Sensation and Perception Test

The process by which we receive, transform, and process stimuli from our outside world

AKA = What occurs when a stimulus activates a receptor which creates the sensory experiences

• Sensation

• Perception

• Threshold

• Weber's Law

The way by which the brain organizes and interprets sensory information into meaningful experiences and representations of our external world

• Sensation

• Perception

• Threshold

• Weber's Law

the weakest amount of a stimulus that a person can reliably detect 50 percent of the time. This includes vision, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.

• Absolute threshold

• Perception

• Sensation

• Weber's Law

The principle that for any change in a stimulus to be detected, a constant proportion of that stimulus must be added or subtracted. The larger or stronger the stimulus, the larger the change required for a person to notice the difference.

EX: 3 lbs. – 6 lbs. = easily noticed

100 lbs. – 103 lbs. = hardly noticed

• Weber's Law

• Difference Threshold

• Signal detection theory

• Sensory Adaptation

the minimal difference between two stimuli that people can reliably detect.

AKA – Just Noticeable Difference

• Difference threshold

• Threshold

• Absolute Threshold

• Sensory Adaptation

belief that the detection of a stimulus depends on factors involving the intensity of the stimulus, the level of background stimulation, and the biological and psychological characteristics of the perceiver.

EX: more likely to notice every little noise while walking alone in the dark as opposed to, while walking in the daylight.

• Signal detection theory

• Sensory adaptation

• Perception

• Sensation

Senses are most responsive to increases and decreases, and to new events rather than to ongoing, unchanging stimuli.

EX: Eyes adjust to a dark bedroom after a few minutes. Adaptation occurs for the other senses as well

• Sensory Adaptation

• Visual Adaptation

• Perception

• Absolute Threshold

sensitive to lower levels of light and are the basis for night vision (peripheral vision)

i. Allows us to see in black and white

ii. We have between 75 – 150 million rods

• Rods

• Cones

require more light than rods and work best in daylight

i. Allows us to see in color

ii. We have between 6-7 million cones

• Rods

• Cones

A transparent covering on the eye’s surface through which light enters

• Cornea

• Pupil

• Lens

• Retina

• Fovea