PSYC 2000 Chapter : Chapter 3
Document Summary
Sensation and perception: sensation: process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment, perception: process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events. Psychophysics: psychophysics: study of the relationship between physical characteristics of stimuli and. Thresholds: absolute threshold: minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time, subliminal threshold: when stimuli are below one"s absolute threshold for conscious awareness. Signal detection theory: signal detection theory: predicts how and when we detect a signal amid noise, assumes detection partly depends on a person"s experience, expectations, motivation, and alertness, example, you"re driving a bus with 12 passengers. At your first stop, 6 passengers get off. At the third stop, 2 more get off but. Subliminal messages: priming: the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one"s perception, memory, or response. Difference thresholds: difference threshold: minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection.
