1. SENSATION AND PERCEPTION

2. Sensation: the stimulation of sense organs---absorption of energy (light/sound waves) Perception: selection, organization, and interpretation of sensory input---organizing and translating absorbed energy

3. PSYCHOPHYSICS: BASIC CONCEPTS AND ISSUES Def: study of how physical stimuli are translated into psychological experience Gustav Fechner: published idea in 1860; laid the groundwork for Wundt

4. THRESHOLDS: LOOKING FOR LIMITS Def: a dividing pt. btwn energy levels that do and do not have a detectable affect What is the weakest detectable stimulus for any given sense?

5. ABSOLUTE THRESHOLD Def: the minimum amount of stimulation that an organism can detect Define boundaries of sensory capabilities Not really absolute

6. JUST NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE Def: the smallest difference in the amount of stimulation that a specific sense can detect Greater for heavier objects Weber’s Law: the size of a JND is a constant proportion (Weber’s fraction) of the size of the initial stimulus

7. PSYCHOPHYSICAL SCALING Fechner’s Law: the magnitude of a sensory experience is proportional to the # of JNDs that the stimulus causing the experience is above absolute threshold

8. SIGNAL DETECTION THEORY The detection of stimuli involves decision processes, which are both influenced by a variety of factors besides stimulus intensity Hits, misses, false alarms, correct rejections Depend on criterion and “noise”

9. PERCEPTION WITHOUT AWARENESS Subliminal Perception: registration of sensory input w/o conscious awareness James Vicary Produces weak effects

10. SENSORY ADAPTATION Def: a gradual decline in sensitivity to prolonged stimulation Automatic Tunes in to changes, not constants