PSYC 101 Lecture 8: Touch & Pain perception
Document Summary
> chemical molecules in the air dissolve in mucus. > the skin communicates information about pressure, temperature & pain to the cortex. > pain signals that there is damage to body tissue. > the same amount of tissue damage can lead to experience pains of different intensity. > a gate in the spinal cord can either block or transmit a pain message to the rest of the body. Distraction & other stimulation can keep the gate shut. > gate theory does not explain phantom limb pain. Fluid-filled structures in the inner ear signal the position of the body relative to gravity. Receptors in joints, muscles & tendons provide information about the position of body parts relative to one another. > sensation from various modalities is integrated into a single perception. > differ in cycles per second & amplitude. > biological rhythms influence the functioning of the nervous system, & thus also conscious experience.