PSYC 1001 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Sound Intensity, Monochromacy, Prosopagnosia

• School: Carleton University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 1001
• Professor: Bruce Tsuji

Document Summary

Automatic, parallel - sensation: multiple things happening simultaneously. Components of stimulus detected by sensory receptors. (retina, ears, skin nerves, etc) Bits of information transmitted to brain, combined & assembled into whole pattern that a person perceives. Non-automatic, serial - perception: uses mental energy expenditure. Helps find meaningful links between individual elements taken in by sensory receptors. Absolute threshold: difference between not perceiving & just being able to perceive a stimulus, minimum sensory stimulation that can be detected 50% of time. 1 tsp of sugar dissolved in 7. 6 litres of water. 1 drop of perfume in a 3-room house. Fly"s wing falling 1 cm on your cheek. Difference threshold: smallest increase or decrease in stimulus for just noticeable difference (jnd) detectable 50% of time. Jnd a percentage of total value of stimulus. Signal detection theory: detection of stimulus depends on more than physical intensity of stimulus & sensory abilities of observer.