CHAPTER 3: Sensation and Perception Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin Prepared by Michael J. Renner, Ph.D. These slides ©2001 Prentice Hall Psychology Publishing. CHAPTER 3: Sensation and Perception ©2001 Prentice Hall

Sensation and Perception Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Sensation and Perception Measuring the Sensory Experience Sensation Perception Extrasensory Perception Chapter outline Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Sensation and Perception Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Sensation and Perception Sensation The processes by which our sense organs receive information from the environment. Transduction The process by which physical energy is converted into sensory neural impulses. Perception The processes by which people select, organize, and interpret sensations. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Sensation & Perception Processes Figure 3.2 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Measuring Sensory Experience Research and Theory Psychophysics The study of the relationship between physical stimulation and subjective sensations. Signal-Detection Theory The theory that detecting a stimulus is jointly determined by the signal and the subject’s response criterion. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Measuring Sensory Experience Thresholds Absolute Threshold The smallest amount of stimulation that can be detected. Just Noticeable Difference (JND) The smallest amount of change in a stimulus that can be detected. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Measuring Sensory Experience Absolute Sensory Thresholds Vision: A single candle flame from 30 miles on a dark, clear night Hearing: The tick of a watch from 20 feet in total quiet Smell: 1 drop of perfume in a 6-room apartment Taste: 1 teaspoon sugar in 2 gallons of water Touch: The wing of a bee on your cheek, dropped from 1 cm From: Davis, S., & Palladino, J. (1997). Discovering Psychology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall Sensation Vision Hearing Other Senses Keeping the Signals Straight Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Vision The Electromagnetic Spectrum Figure 3.3 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Vision Structures of the Human Eye Figure 3.4 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Source: Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall Vision Structures of the Human Eye Cornea Clear outer membrane that bends light to focus it in the eye. Pupil The hole in the iris through which light passes. Lens The structure that focuses light on the retina. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Vision The Retina The rear of the eye where rods and cones convert light into neural impulses. Figure 3.5 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Vision Visual Pathways Optic Nerve Pathway that carries visual information from the eyeball to the brain. Figure 3.7 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Vision Hubel & Wiesel’s Experiment Some cells in the visual cortex respond only to certain types of visual information, for example, a diagonal line moving up and down. These cells are called feature detectors. Figure 3.8 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Source: Hubel, D. H.., & Wiesel, T.N. (196Davis 2). Receptive fields, binocular interaction and functional architecture in the cat’s visual cortex. Journal of Physiology, 160,106-154. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Vision Trichromatic Theory T. Young (1802) & H. von Helmholtz (1852) both proposed that the eye detects 3 primary colors: red, blue, & green. All other colors can be derived by combining these three. Figure 3.9 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Vision Afterimage Figure 3.10 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Vision The Color Wheel Spectral colors vary from violet-blue to red 470 to 700 nanometer wavelength Opponent colors are directly across from each other on the wheel. Figure 3.11 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Vision Test of Color Deficiency Figure 3.12 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall Vision Opponent-Process Theory Color vision is derived from three pairs of opposing receptors. The opponent colors are blue and yellow, red and green, and black and white. Theory explains afterimages and color deficiency. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Hearing The Human Ear Audition The sense of hearing Figure 3.13 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Hearing Auditory Localization The ability to judge from which direction a sound is coming Sounds from different directions are not identical as they arrive at left and right ears. The brain calculates a sound’s location by using differences in timing and intensity. Figure 3.14 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall Hearing Hearing Disabilities Conduction Hearing Loss Caused by damage to the eardrum or bones in the middle ear. Sensorineural Hearing Loss Caused by damage to the structures of the inner ear. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall

Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall Hearing Common Sounds and the Noise They Produce Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Other Senses Olfactory System Structures responsible for the sense of smell Figure 3.16 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Other Senses Taste Buds Nets of taste-receptor cells This is a photograph of tongue surface (top), magnified 75 times. 10,000 taste buds line the tongue and mouth. Children have more taste buds than adults do. There are four primary tastes: sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. Figure 3.17 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Other Senses Sensitivity to Touch Figure 3.18 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Other Senses The Thermal Grill Temperature When a person grasps two braided water pipes – one with cold water running through it and one with warm water – the sensation is “burning hot” and painful. There are two separate pathways for warmth and cold. Figure 3.19 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Other Senses Pain Gate-control Theory Theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological “gate”that blocks pain signals for the brain when flooded by competing signals. Psychological control Mind over sensation, distraction Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall Other Senses Coordination Kinesthetic System Structures distributed throughout body that sense position and movement of body parts. Vestibular System The inner ear and brain structures that afford a sense of equilibrium. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall

Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall Keeping the Signals Straight Synesthesia Rare condition in which stimulation in one sensory modality triggers sensations in another sensory modality. Each sensory system designed to operate separately from the others. Selective Adaptation A decline in sensitivity to a stimulus as a result of constant exposure. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Perception Perceptual Organization Perceptual Constancies Depth and Dimension Perceptual Set The World of Illusions Section outline ©2001 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Perceptual Organization Reversible Figures Drawings that one can perceive in different ways by reversing figure and ground. Gestalt Psychology School of thought rooted in the idea that the whole is different from the sum of its parts. Figure 3.20 (lady/girl) and 3.21 (rabbit/duck) from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Quote from: Shephard, R. N. (1990). Mind Sights. New York: W. H. Freeman. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Perceptual Organization Gestalt Laws of Grouping Proximity Seeing 3 pair of lines in A Similarity Seeing columns of orange and red dots in B Continuity Seeing lines that connect 1 to 2 and 3 to 4 in C Closure Seeing a horse in D Figure 3.23 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Perceptual Organization Identifying Objects Geons (geometric icons) are simple 3D component shapes. A limited number are stored in memory. Geons are combined to identify essential contours of objects. Figure 3.25 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Source: Biederman, I. (1987). Recognition-by-components: A theory of human image understanding. Psychological Review, 94, 115-147. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall Perceptual Constancies Size Constancy The tendency to view an object as constant in size despite changes in the size of the retinal image. Shape Constancy The tendency to see an object as keeping its form despite changes in orientation. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall

Perceptual Constancies The Ames Room Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Perceptual Constancies The Ames Room A specially-built room that makes people seem to change size as they move around in it The room is not a rectangle, as viewers assume it is. A single peephole prevents using binocular depth cues. Figure 3.25 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Perceptual Constancies Shape Constancy Figure 3.26 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Even though these images cast shadows of different shapes, they still are seen as round. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall Depth and Dimension Depth Perception The use of visual cues to estimate depth and distance. Convergence A binocular cue involving the turning inward of the eyes as an object gets closer. Binocular Disparity A binocular cue whereby the closer an object is, the more different the image is in each retina. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall

Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall Depth and Dimension Monocular Depth Cues Distance cues that enable the perception of depth with one eye. Relative Image Size Texture Gradient Linear Perspective Interposition Atmospheric Perspective Relative Elevation Familiarity Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Depth and Dimension The Visual Cliff Devised by Eleanor Gibson and Richard Walk to test depth perception in infants and animals. Provides visual illusion of a cliff. Caregiver stands across the gap. Babies are not afraid until about the age they can crawl. Figure 3.27 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Perceptual Set What is seen in the center figures depends on the order in which one looks at the figures: If scanned from the left, a man’s face is seen. If scanned from the right, a woman’s figure is seen. Figure 3.28 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Perceptual Set Context Effects The same physical stimulus can be interpreted differently depending on perceptual set, e.g., context effects. When is the middle character the letter B and when is it the number 13? Figure 3.29 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall The World of Illusions The Müller-Lyer Illusion Illusion in which the perceived length of a line is altered by the position of other lines that enclose it Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 The World of Illusions The Ponzo Illusion Illusion in which the perceived line length is affected by linear perspective cues. Side lines seem to converge Top line seems farther away But the retinal images of the red lines are equal. Figure 3.32 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 Extrasensory Perception The Case for ESP The Case against ESP The Continuing Controversy Section outline ©2001 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 The Case for ESP Extrasensory Perception (ESP) The ability to perceive something without ordinary sensory information. This has not been scientifically demonstrated. Parapsychologists distinguish between three types of ESP: Telepathy – Mind-to-mind communication Clairvoyance – Perception of remote events Precognition – Ability to see future events Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Sensation & Perception 4/16/2017 The Case against ESP ESP Cards J. B. Rhine conducted many experiments on ESP using stimuli such as these. Rhine believed that his evidence supported the existence of ESP, but his findings were flawed.. Figure 3.33 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall ©2001 Prentice Hall

Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall The Continuing Controversy The ganzfield procedure Researchers disagree about the reliability of studies done to replicate the ganzfield test. Visit www.randi.org/ for information about the James Randi Educational Foundation’s million-dollar paranormal challenge. Psychology, 4/e by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall