-
improving techniques that make small incisions in
the cornea to change the focus in the eye

Aqueous humor: visual layer below cornea

clear, watery fluid that is continually replenished
supplies nourishment to the eye
Pupil: hole through which light from the visual
image enters the interior of the eye

Iris: round muscle (the colored part of the eye)

in which the pupil is located
can change the size of the pupil, letting more or
less light into the eye
helps focus the image
Lens: another clear structure behind the iris,
suspended by muscles
finishes the focusing process begun by the cornea

Visual accommodation: the change in the

thickness of the lens as the eye focuses on
objects that are far away or close
Finger test!
Close left eye
Place left index finger in front of your right eye, close
enough so that you can see details but its not blurry
Place right index finger arm length away and focus on it
Vitreous humor: jelly-like fluid that also nourishes
the eye and gives it shape

Nearsightedness, or myopia
- the shape of the eye causes the focal
point to fall short of the retina
- Close objects are clear, far are blurry
Farsightedness, or hyperopia
- the focus point is behind the retina
- Close objects are blurry, far are clear

Figure 3.3 Nearsightedness and Farsightedness

Retina, Rods, and Cones
Retina: final stop for light in the eye

(brain tissue)
contains three layers:
ganglion cells
bipolar cells
photoreceptors that respond to
various light waves
Rods
Cones

Rods: visual sensory receptors found at the back
of the retina (120 million rods)
Detect black, white, and gray, needed for
peripheral and low levels of light
Share bipolar cells with other rods, send combined
messages
Cones: visual sensory receptors found at the
back of the retina (6 million cones)
responsible for color vision and sharpness of vision
Details
Hotline to the visual cortex through bipolar cells


Blind spot: area in the retina where the axons

of the three layers of retinal cells exit the eye
to form the optic nerve; insensitive to light
Blind Spot test

Hold your index fingers about 3-4 inches from your eyes
Slowly move them towards each other
A gap should appear, creating a floating finger

Figure 3.5 Crossing of the Optic Nerve
Light falling on the left side of each eyes

retina (from the right visual field, shown
in yellow) will stimulate a neural
message that will travel along the optic
nerve to the thalamus, and then on to
the visual cortex in the occipital lobe of
the left hemisphere. Notice that the
message from the temporal half of the
left retina goes to the left occipital lobe,
while the message from the nasal half of
the right retina crosses over to the left
hemisphere (the optic chiasm is the point
of crossover). The optic nerve tissue
from both eyes joins together to form the
left optic tract before going on to the
thalamus and the left occipital lobe. For
the left visual field (shown in blue), the
messages from both right sides of the
retinas will travel along the right optic
tract to the right visual cortex in the same
manner.

How the Eye Works
LO 3.3 How Eyes See and How Eyes See Color AP: Describe Sensory Processes
David Hubel and Torsten Wiesel won a Nobel

Prize for their work on:
Feature Detectors: nerve cells in the brain that
respond to specific features of the stimulus,
such as shape, angle or movement
Specialized neurons in the occipital lobes visual
cortex that receives information from individual
ganglion cells
Sends information to other cortical areas
Determines specific features- edges, lines, angles,
and movements

How the Eye Works
Dark adaptation: the recovery of the eyes

sensitivity to visual stimuli in darkness after
exposure to bright lights
night blindness
Light adaptation: the recovery of the eyes
sensitivity to visual stimuli in light after
exposure to darkness

Parallel Processing
The processing of many aspects of a problem

simultaneously; the brains natural mode of
information processing for many functions,
including vision.
Contrasts with the step-by-step processing of

most computers and of conscious problem
sovling

Visual Information Processing

Color Vision
Young-Helmholtz Trichromatic theory: theory of

color vision that proposes three types of cones:
red, blue, and green
Produces the perception of color
Colorblind- people lack functioning red or green

sensitive cones

Color Vision
Herings Opponent-process theory: theory of

color vision that proposes four primary colors
with cones arranged in pairs: red and green,
blue and yellow
Later researchers include black-white retinal

processes as well
afterimages: images that occur when a visual
sensation persists for a brief time even after the
original stimulus is removed
lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of thalamus

Figure 3.6 Color Afterimage
Stare at the white dot in the center of this oddly colored flag for about 30 seconds. Now look at a white piece of paper or a
white wall. Notice that the colors are now the normal, expected colors of the American flag. They are also the primary colors
that are opposites of the colors in the picture and provide evidence for the opponent-process theory of color vision.

Color Blindness AP: Common Sensory Disorders
LO How Eyes See and How Eyes See Color
Monochrome colorblindness: a condition in

which a persons eyes either have no cones or
have cones that are not working at all
Red-green colorblindness: either the red or the
green cones are not working

Color Blindness
LO 3.3 How Eyes See and How Eyes See Color AP: Common Sensory Disorders
Sex-linked inheritance
gene for color-deficient vision is recessive

Color Blindness Stages
1. Retinas red, green, and blue cones respond

in varying degrees to different color stimuli
(Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theory)
Trichromatic cones signals are then processed
by the nervous systems opponent-process cells
(opponent-processing theory).

Figure 3.7The Ishihara Color Test

Vision

Perception and Constancies
LO 3.8 Perception and Perceptual Constancies AP: The Role of Attention in Behavior
Perception
the method by which the sensations experienced
at any given moment are interpreted and
organized in some meaningful fashion

Size constancy
the tendency to interpret an object as always
being the same actual size, regardless of its
distance

We can focus our attention on certain stimuli in

our environment and ignore the rest
While our sensory organs sense certain stimuli we
dont deem important enough to notice, our
brains do not perceive them
The cocktail party effect: the ability to focus
attention on a specific stimulus while filtering
out a myriad of other stimuli

Shape constancy
the tendency to interpret the shape of an object
as being constant, even when its shape changes
on the retina
Brightness constancy
the tendency to perceive the apparent brightness
of an object as the same even when the light
conditions change

Figure 3.15 Shape Constancy

Figure 3.16 The Necker Cube
TheNecker Cubeis anoptical

illusionfirst published as a
rhomboid in 1832 bySwiss
crystallographer
Louis Albert Necker.
The Necker Cube is
anambiguouslinedrawing.
Theeffect is interesting because
each part of the picture is
ambiguous by itself, yet the
human visual system picks an
interpretation of each part that
makes the whole consistent.
The Necker Cube is sometimes
used to test computer models of
the human visual system to see
whether they can arrive at
consistent interpretations of the
image the same way humans do.

How does the illustration
of the Necker Cube
illustrate the difference
between sensation and
perception?
Gestalt Principles
LO 3.9 Gestalt Principles of Perception AP: Organizing and Integrating Sensation
Gestalt- German word for form or whole
Gestalt grouping principles- based on the

human perceptual tendency to integrate pieces
of information into meaningful wholes.

Gestalt Principles
Figureground
the tendency to perceive objects, or figures, as
existing on a background
Reversible figures
visual illusions in which the figure and ground can
be reversed

Figure 3.17 Figure-Ground Illusion
Figure and Ground:
1st perceptual task is

to perceive any
object (the figure)
from its surroundings
(the ground)
Relationship
constantly reverses

Gestalt Principles
Proximity
tendency to perceive
objects that are close to
each other as part of the
same grouping
Similarity
things that look similar to
each other as being part
of the same group

Gestalt Principles
Closure
tendency to complete
figures that are
incomplete
Continuity
things as simply as
possible with a
continuous pattern rather
than with a complex,
broken-up pattern

Gestalt Principles AP: Organizing and Integrating Sensation
LO 3.9 Gestalt Principles of Perception
Contiguity
tendency to perceive two things that happen
close together in time as being related

Figure 3.18 Gestalt Principles of Grouping

Development of Perception
LO 3.10 What Is Depth Perception? AP: Organizing and Integrating Sensation
Depth perception: the ability to perceive the

world in three dimensions

Monocular Cues AP: Organizing and Integrating Sensation
LO 3.10 What Is Depth Perception?
Monocular cues (pictorial depth cues): cues for

perceiving depth based on one eye only
linear perspective: the tendency for parallel lines
to appear to converge on each other
relative size: perception that occurs when objects
that a person expects to be of a certain size
appear to be small and are, therefore, assumed to
be much farther away

Monocular Cues
Monocular Cues (contd)

Overlap/ interposition: the assumption that an
object that appears to be blocking part of another
object is in front of the second object and closer
to the viewer

Monocular Cues

aerial (atmospheric) perspective: the haziness
that surrounds objects that are farther away from
the viewer, causing the distance to be perceived
as greater
texture gradient: the tendency for textured
surfaces to appear to become smaller and finer as
distance from the viewer increases

Monocular Cues

motion parallax: the perception of motion of objects in which close
objects appear to move more quickly than objects that are farther
away.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBDcCtwKYMQ

Figure 3.19 Examples of Pictorial Depth Cues
(a) Linear perspective, (b) texture gradient, (c) aerial or atmospheric perspective, (d) relative size

Binocular Cues
Binocular cues: cues for perceiving depth based

on both eyes
convergence: the rotation of the two eyes in their
sockets to focus on a single object, resulting in
greater convergence for closer objects and lesser
convergence if objects are distant

Binocular Cues
Binocular Cues (contd)
Binocular (or retinal) disparity: the difference
in images between the two eyes, which is
greater for objects that are close and smaller
for distant objects

Activity 3
Choose one of the principles we discussed today and
create an illustration.
On your illustration paper include:
The name of the principle and a brief description
You must include color
Options:
Size constancy, shape constancy, Necker Cube, Figure-
ground, reversible figures, proximity, similarity, closure,
continuity, linear perspective, relative size, interposition,
motion parallax

Seeing the World
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Il_D3Xt9W
0
On the half-sheet of paper, write down your

answers to the following questions on the half
sheet of paper:
1. What does the video make you think?
2. What puzzles you about the video?
3. What do you want to explore about the
video?
Factors that Influence
LO 3.11 How Visual Illusions and Other Factors Influence Perception AP: Organizing and Integrating Sensation
Perception
Perceptual set (perceptual expectancy): the
tendency to perceive things a certain way
because previous experiences or expectations
influence those perceptions

Signal Detection Theory
Signal detection theory- detection of stimuli involves decision
processes as well as sensory processes, which are influenced by a
variety of factors
-Detecting signals based on criterion or standards you set
-reacting when criterion are met
-Based on active processing

Factors that Influence Perception
AP: Organizing and Integrating Sensation
LO 3.11 How Visual Illusions and Other Factors Influence Perception Top-Down Processing and Illusion
Bottom-up processing: the analysis of the smaller

features to build up to a complete perception
Works from smaller to larger increments
Collection of raw data from the sensory neurons
(senses)
Top-down processing: the use of preexisting

knowledge to organize individual features into a
unified whole
Works from larger to smaller increments
Experience, expectation, knowledge, etc., to create
perception

Perceptual Illusions
LO 3.11 How Visual Illusions and Other Factors Influence Perception
Identify Major Historical Figures
Hermann grid: is possibly due to

the response of the primary visual
cortex
Feature detectorsHubel & Wiesel

Figure 3.21 The Hermann Grid

Optical Illusions
Mller-Lyer illusion: illusion of line length that is
distorted by inward-turning or outward-turning
corners on the ends of the lines, causing lines of
equal length to appear to be different

Moon illusion: the moon on the horizon appears to

be larger than the moon in the sky
apparent distance hypothesis:This theory is centered on
the idea that when you view the moon at the horizon,
you are seeing it in the presence of depth cues such as
trees, mountains, and other scenery. When the moon
has moved higher into the sky, those depth cues
disappear. Because of this, the apparent distance theory
suggests, we tend to see the moon as further away on
the horizon than we see it when it elevated in the sky.

Illusions of motion
autokinetic effect: a small, stationary light in a
darkened room will appear to move or drift
because there are no surrounding cues to indicate
that the light is not moving
stroboscopic motion: seen in motion pictures, in
which a rapid series of still pictures will appear to
be in motion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFvTrL2cGMo

Illusions of motion
phi phenomenon: lights turned on in a sequence
appear to move
rotating snakes: due in part to eye movements

Figure 3.23 Rotating Snakes

Perceptual Illusions AP: Organizing and Integrating Sensation
LO 3.11 How Visual Illusions and Other Factors Influence Perception How Experience and Culture Affect Perception
Culture affects perceptual processes

Segall found that people in Western cultures are
much more susceptible to the Mller-Lyer illusion
because they are used to buildings with lots of
straight lines and corners

People from Europe and North America have

trouble looking at the devils trident, but people
from less technologically-oriented cultures have
no such trouble


https://www.youtube.com/watc
Ames Room Illusion h?v=hCV2Ba5wrcs

Figure 3.25 Perceptual Set
Look at the drawing. What do you see? Then look at the two pictures on the next slide.

Figure 3.25 Perceptual Set (Contd)
Would you have interpreted the first drawing differently if you had viewed these images first?
Old woman Young woman

Hearing and the other
senses

Sound
LO 3.4 What Is Sound? AP: Describe Sensory Processes
Wavelength: interpreted as frequency or pitch

(high, medium, or low)
Amplitude (height of the soundwave):
interpreted as volume (how soft or loud a sound
is)
Purity: interpreted as timbre (a richness in the
tone of the sound)
Hertz (Hz): cycles or waves per second, a
measurement of frequency
Frequency and Amplitude

Figure 3.8a Sound Waves
Two sound waves. The higher the wave, the louder the sound; the lower the wave, the softer the sound. If the waves are
close together in time (high frequency), the pitch will be perceived as a high pitch. Waves that are farther apart (low
frequency) will be perceived as having a lower pitch.

Figure 3.9 The Structure of the Ear

Structure of the Ear
Pinna: the visible, external part of the ear that

funnels sound waves into the structure of the
ear
Auditory canal: short tunnel that runs from the
pinna to the eardrum

Eardrum: thin section of skin that tightly covers

the opening into the middle part of the ear
when sound waves hit the eardrum, it vibrates
and causes three tiny bones in the middle ear to
vibrate
hammer
anvil
stirrup

Cochlea: snail-shaped structure of the inner ear

that is filled with fluid
Organ of Corti: rests in the basilar membrane
contains receptor cells for sense of hearing
Auditory nerve: bundle of axons from the hair
cells in the inner ear
receives neural message from the organ of Corti

Figure 3.9 The Structure of the Ear

Theories of Pitch
LO 3.4 What Is Sound?
Pitch: psychological experience of sound that

corresponds to the frequency of the sound
waves
higher frequencies are perceived as higher
pitches
Place theory: theory of pitch that states that
different pitches are experienced by the
stimulation of hair cells in different locations on
the organ of Corti

Theories of Pitch
Frequency theory: theory of pitch that states

that pitch is related to the speed of vibrations in
the basilar membrane

Theories of Pitch
Volley principle: theory of pitch that states that

frequencies from about 400 Hz up to about
4000 Hz cause the hair cells (auditory neurons)
to fire in a volley pattern, or take turns in firing

Types of Hearing
LO 3.5 Hearing Impairment and Improvement AP: Common Sensory Disorders
Impairments
Conduction hearing impairment can result from:
damaged eardrum: would prevent sound waves
from being carried into the middle ear properly
damage to the bones of the middle ear: sounds
cannot be conducted from the eardrum to the
cochlea

Types of Hearing
Impairments
Nerve hearing impairment can result from:
damage in the inner ear
damage in the auditory pathways and cortical
areas of the brain

Surgery to Help Restore
Hearing
Cochlear implant: a microphone implanted just
behind the ear that picks up sound from the
surrounding environment
speech processor selects and arranges the sound
picked up by the microphone
implant is a transmitter and receiver, converting
signals into electrical impulses
Collected by the electrode array in the cochlea
and then sent to the brain

Figure 3.10 Cochlear Implant

Applying Psychology to AP: Challenge Beliefs in Parapsychological Phenomena
Everyday Life
Parapsychology: the scientific study of ESP,
ghosts, etc.
Several kinds of ESP have been posited
Telepathy (mind reading)
Clairvoyance (seeing things not present)
Precognition (seeing the future)
Parapsychologists such as J. B. Rhine have not
yet decisively proven ESP

AP PSYCH
10 Minutes to Study

Skittle Test
Every Student will work
with a partner to complete
the activity. You need to
follow the instructions.
Conduct each trial, one
student will always be
subject one and the other
will always be subject two.
Students will be given the
correct color-flavor
combinations at the end of
the period to complete the
correct answer column.

Skittles Flavors
Green- Green apple

Purple- Grape
Red- Strawberry
Orange- orange
Yellow- Lemon

3-2-1 Bridge:
Consciousness, Sleep,
Hypnosis
On the before side:
Write down-
3- words or ideas you associate
2- questions you have
1- analogy or metaphor

Figure 3.24 Reinterpretation of Enigma


Unit 4 - Sensation and Perception Lecture Notes

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sensation and perception

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

V. Sensation and Perception

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

How many times does the white team

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Sensation: the activation of receptors in the various sense

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Look at your handout. What do you see in

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Absolute threshold: the smallest

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Just noticeable difference (jnd or the

Subliminal stimuli: stimuli that are

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Subliminal perception: the process by

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Olfaction (olfactory sense)

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

This close relationship is most apparent in how we perceive the

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Suptertaster- a person with highly sensitive

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Five basic tastes

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

1. NEURONS SENSORY ELECT THE

1. NEURONS SENSORY ELECTR THE

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Somesthetic senses: the body senses consisting

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Skin senses: the sensations of touch,

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Kinesthetic sense: sense of the location of body parts

Kinesthetic sense demonstration

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Vestibular senses: the sensations of movement,

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Cornea: clear membrane that covers the

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Aqueous humor: visual layer below cornea

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Iris: round muscle (the colored part of the eye)

Psychology, Fourth Edition, AP Edition Saundra K. Ciccarelli J. Noland White

Visual accommodation: the change in the