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Sensation

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4 views9 pages

Sensation

Uploaded by

blankmatter
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Sensation

Sensation

 Sensation is the stimulation of sensory receptors and the transmission of sensory


information
to the central nervous system (the spinal cord and brain).
Sensory receptors are located in sensory organs such as the eyes and ears.
 The stimulation of the senses is automatic. It results from sources of energy like light
and sound or from the presence of chemicals, as in smell and taste.
 Perception is the psychological process through which we interpret sensory
stimulation.
 Perception reflects learning, expectations, and attitudes
 Absolute threshold is the weakest amount of a stimulus that can be sensed.
Absolute thresholds for humans have been determined for the senses of vision,
hearing, smell, taste, and touch.
 However, our absolute thresholds for a particular stimulus differ, not only from
animals, but also from person to person.
 Some people are more sensitive to certain sensory stimuli than others are. These
differences can stem from both psychological and biological factors.
 The minimum amount of difference that can be detected between two stimuli is known
as the difference threshold.
 The smallest amount of difference you can see in order to distinguish between the two
shades of blue is your difference threshold. Just as with absolute threshold, people’s
individual difference thresholds vary slightly.
 Our sensory systems adapt to a changing environment. Sensory adaptation is the
process
by which we become more sensitive to weak stimuli and less sensitive to unchanging
stimuli. For example, as time goes by in the darkened movie theater, you’re able to see
the people around you much better.
 Signal-detection theory is a method of distinguishing sensory stimuli that takes into
account not only the stimuli’s strengths but also such variable elements as the setting,
your physical state, your mood, and your attitudes.
 For example, if the place where you are now reading is buzzing with distracting signals
such as a breeze against your face, the shadow of passing clouds, or the voices of
passers by, you will be able to ignore those influences as long as you are motivated to
keep reading.

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