PSY100H1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Psychophysics, Motion Perception, Olfaction

• School: UTSG
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY100H1
• Professor: doldeman

Document Summary

How our sense organs respond to external stimuli and transmit responses to brain. Processing of detected sensory signals that result in internal representation of stimulus. Based on prior experience, shapes our expectation during identification of sensory experience. What we see or hear is the result of brain processes that actively construct perceptual experience. How do we sense our world? convert physical energy into signals brain can understand i. e. nocturnal animals: poor vision, superb hearing. Sensory coding: how sensory organs translate stimulus"s physical properties into neural impulses diff features coded by diff patterns. Quantitative: transduction: sensory receptors produce neural impulses when receive physical/chemical stimulation: neural impulses interpreted as sight, smell, sound, touch or taste. Sensation: transducted messages carried by nerve impulses. By comparing and integrating activity get final percept. Psychophysics examines psychological experiences of physical stimuli test limits of human sensory systems. Absolute threshold: minimum intensity of stimulation that must occur before we can experience a sensation.