PSYC-485 485 485want to explore how the mind works??– Want to learn?• How people acquire new knowledge• How people make judgments• Experimental design, Data analyses (Excel & SPSS)• Start your own research projectThis will be the ideal position.Contact: Dr. Yamauchi (845-2503; [email protected],Rm. 257 –Psyc bldg)1Sensation and Perceptionpsyc 320Ch 1 1Takashi Yamauchi© Takashi Yamauchi (Dept. of Psychology, Texas A&M University)Sensation & Perception• Ch. 1: Introduction to perception•Main topicsCh 1 2•Main topics– Perceptual processes– How to study perception– How to measure perception• Sensation & Perception• How is this course different from other psychology courses?Ch 1 3–learn sensation & perception–Some very basic form of mind (sensing & perceiving)–Deal with fundamental principles of psychologyQuestions:• What is perception?Perception is about perceiving.What is perceiving?Ch 1 4What is perceiving? What do we do when we perceive?We see, smell, hear, feel, taste, …What tools do we have for perceiving?• Eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin, –eyes  see, – ears  hear, Ch 1 5– nose  smell, – tongue  taste, – skin  feel (temperature)– skin  feel (touch)What do eyes, a nose, ears, a tongue, and skin do?• Eye:•Ear:•Nose:Ch 1 6•Nose:• Tongue:• Skin:2What does the eye do?• Eye:Seeing, Ch 1 7– detecting lightyes but what is seeing?What is light?electromagnetic energyWhat is electromagnetic energy?• Electro + magnetic + energy = electromagnetic energyCh 1 8• Electromagnetic energy is a stream of photons.What are photons?• They are massless particles each traveling in a wave-like pattern and moving at the speed of light. • The smallest (quantum) unit of Ch 1 9(q )light/electromagnetic energy. • It is the carrier of electromagnetic radiation of all wavelengths– such as gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet light, visible light, infrared light, microwaves, and radio waves.So what is “seeing”?• Detecting some form of the movement of photons (electromagnetic radiation).Ch 1 10What does the ear do?Hears soundWhat is sound?Ch 1 11the vibration of air.What is the vibration of air?Where do they come from?Air moves when something else movesWhat does the nose do?•Nose:is for smellingCh 1 12–Where does smelling come from?–Smelling is a “sensation caused by odorant molecules dissolved in air.” (Wikipeida.org)3Odorant molecules? What are they?• Odorant (aroma compound)•  chemical compound (e.g., H2O; a chemical substance of two or more different Ch 1 13chemical elements.)• Where do they come from?– Organic compounds  foods, flowers, – Inorganic compounds  ammonia,…Taste• How do we get that?– From our tongues.Ch 1 14• Where do we get that?– From foods we eat.– From specific chemicals. What does the skin do?• Detect temperature:•What is temperature?Ch 1 15What is temperature?• It is about how hot or cold something is.• How does something get hot or cold?• Temperature is the result of the motion of particles which make up a substance. • Temperature increases as the energy of this motion increases. (wikipedia)What does the skin do?feels touchingIt responds tomechanical stimulation orCh 1 16–It responds to mechanical stimulation or pressureSo, what is perception?• Perception is a system that tells us about anenvironmentCh 1 17about anenvironment.Eye, ear, nose, tongue & skin• They are sensors.•Theyaredetecting some kind of changes inCh 1 18•They are detecting some kind of changes in an environment.4So, studying perception we need to study• How the eye works,• How the ear works,•How the nose worksCh 1 19•How the nose works,• How the tongue works, and• How the skin works• Is that all?What tools do we have for perceiving?• Eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin, –Eyes  see, ears  hear, nose  smell, – tongue  taste, skin  feelA th ll?Ch 1 20•Are these all?• NO! Brain (not Bryan)The brain is the locus of perception• the study of perception entails the study of the brain and behavior.Ch 1 21A quick demonstration• Tell me what you see.Ch 1 22Ch 1 23 Ch 1 245(A)(B)Ch 1 25(A)(B)Visual Illusions• Why does this happen?•Tell me what these illusions teach usCh 1 26•Tell me what these illusions teach us.What is perception?• Perception involves:– Detecting the information in the environment.–Sending the information to the brain, andCh 1 27Sending the information to the brain, and interpreting it.• Perception is about– Detecting and interpretingLet’s have some break.• Listen to music• See a paintingCh 1 28Ch 1 29Henri Rousseau: The DreamWhat’s going on?• Perception is about detecting, but also more than detecting.Ch 1 306What’s going on when we see the pictures?• When we listen to beautiful music, we often see a picture.•When we see a beautiful picture we hearCh 1 31When we see a beautiful picture, we hear music. How come?How come?–Different types of physical information (air vibration, light energy) are translated into a common language in the brain–  neural informationEi lSi li( lih )Ch 1 32Environmental Stimuli (e.g., light energy)TransductionNeural ProcessingPerceptionCh 1 33 Ch 1 34Key points:• Perception is about finding out what is going on in an environment.• Perceptual organs (eyes, ears, nose, skin, a tongue) are basically detectors (sensors)Ch 1 35• Perception requires transforming physical information (e.g., light) into neural information.• Perception also involves “interpretation,” which is carried out by the brain.Studying perception• How perceptual detectors work.• How physical information is transformed (e g light)into neural informationCh 1 36(e.g., light) into neural information.• How neural information is processed in the brain. • How neural information is interpreted and triggers a specific form of perception.7How come?–Different types of physical information (air vibration, light energy) are transformed into a common neural language in the brain–  neural informationEi lSi li( lih )Ch 1 37Environmental Stimuli (e.g., light energy)TransductionNeural ProcessingPerceptionDemonstration (attention & perception)• An interaction between– attention and perceptioncognition and perceptionCh 1 38–cognition and perception• Tell me what you see.•Tired•Old•Sick•Dark•SlowCh 1 39• Heavy• Hospital• ugly• death• Beautiful•