PSYC 1010 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Lateral Geniculate Nucleus, Parallax, Seta

• School: York University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 1010
• Professor: Rebecca Jubis

Document Summary

Sensation is the stimulation of sense organs. Perception is the selection, organization, and interpretation of sensory input. Sensation involves the absorption of energy, such as light or sound waves, by sensory organs, such as the ears and eyes. Perception involves organizing and translating sensory input into something meaningful, such as your best friend"s face or other environmental stimuli. Psychophysics the study of how physical stimuli are translated into psychological experience. A threshold is a dividing point between energy levels that do and do not have detectable effect. An absolute threshold for a specific type of sensory input is the minimum amount of stimulation that an organism can detect. Absolute thresholds define the boundaries of an organism"s sensory capabilities. As stimulus intensity increases, subject"s probability of responding to stimuli gradually increases. A just noticeable difference (jnd) is the smallest difference in the amount of stimulation that a specific sense can detect.