1. MEASURING
OUR
SENSES

2. MEASURING OUR SENSES PHYSICS + PSYCHOLOGY = Psychophysics AWESOME!!!
___________________: A field of study that
draws upon physics and psychology to study
the sensitivity of our senses
PHYSICS +
PSYCHOLOGY =
AWESOME!!!

3. THRESHOLDS Absolute Threshold Threshold 50% ________________________:
The smallest quantity of physical energy
that can be reliably detected by an observer
RELIABLE = Detection _____ of the time
EXAMPLE:
What’s the smallest line you will
read correctly 50% of the time?
Threshold
50%

5. NORMAL SENSORY ABILITIES
VISION: A candle flame on a clear, dark night
from _____ miles away.
HEARING: A ticking watch in a perfectly quiet room from _____ feet away
TASTE: A teaspoon of sugar diluted in _____
gallons of water
SMELL: A drop of perfume diffused through a
____-room apartment
TOUCH: Feel the wing of a bee falling on your
cheek from a height of ______ 30 20 2 3
1 cm

6. SENSORY RESPONSES Sensory Adaptation ________________________
The reduction or disappearance of sensory responsiveness that occurs when a stimulation is unchanging or repetitious

7. SENSORY ADAPTATION VERY USEFUL! VERY HARMFUL!
►Feeling the watch on your wrist
► Swimming in a cold lake
VERY HARMFUL!
You might no longer smell a gas leak that
you noticed upon first entering the
kitchen.

8. Ted, your house smells like burnt hair!

9. SENSORY RESPONSES Sensory Deprivation Uhhh, hello? Anyone?
_______________________
The absence of normal levels of sensory stimulation
Uhhh, hello?
Anyone?

10. STUDIES IN SENSORY DEPRIVATION
MALE VOLUNTEERS
Isolated from all patterned sight and sound
Vision was restricted by a translucent visor
Hearing was restricted by a U-shaped pillow and by background noise from an A/C unit or fan
Touch was restricted by cotton gloves and cardboard cuffs
Given brief restroom eating breaks BUT…
Spent their entire day laying in bed, doing
Nothing!

11. Within a few hours, many felt edgy
RESULTS
Within a few hours, many felt edgy
Some were so disoriented, they quit the first day!
Those who remained became confused, restless, and grouchy
Many reported bizarre visions
Example: Squadron of marching squirrels
or a procession of marching eyeglasses
Very few men were willing to remain in the study for more than 2 or 3 days

12. SENSORY RESPONSES Sensory Overload ______________________
Occurs when there is excess stimulation; leads to fatigue and mental exhaustion
EXAMPLE
Finals Week

13. SENSORY OVERLOAD Selective Attention
WE CAN ONLY FOCUS ON ONE THING AT A TIME!!!
_______________________
A.K.A. Cocktail Party Effect
Selective Attention

14. What Do You Remember? What is the detection of physical energy called?
There are billions of these in our bodies which carry electrical messages to the brain.
What does APA stand for?
The smallest quantity of physical energy that can be reliably detected is called the ____________.
5. A normal threshold for seeing candle flame on a clear, dark night is _____ miles away.

15. What Do You Remember?
6. Someone let off a stink bomb in the hallway. At first, the smell is horrendous but after a while you stop noticing it…what is this called?
7. Becoming overwhelmed by the amount of things on your schedule is called...
8. The interpretation of sensory info is called _______
9. Another name for the Cocktail Party Effect.
10. Who ran the Stanford Prison Experiment?