1/Sensation INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY Dr.

Ron Filler

Sensation
People experience the world through their senses. Brain organizes sensory

information into experiences.

Psychophysics: the study of the relationship between physical nature of stimuli

and a person’s sensory responses

Key Terms to Know:

Intensity: how much stimuli there is

Noise: interference with receiving stimuli

Transduction: the point in the body where the neurons

intercept the outside stimuli

Stimulus: the outside source that the body responds to

Thresholds: the amount of stimulus for the body to become

aware of its existence

**Absolute threshold is the point when someone detects the

presence of a stimulus 50% of the time

**Difference Threshold or the “Just Noticeable Difference” is

the smallest change in a stimulus that will produce a change in
sensation
What is the smallest amount of change it will take to notice the
change?

Weber’s Law states that the larger a stimulus that is present, the
larger the change required for an observer to notice a change

Sensory Adaptation: the body’s ability to adapt to different

amounts of sensory input
2/Sensation INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY Dr. Ron Filler

Signal-Detection Theory: The harder we try to be aware of

sensory input, the better job we do More effort -> More
results

The Senses

External Senses

Wave Senses

A. Vision – supposed most important sense (light waves enter eyes)

Monocular – single picture

Binocular fusion - taking both eyes’ pictures and fusing them together

B. Auditory – hearing

Air Conduction - sound waves enter penna (flap) and vibrate ear
drum (external)

Bone Conduction – psychically moving your mouth/jaw creates internal

movements (internal)

Decibels – measure of a sound’s loudness

10: normal breathing

20: whisper
40: quiet office
60: normal conversation
80: inside car 55 MPH
100: subway train
120: jet at takeoff -- pain usually begins
125: Rock band at 15 feet
140: severe pain
3/Sensation INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY Dr. Ron Filler

Smell and taste are chemical senses.

C. Gustation (Taste)
Tiny pores on tongue that melts food and sends neural message to
brain.
1. Sweet 2. Sour 3. Bitter 4. Salty -> 4 basic tastes
The balance of these 4 basic tastes creates different food
tastes

D. Olfaction (Smell) – more important sense

Chemicals enters nose and pores in the nose send neural
message

E. Somatosenses (Skin) (touch)

• Pressure
• Warmth
• Cold
• Pain

“Gate-Control Theory” of Pain: The brain decides if the sensation is

actually painful or not

Internal Senses

A. Vestibular – Balance (dizziness)

B. Kinesthesis – Movement and body position

C. Internal Body – internal pain (stomachache, fever, hot flash, etc.)

4/Sensation INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY Dr. Ron Filler