What is the transformation of physical stimuli into neural impulses called?
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5.1: Sensation versus PerceptionSensory receptors are specialized neurons that respond to specific types of stimuli. When sensory information is detected by a sensory receptor, sensation has occurred. For example, light that enters the eye causes chemical changes in cells that line the back of the eye. These cells relay messages, in the form of action potentials (as you learned when studying biopsychology), to the central nervous system. The conversion from sensory stimulus energy to action potential is known as transduction. Review QuestionsQ1________ refers to the minimum amount of stimulus energy required to be detected \(50\%\) of the time.
Q2Decreased sensitivity to an unchanging stimulus is known as ________.
Q3________ involves the conversion of sensory stimulus energy into neural impulses.
Q4________ occurs when sensory information is organized, interpreted, and consciously experienced.
Critical Thinking QuestionQ5Not everything that is sensed is perceived. Do you think there could ever be a case where something could be perceived without being sensed? Q6Please generate a novel example of how just noticeable difference can change as a function of stimulus intensity. Personal Application QuestionQ7Think about a time when you failed to notice something around you because your attention was focused elsewhere. If someone pointed it out, were you surprised that you hadn’t noticed it right away? SolutionS1A S2C S3D S4B S5This would be a good time for students to think about claims of extrasensory perception. Another interesting topic would be the phantom limb phenomenon experienced by amputees. S6There are many potential examples. One example involves the detection of weight differences. If two people are holding standard envelopes and one contains a quarter while the other is empty, the difference in weight between the two is easy to detect. However, if those envelopes are placed inside two textbooks of equal weight, the ability to discriminate which is heavier is much more difficult. 5.2: Waves and WavelengthsVisual and auditory stimuli both occur in the form of waves. Although the two stimuli are very different in terms of composition, wave forms share similar characteristics that are especially important to our visual and auditory perceptions. In this section, we describe the physical properties of the waves as well as the perceptual experiences associated with them. Review QuestionsQ1Which of the following correctly matches the pattern in our perception of color as we move from short wavelengths to long wavelengths?
Q2The visible spectrum includes light that ranges from about ________.
Q3The electromagnetic spectrum includes ________.
Q4The audible range for humans is ________.
Q5The quality of a sound that is affected by frequency, amplitude, and timing of the sound wave is known as ________.
Critical Thinking QuestionQ6Why do you think other species have such different ranges of sensitivity for both visual and auditory stimuli compared to humans? Q7Why do you think humans are especially sensitive to sounds with frequencies that fall in the middle portion of the audible range? Personal Application QuestionQ8If you grew up with a family pet, then you have surely noticed that they often seem to hear things that you don’t hear. Now that you’ve read this section, you probably have some insight as to why this may be. How would you explain this to a friend who never had the opportunity to take a class like this? SolutionS1B S2A S3C S4D S5D S6Other species have evolved to best suit their particular environmental niches. For example, the honeybee relies on flowering plants for survival. Seeing in the ultraviolet light might prove especially helpful when locating flowers. Once a flower is found, the ultraviolet rays point to the center of the flower where the pollen and nectar are contained. Similar arguments could be made for infrared detection in snakes as well as for the differences in audible ranges of the species described in this section. S7Once again, one could make an evolutionary argument here. Given that the human voice falls in this middle range and the importance of communication among humans, one could argue that it is quite adaptive to have an audible range that centers on this particular type of stimulus. 5.3: VisionThe visual system constructs a mental representation of the world around us. This contributes to our ability to successfully navigate through physical space and interact with important individuals and objects in our environments. This section will provide an overview of the basic anatomy and function of the visual system. In addition, we will explore our ability to perceive color and depth. Review QuestionsQ1The ________ is a small indentation of the retina that contains cones.
Q2________ operate best under bright light conditions.
Q3________ depth cues require the use of both eyes.
Q4If you were to stare at a green dot for a relatively long period of time and then shift your gaze to a blank white screen, you would see a ________ negative afterimage.
Critical Thinking QuestionQ5Compare the two theories of color perception. Are they completely different? Q6Color is not a physical property of our environment. What function (if any) do you think color vision serves? Personal Application QuestionQ7Take a look at a few of your photos or personal works of art. Can you find examples of linear perspective as a potential depth cue? SolutionS1C S2A S3B S4D S5The trichromatic theory of color vision and the opponent-process theory are not mutually exclusive. Research has shown they apply to different levels of the nervous system. For visual processing on the retina, trichromatic theory applies: the cones are responsive to three different wavelengths that represent red, blue, and green. But once the signal moves past the retina on its way to the brain, the cells respond in a way consistent with opponent-process theory. S6Color vision probably serves multiple adaptive purposes. One popular hypothesis suggests that seeing in color allowed our ancestors to differentiate ripened fruits and vegetables more easily. 5.4: HearingThis section will provide an overview of the basic anatomy and function of the auditory system. It will include a discussion of how the sensory stimulus is translated into neural impulses, where in the brain that information is processed, how we perceive pitch, and how we know where sound is coming from. Review QuestionsQ1Hair cells located near the base of the basilar membrane respond best to ________ sounds.
Q2The three ossicles of the middle ear are known as ________.
Q3Hearing aids might be effective for treating ________.
Q4Cues that require two ears are referred to as ________ cues.
Critical Thinking QuestionQ5Given what you’ve read about sound localization, from an evolutionary perspective, how does sound localization facilitate survival? Q6How can temporal and place theories both be used to explain our ability to perceive the pitch of sound waves with frequencies up to \(4000\) Hz? Personal Application QuestionQ7If you had to choose to lose either your vision or your hearing, which would you choose and why? SolutionS1B S2D S3C S4D S5Sound localization would have allowed early humans to locate prey and protect themselves from predators. S6Pitch of sounds below this threshold could be encoded by the combination of the place and firing rate of stimulated hair cells. So, in general, hair cells located near the tip of the basilar membrane would signal that we’re dealing with a lower-pitched sound. However, differences in firing rates of hair cells within this location could allow for fine discrimination between low-, medium-, and high-pitch sounds within the larger low-pitch context. 5.5: The Other SensesVision and hearing have received an incredible amount of attention from researchers over the years. While there is still much to be learned about how these sensory systems work, we have a much better understanding of them than of our other sensory modalities. In this section, we will explore our chemical senses (taste and smell) and our body senses (touch, temperature, pain, balance, and body position). Review QuestionsQ1Chemical messages often sent between two members of a species to communicate something about reproductive status are called ________.
Q2Which taste is associated with monosodium glutamate?
Q3________ serve as sensory receptors for temperature and pain stimuli.
Q4Which of the following is involved in maintaining balance and body posture?
Critical Thinking QuestionQ5Many people experience nausea while traveling in a car, plane, or boat. How might you explain this as a function of sensory interaction? Q6If you heard someone say that they would do anything not to feel the pain associated with significant injury, how would you respond given what you’ve just read? Q7Do you think women experience pain differently than men? Why do you think this is? Personal Application QuestionQ8As mentioned earlier, a food’s flavor represents an interaction of both gustatory and olfactory information. Think about the last time you were seriously congested due to a cold or the flu. What changes did you notice in the flavors of the foods that you ate during this time? SolutionS1B S2C S3A S4D S5When traveling by car, we often have visual information that suggests that we are in motion while our vestibular sense indicates that we’re not moving (assuming we’re traveling at a relatively constant speed). Normally, these two sensory modalities provide congruent information, but the discrepancy might lead to confusion and nausea. The converse would be true when traveling by plane or boat. S6Pain serves important functions that are critical to our survival. As noxious as pain stimuli may be, the experiences of individuals who suffer from congenital insensitivity to pain makes the consequences of a lack of pain all too apparent. S7Research has shown that women and men do differ in their experience of and tolerance for pain: Women tend to handle pain better than men. Perhaps this is due to women’s labor and childbirth experience. Men tend to be stoic about their pain and do not seek help. Research also shows that gender differences in pain tolerance can vary across cultures. 5.6: Gestalt Principles of PerceptionGestalt psychology centers around the belief that perception involves more than simply combining sensory stimuli. The word gestalt means form or pattern, but its use reflects the idea that the whole is different from the sum of its parts. In other words, the brain creates a perception that is more than simply the sum of available sensory inputs, and it does so in predictable ways. Gestalt psychologists translated these predictable ways into principles by which we organize sensory information. Review QuestionsQ1According to the principle of ________, objects that occur close to one another tend to be grouped together.
Q2Our tendency to perceive things as complete objects rather than as a series of parts is known as the principle of ________.
Q3According to the law of ________, we are more likely to perceive smoothly flowing lines rather than choppy or jagged lines.
Q4The main point of focus in a visual display is known as the ________.
Critical Thinking QuestionQ5The central tenet of Gestalt psychology is that the whole is different from the sum of its parts. What does this mean in the context of perception? Q6Take a look at the following figure. How might you influence whether people see a duck or a rabbit?  Personal Application QuestionQ7Have you ever listened to a song on the radio and sung along only to find out later that you have been singing the wrong lyrics? Once you found the correct lyrics, did your perception of the song change? SolutionS1C S2A S3B S4D S5This means that perception cannot be understood completely simply by combining the parts. Rather, the relationship that exists among those parts (which would be established according to the principles described in this chapter) is important in organizing and interpreting sensory information into a perceptual set. S6Playing on their expectations could be used to influence what they were most likely to see. For instance, telling a story about Peter Rabbit and then presenting this image would bias perception along rabbit lines. Contributor
5.E: Sensation and Perception (Exercises) is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts. What is the term for the transformation of a physical stimulus into neural signals?Sensation: the process by which we receive physical energy from the environment and encode it into neural signals. Perception: the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information.
What converts a stimuli into a nerve impulse?A sensory neuron picks up stimuli from the internal or external environment and converts each stimulus into a nerve impulse. An interneuron is a neuron that carries nerve impulses from one neuron to another. A motor neuron sends an impulse to a muscle or gland, and the muscle or gland then reacts in response.
What is the name for the process of converting a stimulus into an action potential?In physiology, transduction is the translation of arriving stimulus into an action potential by a sensory receptor. It begins when stimulus changes the membrane potential of a receptor cell.
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