Ch 5

Question 1

Compare and contrast sensation and preception

Answer 1

• Sensation:activation of neural receptors by environmental stimuli—> immediate stimulation
• Perception:organization and interpretation of those stimuli—>meaning based.

Question 2

What is meant by bottom-up and top-down processing?

Answer 2

• Bottom-up: taking in sensory information to build perceptions
• top-down:how we interpret those sensations is influenced by our available knowledge, our experiences, and our thoughts. using models, ideas, and expectations to interpret sensory information

Question 3

Explain the conditions of synesthesia

Answer 3

-synesthesia: stimulation of one sensory pathway leads to automatic experiences n another pathway. ex every number you see has a specific color it has.

Question 4

Compare and contrast absolute thresholds with difference thresholds.

Answer 4

• Absolute thresholds: minimum level of stimulus intensity needed to detect a stimulus
• Difference thresholds: how much difference in stimuli is required to detect a difference between them.

Question 5

explain subliminal processing

Answer 5

-Messages that are perceived outside the conscious awareness(outside awareness). ex billboards

Question 6

explain sensory adaptation

Answer 6

-when we become less responsive to unchanging stimuli. ex, having a cell phone in your pocket.

Question 7

What is transduction?

Answer 7

Converts physical stimuli into nerve impulses
ex. light waves converted into nerve impulses in retina.
sound waves into nerve impulses in cochlea.

Question 8

how does transduction occur in the ear?

Answer 8

-outer ear directs air vibrations–> bone & hair movement in inner ear–>nerve impulses

Question 9

What are some examples of perception?

Answer 9

• organizing words into music

- interpreting words for meaning

Question 10

What are the factors that influence perceptual interpretation

Answer 10

• context
• expectation
• experience