PSYC 2000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Neural Adaptation, Moodle, Habituation
Document Summary
Sensation and perception part 1: sensation. To represent the world, we must detect physical energy (stimuli) from the environment and convert it into neural signals. Sensation occurs when special receptors in the sense organs are activated, allowing various forms of outside stimuli to become neural signals in the brain. This process of converting outside stimuli into neural activity is called transduction- sensory receptors are: perception. When we select, organize, and interpret our sensations. Occurs when we give meaning to our sensations, interpreting them so we can . Absolute threshold: minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus. Difference threshold: minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50% of the time, also called just noticeable difference (jnd, weber"s law. In humans, the difference thresholds (experienced as a just noticeable difference) increase in proportion to the size of the stimulus. Two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage (rather that a constant amount), to be perceived as different.
