PS101 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Visual Cortex, Optic Chiasm, Subliminal Stimuli
Document Summary
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. It defines the boundaries of an organism"s sensory capabilities. Researchers had to arbitrarily define the absolute threshold as the stimulus intensity detected 50% of the time: vision: a candle flame seen at 50 km on a dark clear night. Hearing: the tick of a watch under quiet conditions at 6 meters. Taste: one teaspoon (5ml) of sugar in 7. 5 litters of water. Smell: one drop of perfume diffused into an entire volume of a six-room apartment. Absolute threshold is simply the jnd from nothing (no stimulus input): weber"s law states that the size of a jnd is a constant proportion of the size of the initial stimulus.
