Sensation and Perception

Question 1

What is the difference between Sensation and Perception

Answer 1

Sensation is the body/brain’s detection of physical energy by our senses.
Perception is the interpretation we make from those sensory inputs

Question 2

Explain what feature detection is

Answer 2

Subconsciously focusing on corners and edges to give us more meaningful interpretations of an object as quickly as possible

Question 3

What is it called when our brains compile pieces of information into a unified whole?

Answer 3

Binding

Question 4

Pitch is the ________ of a sound wave, where Loudness is the __________ of the wave

Answer 4

Pitch is the frequency of the wave while loudness is the amplitude of the sound wave

Question 5

Olfaction is the sense of __________

Answer 5

SMELL

Question 6

Gustation is the sense of _________

Answer 6

TASTE

Question 7

Briefly explain bottom-up processing

Answer 7

Starting with the details, and ending with a meaningful concept

Question 8

Briefly explain Top-Down processing

Answer 8

Starting with an expectation and then imposing that expectation on stimuli

Question 9

Define perpetual consistency

Answer 9

The tendency to perceive stimuli consistently across varied conditions

Question 10

What is the difference between absolute threshold, just noticeable difference, and Weber’s law?

Answer 10

Absolute Threshold: The smallest amount of stimuli that a person can detect reliably
Just Noticeable Difference: Refers to the smallest amount of change in a stimulus that can be detected
Weber’s Law: describes the relationship between the magnitude of a stimulus and the change needed for it to be noticed

Question 11

What is Transduction

Answer 11

When sensory receptors detect a stimulus, they undergo a process called transduction, where the sensory receptors convert the physical energy of the stimulus into electrochemical signals, also known as neural impulses or action potentials, this releases neurotransmitters

Question 12

What are phosphenes and how does it related to Muller’s doctrine of specific nerve energies?

Answer 12

Müller’s doctrine of specific nerve energies highlights the idea that sensory experiences are determined more by the neural pathways activated than by the external stimuli themselves. This concept helps us understand phenomena like phosphenes, where the brain interprets nerve signals originating from non-standard sources as typical sensory experiences.

Question 13

State the differences between the Trichromatic Theory and The Opponent Process theory

Answer 13

the Trichromatic Theory explains color vision based on the activity of three types of cones sensitive to different wavelengths of light, while the Opponent Process Theory focuses on color perception through the opposition of color pairs at the level of ganglion cells in the retina.

Question 14

Explain how visual sensation is processed in the brain

Answer 14

The ganglion cells in the retina create the optic nerve, traveling from the retina to the rest of the brain.
The optic nerves send information to the thalamus and then the primary visual cortex. There are 3 visual cortexes but 1 is the primary route

Question 15

What taste is considered “controversial” and what neurotransmitter is it associated with?

Answer 15

Umami, glutamate, MSG

Question 16

Linear Perspective, Relative Size, Overlap, and Texture Gradient are all examples of:

Answer 16

Monocular depth cues

Question 17

Convergence, Accommodation, and Stereopsis are all examples of:

Answer 17

Binocular depth cues