PSY100H1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Detection Theory, Gustav Fechner, Subliminal Stimuli

• School: UTSG
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY100H1
• Professor: Ashley Waggoner Denton

Document Summary

2 steps of sensing and perceiving the world around us. Step 1: sensation, process of detecting external events by sense organs, i. e. vision. Transduction: specialized receptors that transform physical energy into neural impulses. Formation of a perception: detection of stimulus from a sense, receptors convert stimulus into neural impulse, perception of stimulus takes place in higher regions of brain. Johannes muller: came up with the idea that difference senses are separated in the brain= doctrine of specific nerve energies. Experience is a factor that influences our stimuli"s responses. Orienting responses: the quick transition in which we sense a change in our sensory world due to our stimulus. Sensory adaptation: reduction of activity in sensory receptors with repeated exposure to a stimulus. Psychophysics: explores how physical energy relates to our psychological experience. Absolute threshold: minimum amount of energy of a stimulus required to be reliability detected at least half the time.