PSYCH 111 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Optic Chiasm, Detection Theory, Trichromacy
Document Summary
Psych 111: introduction to psychology - lecture 4: chapter four. Stimulus detection process where our sense organs respond to and translate stimuli into nerve impulses sent to the brain. Active process of organizing stimulus input and giving it meaning. The lowest intensity at which a stimulus can be detected at least 50% of the time. The minimum change in a stimulus that can be detected. The difference threshold is directly proportional to the magnitude of the stimulus to which the comparison is being made. Whether or not you pick up a difference. If a heavy backpack has pencils added to it, you wouldn"t feel it but if a textbook is added, you"d notice. Larger and larger increases in physical energy are required to produce equal increases in perception. Often involves a process of decisions in addition to sensation. Over time, neurons decrease activity in response to a constant stimulus.
