PSYCH101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Absolute Threshold, Stroop Effect, Experimental Psychology

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYCH101
• Professor: Ennis Richard

Document Summary

Information comes in through our senses: our brains interpret this information, e. g. You look with your eyes, you see with your brain. Perception takes s a step beyond sensation (context and per(cid:272)eptio(cid:374)(cid:895); also (cid:862)(cid:374)a(cid:373)e these (cid:272)olors(cid:863) - the stroop effect (interference in the reaction time of a task; most cited paper in experimental psychology) Subliminal perception: definition: a stimulus that is so weak or brief that, although it is received by the senses, it cannot be perceived consciously. Subliminal stimuli can be registered in the nervous system, and can affect attitudes and behaviour without our knowing it (to a limited extent) Subliminal messages: what advertisers have discovered is that stimuli above absolute threshold is more powerful than subliminal messages. Involves 2 processes of selection: focusing on a certain stimulus, filtering out other incoming information, shadowing: participants wear earphones and listen simultaneously to 2 messages. Perceptual sets: readiness to perceive stimuli in a particular way, bugelski & alampay (1961)