PSYC 2390 Chapter 2: Chapter 2
15 Feb 2012
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Document Summary
Chapter 2: introduction to the physiology of perception. Stimuli, first in the environment and then on the receptors, create electrical signals in the nervous system. These signals are transformed into experiences of the senses. This chapter focuses on the physiological approach to understanding the connection between electrical signals in the nervous system and perception. The heart was the seat of the mind and soul. Saw human health, thoughts, and emotions as being determined by 4 different spirits flowing from the ventricles (cavities in the center of the brain) Still accepted the idea of the flowing spirits, but specified the pineal gland (which was thought to be located above the ventricles) as the seat of the soul. Early focus was on determining the anatomical structures involved in the operation of the mind. Early hypotheses about the seat of the mind. The brain as the seat of the mind. Willis conclusions were correct, but details of the mechanisms involved were unknown.
