MARK2051 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Neural Adaptation, Absolute Threshold, Gestalt Psychology
Lecture 4: Stimulus Perception
What is a stimulus?
Contact of an object/event in environment with the consumer’s sense organs (and is
thus perceived)
Object: physical quantity in the external environment that is independent to the
consumer
Event: change in the physical object
Sensory organs
Sense Organ
Stimulus
Eyes
Light
Ears
Pressure waves
Olfactory system
Chemical compounds
Taste buds
Chemical compounds
Skin receptors
Pressure, heat
Eyes:
Principles of visual perception:
Trichromatic Theory
• S cone (blue)
• M (green)
• L (red)
Opponent Process Theory
• Blue-yellow
• Green-red
• Black-white
Ears:
1. Pitch: frequency soundwaves pass a fixed point in a unit of time
2. Loudness: sound intensity
Olfactory:
• 10 million rods responding to airborne chemicals
• Directly connected to brain, so related to memories and emotions
Taste buds:
• Senses dissolved chemical compounds
Document Summary
Contact of an object/event in environment with the consumer"s sense organs (and is thus perceived) Object: physical quantity in the external environment that is independent to the consumer. Trichromatic theory: s cone (blue, m (green, l (red) Ears: pitch: frequency soundwaves pass a fixed point in a unit of time, loudness: sound intensity. Olfactory: 10 million rods responding to airborne chemicals, directly connected to brain, so related to memories and emotions. Taste buds: senses dissolved chemical compounds, perception of food is a combination of different sensations (temperature, taste, smell, touch, texture) Sensation: transduction (conversion of input energy by sensory receptors into electrical currents used as signals) of energy by sensory receptors: stimulus has been sensed once sensory organism has reacted appropriately to stimulus. Perception: interpretation and organisation of sensations (resolving ambiguity). It is the process of: translating sensory simulation into information.
