University of Phoenix Material
Week One Worksheet
Respond to the following questions in 75 to 150 words each.
1. Differentiate between sensation and perception. Explain the importance of separating these concepts.
Perception by definition means being able to hear, see, or being aware of something by using your senses. Sensation is the process by which a physical stimulus is picked up by a sense and is interpreted by the brain. Although seemly the same, they are quite different in the way they process information. It is important to know that perception happens after sensation. It brings meaning to sensation. After the brain interprets information through the sensory system, you are able to “make sense” of it with perception (Sincero, 2013).
Reference:
Sarah Mae Sincero (Jun 6, 2013). Sensation and Perception. Retrieved Oct7, 2015 from Explorable.com: https://explorable.com/sensation-and-perception
2. Identify the biological factors that influence sensation and perception.
The biological factors that influence sensation are absolute and difference threshold, signal detection theory, and sensory adaption. Absolute threshold is the point when are sense notices something. In other words it is when a stimuli goes undetectable to detectable to our senses (Heffner, 2015, "Chapter 5: Section 2: Sensation"). Difference threshold is basically change in the stimulus. The amount of change needed for someone to notice a difference in the particular sense. Signal detention theory refers to when a person attempts to focus on or minimize a given stimuli. Lastly is sensory adaption, which refers to a point where a person is able to get used to a particular stimuli and become less sensitive to it.
Reference:
Goldstein, E. Bruce. Sensation and Perception, 9e, 9th Edition. Cengage Learning, 2013. VitalBook file.
Heffner, C. (2015). AllPsych. Retrieved from http://allpsych.com/psychology101/sensation_perception/#.Vhxl7_lViko.
3. As we...