~ Chapter 1: A Reality Check ~
Sensation vs. Perception (Sensation)
● Sensation involves the process by which our sensory receptors (eyes, ears, skin,
nose) and nervous system receive and represent external stimuli into electrical
signals from the environment.
● Function: It is the detection of physical energy (light, sound waves, pressure) by
the sense organs.
❖ Example: The sound of lightning detected by your ears receptors
Transduction
● Converting your sensory into neural messages
● Information goes from the senses to the Thalamus then to different parts of the
brain
Example:
- Sound waves to sound
- Light energy to vision
- Chemical energy to smell and taste
Perception
● The process of organizing and understanding sensory information
Function: It’s how your brain makes sense of what you see, hear, taste, etc
❖ Example: Identifying the smell of apple pie
Processing
● We must limit & organize first to understand before interpreting the stimuli
● Bottom-Up Processing is when your brain starts with the information from your
senses.
❖ Example: Recognizing a letter by focusing on the lines and curves that makes it
up, as in the “B or 13” example
Selective Attention
● The brain’s ability to focus on one specific task while ignoring other completing
information
❖ Example: You’re reading a book while you’re not paying attention to a fight that’s
going on
Sensation vs. Perception (Sensation)
● Sensation involves the process by which our sensory receptors (eyes, ears, skin,
nose) and nervous system receive and represent external stimuli into electrical
signals from the environment.
● Function: It is the detection of physical energy (light, sound waves, pressure) by
the sense organs.
❖ Example: The sound of lightning detected by your ears receptors
Transduction
● Converting your sensory into neural messages
● Information goes from the senses to the Thalamus then to different parts of the
brain
Example:
- Sound waves to sound
- Light energy to vision
- Chemical energy to smell and taste
Perception
● The process of organizing and understanding sensory information
Function: It’s how your brain makes sense of what you see, hear, taste, etc
❖ Example: Identifying the smell of apple pie
Processing
● We must limit & organize first to understand before interpreting the stimuli
● Bottom-Up Processing is when your brain starts with the information from your
senses.
❖ Example: Recognizing a letter by focusing on the lines and curves that makes it
up, as in the “B or 13” example
Selective Attention
● The brain’s ability to focus on one specific task while ignoring other completing
information
❖ Example: You’re reading a book while you’re not paying attention to a fight that’s
going on
