Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
In order to take this course, you must:
√ have access to a computer;
√ have continuous broadband internet access;
√ have the ability/permission to install plug-ins or software (e.g. Adobe Reader or Flash);
√ have the ability to download and save files and documents to a computer;
√ use either Windows XP, Mac OS X 10.4.x or, a more recent operating system;
√ have the ability to open Microsoft Office files and documents (doc, ppt, xls, docx, pptx, xlsx, etc.);
√ be competent in the English language;
√ have read the Saylor Student Handbook;
√ have completed PSYCH101and PSYCH202A.
*NOTE: Completion of PSYCH203/BIO101is recommended but not required.
Welcome to PSYCH306. Below, please find general information on the course and its requirements.
Primary Resources: This course is composed of a range of different free, online materials. However, the course makes primary use of the following materials:
Requirements for Completion: To complete this course, you will need to work through each unit and all of its assigned materials. You will also need to complete the Final Exam.
To “pass” this course, you will need to earn a 70% or higher on the Final Exam. Your score on the exam will be tabulated as soon as you complete it. If you do not pass the exam, you may take it again.
Time Commitment: This course should take you a total of 116 hours to complete. Each unit includes a “time advisory” that lists the amount of time you are expected to spend on each subunit.
You might call the study of sensation and perception the study of reality. When you take in and process sensory information, your brain is creating a picture of reality that enables you to go about your daily life, making decisions and performing actions. Over the course of their evolution, the human brain and the sense organs that deliver information to it have become increasingly adept at this. In this unit, you will learn about the sense organs, the information that they pick up, and the different ways the brain processes that information. We will also discuss this field of study more generally, looking at its historical development, its most commonly used methods, and a number of its current theories.
Unit 1 Time AdvisoryUpon successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
Link: YouTube: UC Berkeley: Instructor John Kihlstrom’s “Sensation and Perception I” Lecture (YouTube)
Instructions: On this web page, scroll down through the Lecture Archive until you see the lecture titled “Sensation and Perception I”. Click the “eye” icon to start the video. Drag the time slider to the 3:37 mark to skip to the start of the actual lecture.
Watching this lecture should take approximately 1 hour.
Terms of Use: The above video is reposted from the University of California – Berkeley’s Webcast.Berkeley. This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.
Link: YouTube: UC Berkeley: Instructor John Kihlstrom’s “Sensation and Perception II” Lecture (YouTube)
Instructions: On this web page, scroll down through the Lecture Archive until you see the lecture titled “Sensation and Perception II”. Click the “eye” icon to start the video.
Watching this lecture should take approximately 1 hour.
Terms of Use: The above video is reposted from the University of California – Berkeley’s Webcast.Berkeley. This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.
Link: David Rudd Cycleback’s “Eye/Brain Physiology and Human Perception of External Reality” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read the main text. Focus on the concept that what we perceive may not always be the same as what is “there.”
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage.
Link: BBC’s Science and Nature: Human Body and Mind: “Nervous System - Sight” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read the main text. In addition, click the “Sight Animation” link and page through the animation using the yellow, right-pointing triangle. This will provide you with a basic overview of how the human visual system works.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage.
Link: BBC’s Science and Nature: Human Body and Mind: “Nervous system – Hearing” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above, read the entire page, and watch the “Hearing Animation.” This will introduce you to the auditory system.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage.
Link: BBC’s Science and Nature: Human Body and Mind: “Nervous system – Taste” (HTML)
Instructions: Read the entire linked page and watch the “Taste Animation.” This will introduce you to the gustatory system.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage.
Link: BBC’s Science and Nature: Human Body and Mind: “Nervous System -- Smell” (HTML)
Instructions: Read the entire linked page and watch the “Smell Animation.” This will introduce you to the olfactory system.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage.
Link: BBC’s Science and Nature: Human Body and Mind: “Nervous System – Touch” (HTML)
Instructions: Read the entire linked page. This will introduce you to the somatosensory system.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage.
Link: New World Encyclopedia’s “Proprioception” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read sections #1, #2, and #5 of this topic. Note the important differences between proprioception and kinesthesia, and also what happens when our proprioceptive sense is impaired.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage.
Link: New World Encyclopedia’s “Equilibrioception” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read sections #1 and #2 of this topic. This will explain the specifics of our sense of balance.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage.
Link: PBS’s Evolution Library: “Evolving Ideas: How Does Evolution Really Work?” (Quicktime or Realplayer)
Also available at:
YouTube
Instructions: On this web page, choose either QuickTime or Real Player (QuickTime seems to work best) under the text “View in.” This will provide you with an excellent description of the processes of natural selection.
Watching this video should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage.
The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
Link: TED Talks: Beau Lotto’s “Optical Illusions Show How We See” (Adobe Flash)
Also available in:
Quicktime
Instructions: Click the above link and the video will begin. Be sure you have a good idea about how illusions, which are really failures of our visual system, provide information on how the system works.
Watching this video should take approximately 20 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage.
Link: NPR’s series, The Human Edge: “From Primitive Parts: A Highly Evolved Human Brain” (HTML)
Also available in:
Adobe Flash Audio
Mp3
Instructions: Read the article listed above in the link. It is a text transcript of an interview also available as audio on the website. Additionally, you may click the “Listen to the Story” link to listen to the audio. Pay close attention to the discussion of how our brains have evolved into incredibly complex structures.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage.
The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
Link: Thoemmes Press’ Classics in Psychology: Robert Wozniak’s “Gustav Theodor Fechner: Elemente der Psychophysik (1860)” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read the main text. Modern scientists consider Gustav Fechner one of the fathers of neuroscience. Be sure you understand why his contributions were so important.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage.
Note: The next unit will present you with a more detailed account of psychophysics, but it played an important role in the development of sensation and perception as a field, and is thus worth noting here.
Link: Internet Psychology Lab’s “Visual Perception” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the main page. Once there, click the top button in the column on the left of the main window labeled “Signal Detection.” On the subsequent page, read the brief introduction then click the “Signal Detection” text link in the middle of the page. Read each subsequent page, using the “Next” text link to move through the four pages. Do not do the Signal Detection Experiment at this time; instead, focus on why signal detection is an important phenomenon in the study of sensation and perception.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage.
Link: Stanford University’s Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: “The Problem of Perception” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read the main text. Make sure you have a good sense of the relationship between perceptual phenomena and philosophy.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage.
The term “psychophysics” refers to the methods and techniques that researchers use when studying sensation and perception. This field is unique in that researchers rarely have directly accessible, hard evidence with which to work. Take, for example, the following question: “Is the color I think of as green the same color that others think of as green?” The researcher will have to come up with some unique research methods to find an answer to this highly subjective question. This unit will take a close look at psychophysics and its methodologies.
Unit 2 Time AdvisoryLink: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception” (PDF)
Instructions: Click link and save the PDF document to your computer. NOTE: This document is in a continuous state of updating. Ignore the internal notes, such as “[need illustration here],” for example. Most of the referenced figures are included at the end of the document; it is okay if not all the figures are available. ADDITIONAL NOTE: This reading applies to all subsections of Unit 2.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception” (PDF)
Instructions: Go to Chapter 2 of the pdf document and read pages 2.1 to 2.6, up to the section titled “Classic Psychophysical Methods.” NOTE: These instructions apply to subsections 2.1.1-2.1.4.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The introductory reading assigned at the start of unit 2 and the reading assigned for subunit 2.1 also cover this subunit
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Interactive Illustration 2.x: Basic Ideas” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above or the link on page #2 of the “Chapter 2” PDF document for the embedded activity called “Interactive Illustration 2.x: Basic Ideas.” If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page displaying a black, white, and grey “grating.” The grating is a series of dark and light vertical bars displayed across your computer screen. Click the text link “Instructions” in the upper left corner and follow the directions. As you increase the size of the movement with the slider at the bottom of the page, it should be easier for you to detect the horizontal movement of the grating. Keep doing this until you get a good feel for the relationship between your accuracy and the degree of movement you are trying to detect.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original from here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The introductory reading assigned at the start of unit 2 and the reading assigned for subunit 2.1 also cover this subunit.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Experiment 2.x: Discrimination Threshold, or JND” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above or the link on page #3 of the “Chapter 2” PDF document for the embedded activity called “Experiment 2.x: Discrimination Threshold, or JND.” If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page displaying a black, white, and grey “grating.” The grating is a series of dark and light vertical bars displayed across your computer screen. Click the text link “Instructions” in the upper left corner and follow the directions. There are 25 trials, and please continue the experiment until the program provides your results in graphical form on the last page. You should see that your accuracy increased with the size of the difference in movement of the two gratings. This is a basic discrimination experiment.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original from here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The introductory reading assigned at the start of unit 2 and the reading assigned for subunit 2.1 also cover this subunit.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Interactive Illustration 2.x: Asking Questions” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above or the link on page #5 of the “Chapter 2” PDF document for the embedded activity called “Interactive Illustration 2.x: Asking Questions.” If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page displaying a black, white, and grey “grating.” The grating is a series of dark and light vertical bars displayed across your computer screen. Click the text link “Instructions” in the upper left corner and follow the directions. As you progress through each trial, notice how your introspective feedback differs from the quantitative measurement.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original from here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The introductory reading assigned at the start of unit 2 and the reading assigned for subunit 2.1 also cover this subunit.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Experiment 2.x: Absolute Threshold” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above or the link on page #3 of the “Chapter 2” PDF document for the embedded activity called “Experiment 2.x: Absolute Threshold.” If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page displaying a black, white, and grey “grating.” The grating is a series of dark and light vertical bars displayed across your computer screen. Click the text link “Instructions” in the upper left corner and follow the directions. There are 25 trials, and continue the experiment until the program provides your results in graphical form on the last page. You should see that your accuracy increased with the size of the movement. This is a basic detection experiment.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The introductory reading assigned at the start of unit 2 also covers this subunit
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception” (PDF)
Instructions: Go to chapter 2 of the pdf document and read from the bottom of page 2.6 starting with the section titled “Classic Psychophysical Methods” and continuing to the section titled “Psychophysical Laws” on page 2.14.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The introductory reading assigned at the start of unit 2 also covers this subunit.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Experiment 2.x: Method of Limits” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above or the link on page #7 of the “Chapter 2” PDF document for the embedded activity called “Experiment 2.x: Method of Limits.” If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page where you need to make a number of settings choices. Click the text link “Instructions” in the upper left corner and follow the directions. Please be patient; psychophysical methods require many trials. You may repeat the experiment with different settings as many times as you like.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The introductory reading assigned at the start of unit 2 also covers this subunit.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Experiment 2.x: Method of Constant Stimuli” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above or the link on page #8 of the “Chapter 2” PDF document for the embedded activity called “Experiment 2.x: Method of Constant Stimuli.” If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page where you need to make a number of settings choices. Click the text link “Instructions” in the upper left corner and follow the directions. Please be patient; psychophysical methods require many trials. You may repeat the experiment with different settings as many times as you like.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original from here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The introductory reading assigned at the start of unit 2 also covers this subunit.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Experiment 2.x: Method of Adjustment” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above or the link on page #9 of the “Chapter 2” PDF document for the embedded activity called “Experiment 2.x: Method of Adjustment.” If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page where you need to make a number of settings choices. Click the text link “Instructions” in the upper left corner and follow the directions. Please be patient; psychophysical methods require many trials. You may repeat the experiment with different settings as many times as you like.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The introductory reading assigned at the start of unit 2 also covers this subunit.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Experiment 2.x: Forced Choice” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above. If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that asks you to adjust the volume of your computer speakers. Follow the onscreen prompts to complete the demonstration. Please be patient; psychophysical methods require many trials. You may repeat the experiment with different settings as many times as you like.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original from here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The introductory reading assigned at the start of unit 2 also covers this subunit.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Experiment 2.x: Signal Detection Experiment” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above or the link on page #11 of the “Chapter 2” PDF document for the embedded activity called “Experiment 2.x, Signal Detection Experiment.” If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that asks you to adjust the volume of your computer speakers. Follow the onscreen prompts to complete the demonstration. Please be patient; psychophysical methods require many trials. You may repeat the experiment with different settings as many times as you like.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Interactive Model 2.x: Signal Detection Theory” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above or the link on page #11 of the “Chapter 2” PDF document for the embedded activity called “Interactive Model 2.x: Signal Detection Theory.” If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that gives you control over the various signal detection parameters, such as the strength of the signal and noise, and the location of the decision criterion. Adjust the various settings and watch how the situation changes. This should help you better understand the basics of signal detection.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original from here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Interactive Model 2.x: Decisions in SDT” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above or the link on page #12 of the “Chapter 2” PDF document for the embedded activity called “Interactive Model 2.x: Decisions in SDT.” If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that gives you control over the various signal detection parameters, such as the strength of the signal and noise, and the location of the decision criterion. Adjust the various settings and watch how the decision situation changes. This should help you better understand the decision-making process in signal detection.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original from here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The introductory reading assigned at the start of unit 2 also covers this subunit.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception” (PDF)
Instructions: Go to chapter 2 of the pdf document and read from page 2.14 starting with the section titled “Psychophysical Laws” through the end of the document.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The introductory reading assigned at the start of unit 2 also covers this subunit.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Interactive Illustration 2.x: Weber’s Law” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above or the link on page #14 of the “Chapter 2” PDF document for the embedded activity called “Interactive Illustration 2.x: Weber’s Law.” If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page with two circles, two graphs, and a slider on the far right. Follow the directions in the PDF document to see an illustration of Weber’s Law in action.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The introductory reading assigned at the start of unit 2 also covers this subunit.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Interactive Illustration 2.x: Fechner’s Law and JND” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above or the link on page #14 of the “Chapter 2” PDF document for the embedded activity called “Interactive Illustration 2.x: Fechner's Law and JND.” If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page with a graphs in the middle and a slider on the far right. Follow the directions in the PDF document to see an illustration of Fechner’s Law in action.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The introductory reading assigned at the start of unit 2 also covers this subunit.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception” (PDF)
Instructions: Go to Chapter 2 of the pdf document and read from the section titled “Stevens’ Law” on page 2.15 to the end of the document.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The introductory reading assigned at the start of unit 2 also covers this subunit.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Experiment 2.x: Magnitude Estimation” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above or the link on page #16 of the “Chapter 2” PDF document for the embedded activity called “Experiment 2.x: Magnitude Estimation.” If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page where you need to make a number of settings choices. Click the text link “Instructions” in the upper left corner and follow the directions. Please be patient; psychophysical methods require many trials. You may repeat the demonstration with different settings as many times as you like.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original from here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Experiment 2.x: Magnitude Estimation 2” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above or the link on page #16 of the “Chapter 2” PDF document for the embedded activity called “Experiment 2.x: Magnitude Estimation 2.” If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page where you need to make a number of settings choices. Click the text link “Instructions” in the upper left corner and follow the directions. Please be patient; psychophysical methods require many trials. You may repeat the demonstration with different settings as many times as you like.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Earlier in this course, we spoke generally about different sense organs and the ways in which researchers can test them. We will now take a closer look at one of the most important sensory systems: vision. In its simplest terms, the eye translates light information into the complex pictures we see. The visual system includes the structures and processes that underlie our interaction with much of the world around us. Under normal circumstances, most of us consider vision our “primary” sense modality. With this in mind, we will first discuss the reception of visual information (sensation). The subsequent unit will cover how we use visual information once it has been received (perception).
Unit 3 Time AdvisoryUpon successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
Link: YouTube: Derek Owens’ “Physical Science 7.3a – The Nature of Light” (YouTube)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to YouTube and start the video. This will introduce you to what light is and how it is measured.
Watching this video should take approximately 5 minutes.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of Derek Owens through his website and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: YouTube: Derek Owens’ “Physical Science 7.3b – Light Waves Part 1” (YouTube)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to YouTube and start the video. It is very important that you understand the wave properties of light and other types of electromagnetic energy.
Watching this video should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of Derek Owens through his website and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: YouTube: Derek Owens’ “Physical Science 7.3c – Light Waves Part 2” (YouTube)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to YouTube and start the video. Be sure you understand how light waves are a “disturbance” in the surrounding energy.
Watching this video should take approximately 5 minutes.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of Derek Owens through his website and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: YouTube: Derek Owens’ “Physical Science 7.3d – Is Light a Particle?” (YouTube)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to YouTube and start the video. Is light a wave or a particle? This video introduces you to the “controversy.”
Watching this video should take approximately 6 minutes.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of Derek Owens through his website and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: YouTube: Derek Owens’ “Physical Science 7.3e – The Double Slit Experiment” (YouTube)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to YouTube and start the video. This video describes how light operates at a subatomic level.
Watching this video should take approximately 11 minutes.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of Derek Owens through his website and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder..
Link: YouTube: Cassiopeia Project’s “Photon” (YouTube)
Also available in:
iTunes U
Quicktime
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to YouTube and start the video. Photons are the “carriers” of electromagnetism.
Watching this video should take approximately 1 minute.
Terms of Use: This video has been available in the public domain.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Experiment 3.x: The Basics of Waves” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above. If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page illustrating a basic waveform. Use the sliders at the bottom of the page to increase or decrease the intensity and the frequency. Clicking the “Show Intensity” or “Show Wavelength” buttons will highlight those quantities. This demonstration will provide more detailed information about how we measure light.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original from here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: YouTube: “The Electromagnetic Spectrum” (YouTube)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to YouTube and start the video. Be sure you understand that visible light is just a small “slice” of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Watching this video should take approximately 3 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage.
Link: NASA’s “The Electromagnetic Spectrum: Visible Light Waves” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read the main text.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage.
Link: eyes-and-vision.com’s “How Animals See the World” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read the main text. This will provide information about how other animals experience the world visually.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage.
Link: webexhibit.org’s “Causes of Color: What colors do animals see? (speculation)” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read the main text. Take particular note of the word “speculation” in the title of this resource. There is no way we can directly experience what other animals sense or perceive.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage.
Link: Molecular Expressions’ “Basic Electromagnetic Wave Properties” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the website. In the animation, use the sliders to see the relationship between frequency, wavelength, color, and intensity. Think about how changes in these quantities change your perception of the colors.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception” (PDF)
Instructions: Click the link for the pdf document and save it to your computer. Open chapter 3 of the pdf document and read from the section titled “The Eye” near the bottom of page 3.3 through “Comparing Eyes” on page 3.7. NOTE: This document is in a continuous state of updating. Please ignore the internal notes, such as “[need illustration here],” for example. Most of the referenced figures are included at the end of the document; it is okay if not all the figures are available.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Interactive Illustration 3.x: Basic Focusing” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above or the link on page #4 of the “Chapter 3” PDF document for the embedded activity called “Interactive Illustration 3.x: Basic Focusing.” If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page where you can demonstrate how the eye captures and focuses light. Click the text link “Instructions” in the upper left corner and follow the directions. Please be patient; psychophysical methods require many trials. You may repeat the demonstration with different settings as many times as you like.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original from here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: LensShopper.com’s “Anatomy of the Eye” (Adobe Flash and HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page. On the diagram of the human eye, click each labeled structure and, in turn, read the description.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Link: Bryn Mawr College: Serendip’s “Seeing More Than Your Eye Does” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page. Read the main text and follow the directions to find your blind spot. Continue through the five (5) links in the table of contents to see additional demonstrations.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Link: All About Vision’s “Glaucoma” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read the main text about the disease called glaucoma.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Link: All About Vision’s “Cataracts” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read the main text.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Link: All About Vision’s “Macular Degeneration” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read the main text.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Link: Massachusetts Institute of Technology: John Gabrieli’s Introduction to Psychology: “Lecture 5: Vision I” (MP4)
Instructions: Watch this lecture to learn about human perceptual abilities and how the neural substrates of vision are organized in the brain. When you have finished watching the lecture, read the lecture notes for Section 1 (PDF) and Section 2 (PDF) to review the presentation.
Watching this lecture and reading the lecture notes should take approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes.
Terms of Use: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. It is attributed to John Gabrieli, and the original version can be found here.
Link: The Physics Classroom’s “The Eye” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read the main text. It is important to understand how the lenses in our eyes change in response to, or “accommodate,” various visual stimuli and general visual conditions.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Link: Pearson Education’s “LIVE!Psych: A Tour Through the Human Eye” (Shockwave)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page. The animation has eight (8) parts. You may skip directly to part #5 and watch parts #5 – #8. Alternatively, watch all eight (8) parts for an excellent review of the structure of the eye.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Link: Scholarpedia: Karen DeValois and Michael Webster’s “Color Vision” (HTML)
Instructions: Read this article to learn about the factors involved in color vision. Note the various stimuli needed for color vision, trichromatic and opponency theories for spectral and hue discrimination, and spatial and temporal factors involved in visual acuity and color determination.
Reading this article should take approximately 1 hour.
Terms of Use: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. It is attributed to Karen DeValois and Michael Webster, and the original version can be found here.
Link: Canadian Institutes of Health Research: Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction’ “Photoreceptors” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read the main text. Follow all the links on the page to read about the details of this process. NOTE: This reading applies to subsections 3.7.1-3.7.4.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Note: The reading and assignments beneath subunit 3.7.1 cover this subunit. Pay particular attention to the information at the target of the link on the right titled “cascade of chemical reactions in these photoreceptors.”
Note: The reading and assignments beneath subunit 3.7.1 cover this subunit. The figure at the bottom of the main web page describes this process.
Note: The reading and assignments beneath subunit 3.7.1 cover this subunit.
Link: Discovery Health’s “How Vision Works: Perceiving Light” (HTML and Quicktime)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read the main text.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception” (PDF)
Instructions: Click the text link for “Chapter 4: Fundamental Limits of Vision” and save the PDF document called “Chapter4.pdf” to your computer. Open the “Chapter 4” PDF document and read from the section titled “Adaptation in General” on page #8 to “Acuity” on page #10. NOTE: This document is in a continuous state of updating. Please ignore the internal notes, such as “[need illustration here],” for example. Most of the referenced figures are included at the end of the document; it is okay if not all the figures are available. ADDITIONAL NOTE: This reading applies to subsections 3.8.1-3.8.3.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Interactive Illustration 4.x: Dark/Light Adaptation” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above or the link on page #8 of the “Chapter 4” PDF document for the embedded activity called “Interactive Illustration 4.x: Dark/Light Adaptation.” If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page where you can demonstrate how the eye adapts to light and dark environments. Follow the directions in the text. NOTE: This assignment applies to subsections 3.8.1-3.8.3.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original from here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Interactive Illustration 4.x: Dark Adaptation Curve” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above or the link on page #10 of the “Chapter 4” PDF document for the embedded activity called “Interactive Illustration 4.x: Dark Adaptation Curve.” If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page where you can demonstrate how the eye adapts to dark environments. Follow the directions in the text. NOTE: This assignment applies to subsections 3.8.1-3.8.3.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The reading and assignments beneath subunit 3.8.1 cover this subunit. See especially the section titled “The Duplex Theory of Vision,” which begins on page #4. This explains how our color vision and night vision require two different receptor systems.
Note: The reading and assignments beneath subunit 3.8.1 cover this subunit. See “Dark and Light Adaptation,” starting on page #7 for information on how rods and cones respond to changes in overall light levels.
Link: Canadian Institutes of Health Research: Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction’s “Photoreceptors” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read the main text. It is important that you take the time to follow all the links on this and the subsequent pages to get a clear understanding of these processes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Link: Sumanas, Inc.’s “Receptive Fields in the Retina” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page. Choose the “Narrated” or “Step-Through” link to view the animation.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Link: Bryn Mawr College: Serendip’s “Seeing More than Your Eye Does” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page. Read the main text and follow the directions to find your blind spot. Continue through the five (5) links in the table of contents to see additional demonstrations.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Link: Canadian Institutes of Health Research: Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction’s “Targets of the Optic Nerve” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read the main text. It is important that you take the time to follow all the links on this and the subsequent pages to get a clear understanding of these processes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Link: Institute of Structural Biology and Biophysics’ “To Make Thousand Colors Out of Three Receptors - How Color Vision Works” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read the main text.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Link: Investigative Opthalmology and Visual Science: Peter Gouras’ “Color Opponency from Fovea to Striate Cortex” (PDF)
Instructions: Read the article in its entirety. Note that in the frame on the right of the page, there is a link to open the article as a PDF-only page.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Link: Sumanas, Inc.’s “Visual Pathways in the Human Brain” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page. Choose the “Narrated” or “Step-Through” link to view the animation.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Link: University of Utah, John Moran Eye Center: Matthew Schmolesky’s “Primary Visual Cortex” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page. Scroll down the page until you find “Part IX: The Primary Visual Cortex.” Use the menu links to read each of the twelve (12) sections in full.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Link: Canadian Institutes of Health Research: Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction’s “Receptive Fields, from the Retina to the Cortex” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read to the end of the page. It is important that you take the time to follow all the links on this and the subsequent pages to get a clear understanding of these processes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Link: Canadian Institutes of Health Research: Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction’s “The Various Visual Cortexes” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read from Section #3 to the end of the page. It is important that you take the time to follow all the links on this and the subsequent pages to get a clear understanding of these processes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
In this unit, we will look at how humans are able to see and interpret complex stimuli like color, motion, and multiple dimensions. Note that not all animals are capable of seeing these stimuli; the human ability to do so has been instrumental in our evolution. Over the course of this unit, keep in mind what you have learned about the different aspects of our visual pathways, asking how they might play a role in the interpretation of these stimuli.
Unit 4 Time AdvisoryUpon successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception” (PDF)
Instructions: Click the link and save the pdf document to your computer. Read the entirety of chapter 6. NOTE: This document is in a continuous state of updating. Please ignore the internal notes, such as “[need illustration here],” for example. Most of the referenced figures are included at the end of the document; it is okay if not all the figures are available. ADDITIONAL NOTE: This reading applies to all subsections of section 4.1.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.1 also covers this subunit.
Link: Molecular Expressions’ “Basic Electromagnetic Wave Properties” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the website. In the animation, use the sliders to see the relationship between frequency, wavelength, color, and intensity.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.1 also covers this subunit.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Interactive Illustration 6.x: Dimensions of Color” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above or the link on page #1 of the “Chapter 6” PDF document for the embedded activity called “Interactive Illustration 6.x: Dimensions of Color.” If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that gives you control over the psychological dimensions of light. Follow the directions in the “Chapter 6” PDF document to demonstrate how these dimensions affect what colors you perceive.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.1 also covers this subunit.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Experiment 6.x: Newton’s Prism Experiment” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above or the link on page #3 of the “Chapter 6” PDF document for the embedded activity called “Experiment 6xs: Newton's Prism Experiment.” If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that gives you control over the positions of two prims, in relation to a white light source on the left. Double-click the prisms to move them in and out of the beam of white light.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Interactive 6.x: Additive and Subtractive Color Mixing” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above or the link on page #4 of the “Chapter 6” PDF document for the embedded activity called “Interactive Illustration 6.x: Additive and Subtractive Color Mixing.” If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that gives you control over three sources of light. Follow the directions in the “Chapter 6” PDF document to demonstrate how additive (lights) and subtractive (pigments) color mixtures work.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.1 also covers this subunit.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Experiment 6.x: Effect of Illuminant” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above or the link on page #4 of the “Chapter 6” PDF document for the embedded activity called “Experiment 6.x, Effect of Illuminant.” If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that gives you control over how a photograph is illuminated. Follow the directions on page #5 of the PDF document to view and understand this issue.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Interactive Illustration 6.x: 1931 CIE Diagram” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above or the link on page #11 of the “Chapter 6” PDF document for the embedded activity called “Interactive Illustration 6.x, 1931 CIE Diagram.” If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that illustrates the international system for specifying different colors.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.1 also covers this subunit. This information is mostly in section III about the idea of color opponency. It is very important to understand this concept.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.1 also covers this subunit. Colors can have both intensity (brightness) and richness/depth (saturation). The first section of the assigned reading covers these concepts.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception” (PDF)
Instructions: Click the link and save the document to your computer. Read the entirety of Chapter 6. NOTE: This document is in a continuous state of updating. Please ignore the internal notes, such as “[need illustration here],” for example. Most of the referenced figures are included at the end of the document; it is okay if not all the figures are available. ADDITIONAL NOTE: This reading applies to subsections 4.2.1-4.2.3 and 4.2.6.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Experiment 6.x, The Trichromatic Theory” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above or the link on page #11 of the “Chapter 6” PDF document for the embedded activity called “Experiment 6.x, The Trichromatic Theory.” If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that illustrates trichromacy. Follow the directions on page #11 of the PDF document to view and understand this issue.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.2.1 also covers this subunit.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Experiment 6.x, Color Matching Experiment” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above or the link on page #5 of the “Chapter 6” PDF document for the embedded activity called “Experiment 6.x, Color Matching Experiment.” If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that gives you control over the color matching stimuli. Follow the directions on page #5 of the PDF document to try the color matching procedure.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.2.1 also covers this subunit.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Experiment 6.x, Complementary Colors” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above or the link on page #13 of the “Chapter 6” PDF document for the embedded activity called “Experiment 6.x, Complementary Colors.” If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that illustrates the concept of complementary colors. Follow the directions on page #13 of the PDF document to view and understand this phenomenon.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Experiment 6.x, Early Color Vision” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above or the link on page #16 of the “Chapter 6” PDF document for the embedded activity called “Experiment 6.x, Early Color Vision.” If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that illustrates the combination of trichromacy and opponent process theory. Follow the directions on pages #16-#18 of the PDF document to view and understand this approach.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception” (PDF)
Instructions: Click link and save the pdf document to your computer. Read from “Color Constancy” on page 9.8 to “Visual Illusions” on page 9.10. NOTE: This document is in a continuous state of updating. Please ignore the internal notes, such as “[need illustration here],” for example. Most of the referenced figures are included at the end of the document; it is okay if not all the figures are available.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Interactive Illustration 9.x, Light and Color” (JAVA)
Instructions: If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that gives you control over how a photograph is illuminated.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Interactive Illustration 9.x, Color Aftereffects” (JAVA)
Instructions: If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that illustrates color aftereffects. Click the text link “Instructions” in the upper left corner and follow the directions.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: The University of Utah: Peter Gouras’ “Color Constancy and Double Opponency” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read this section in its entirety.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.2.1 also covers this subunit. See section IV, paying special attention to the relationship between color blindness and the opponent process theory of color vision.
Link: Stanford University: Professor Alex Huk’s “Seeing Motion: Lecture Notes” (PDF)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read the entire page. Do not be concerned if some of the links to figures and illustrations do not work. NOTE: This reading applies to all subsections of section 4.3.
Terms of Use: This material has been hosted with the kind permission of Alex Huk.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.3 covers this subunit. Motion has direction and speed. Additionally, we can classify motion according to type. Be sure to review the various types of motion carefully.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.3 covers this subunit. This type of motion has to do with the simple “picture” that arrives at your retina.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.3 covers this subunit. As the name suggests, apparent motion is not really motion at all. Be sure to consider why such phenomena help us understand motion perception.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.3 covers this subunit. This kind of motion also is not “real” motion. Can you imagine a world in which we could not experience stroboscopic motion?
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.3 covers this subunit. Understand why watching movement in one scene can lead to the perception of movement in another, static scene.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.3 covers this subunit. Optic flow is about how images move across your retina as you move through the world. You should understand how this helps us “navigate” through our daily lives.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.3 covers this subunit. Have you ever felt like you were moving when the car next to you began to move? What does this phenomenon suggest about our perception of movement?
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.3 covers this subunit. Not all motion perception involves the movement of objects, but this is still one of the major features of how we perceive movement.
Link: Stanford University: Professor Alex Huk’s “Seeing Motion: Lecture Notes” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read the entire page. Do not be concerned if some of the links to figures and illustrations do not work. NOTE: This reading applies to all subsections of section 4.4.
Terms of Use: This material has been hosted with the kind permission of Alex Huk.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.4 covers this subunit. This portion of the reading covers the cortical processing of movement by detector cells in the primary visual cortex.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.4 covers this subunit. Be sure to watch the linked movie (see the link “movie” in section 2) for a demonstration of motion aftereffect.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.4 covers this subunit. Area MT in the extrastriate contains movement-sensitive cells called pattern cells. Follow the various links in section 3 for additional information and demonstrations.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.4 covers this subunit. Not all motion perception involves the movement of objects, but this is still one of the major features of how we perceive movement.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.4 covers this subunit. Follow the link in section 5 to see the optic flow field for a pilot landing a plane.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.4 covers this subunit. J.J. Gibson had an interesting perspective on the perception of movement. Try to integrate this with our earlier discussion of Gibson’s ideas about sensation and perception.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.4 covers this subunit. Be sure you understand why it is important that our eyes move almost continuously.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.4 covers this subunit. Be able to answer the following question: Although our eyes are almost constantly moving, how do we perceive a basically steady world?
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception” (PDF)
Instructions: Click the link and save the pdf document to your computer. Read the entirety of Chapter 8. NOTE: This document is in a continuous state of updating. Please ignore the internal notes, such as “[need illustration here],” for example. Most of the referenced figures are included at the end of the document; it is okay if not all the figures are available. ADDITIONAL NOTE: This reading applies to all subsections of section 4.5.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception” (PDF)
Instructions: Go to chapter 8 of the pdf document. In turn, click on each of the interactive illustrations and follow the directions in Chapter 8. Please ignore the internal notes, such as “[need illustration here],” for example. Most of the referenced figures are included at the end of the document; it is okay if not all the figures are available. ADDITIONAL NOTE: This assignment applies to subsections 4.5.1-4.5.7.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The reading and assignment assigned beneath subunit 4.5 cover this subunit. See especially section 1, which introduces the concept of depth as a perceptual phenomenon.
Note: The reading and assignment assigned beneath subunit 4.5 cover this subunit. Is it possible to perceive depth if you have vision in only one eye? Be sure you are able to address this question.
Note: The reading and assignment assigned beneath subunit 4.5 cover this subunit. Not all motion perception involves the movement of objects, but this is still one of the major features of how we perceive movement.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.5 covers this subunit. How does the fact that each of our eyes has a slightly different view of the world provide information on depth? What do you see when you close first one eye and then the other?
Note: The reading and assignment assigned beneath subunit 4.5 cover this subunit. The reading covers this topic about halfway down on page #8.
Note: The reading and assignment assigned beneath subunit 4.5 cover this subunit. Sometimes the images the brain receives from the two eyes do not "merge" properly. See page #10 of the assigned reading.
Note: The reading and assignment assigned beneath subunit 4.5 cover this subunit. This perceptual phenomenon is referred to as “stereopsis” in the assigned reading, and is covered starting on page #7.
Link: Webvision: Matthew Schmolesky’s “The Primary Visual Cortex” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page. Scroll down to the section titled “Binocularity and Binocular Disparity” and read this in its entirety.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Link: SAP Design Guild Resources: “Perceptual Constancy” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read it in its entirety.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Link: Stanford University: Professor Alex Huk’s “Object and Face Recognition: Lecture Notes” (PDF)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read the entire page. Do not be concerned if some of the links to figures and illustrations do not work. NOTE: This assignment applies to all subsections of section 4.6.
Terms of Use: This material has been hosted with the kind permission of Alex Huk.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.6 covers this subunit. See section 1 for a general discussion on these early models of object recognition.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.6 covers this subunit. This is not about a race of aliens from Star Trek! Researchers view geons as combinations of the basic “building blocks” necessary for object recognition.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.6 covers this subunit. Be sure to understand the assumptions and limits of these ideas about object recognition.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.6 covers this subunit. This idea is that object recognition depends on the context. It is easier to recognize an object in a familiar context as opposed to a novel context. Think about your own experiences as you read about this idea.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.6 covers this subunit. The Gestalt idea is that you cannot separate the “parts” from the “whole.” When we look at a wooded mountainside, we see the forest first, and not the individual trees. According to the Gestalt (German for “the whole”) view, the relationship between the parts guides our perception of the whole.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.6 covers this subunit. There is good evidence suggesting that humans are “hard wired” to recognize faces. Think about whether you have observed this in infants and small children.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 4.6 covers this subunit. As always, perceptual failures can help us discover how “normal” perception works. Think about what the various agnosias might tell us about object recognition.
Link: Michael Bach’s “88 Visual Phenomena & Optical Illusions” (HTML and Adobe Flash)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page. Explore and enjoy the many visual illusions and interesting effects. Read the explanations for each, and relate this to what you have learned about the visual system.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
We will now turn to the auditory system. We will begin by discussing the complexity of the sound stimulus, noting that sound comes in many forms (think of music, speech, and other complex sounds), all of which our brains are capable of understanding. You will learn the properties of sound, and discover how these properties relate to what we hear. We will also review the biology of the ear, identifying different pathways of the brain that enable us to hear.
Unit 5 Time AdvisoryUpon successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception” (PDF)
Instructions: Click the link and save the PDF document to your computer. Read pages 10.2 to 10.5. NOTE: This document is in a continuous state of updating. Please ignore the internal notes, such as “[need illustration here]," for example. Most of the referenced figures are included at the end of the document; it is okay if not all the figures are available. ADDITIONAL NOTE: This reading applies to all subsections of section 5.1.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 5.1 also covers this subunit.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Interactive Illustration 10.x, Sound Basics” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above or the link on page #2 of the “Chapter 10” PDF document for the embedded activity called “Interactive Illustration 10.x, Sound Basics.” If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that gives you control over the physical qualities of a sound. Follow the directions on pages #2 and #3 of the PDF document to manipulate the variables and hear the results. NOTE: This assignment applies to subsections 5.1.1-5.1.6.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The readings assigned beneathsubunits 5.1and 5.1.1 also cover this subunit. It is important to understand the difference between measuring perceptions and measuring actual physical attributes. What perceptual experience is dependent on the amplitude of a sound wave?
Note: The readings assigned beneath subunits 5.1 and 5.1.1 also cover this subunit. What perceptual experience is dependent on the frequency of a sound wave?
Note: The readings assigned beneath subunits 5.1 and 5.1.1 also cover this subunit. Be sure to consider if there is truly a one-to-one relationship between amplitude and the perceptual experience called loudness.
Note: The readings assigned beneath subunits 5.1 and 5.1.1 also cover this subunit. Be sure to consider if there is truly a one-to-one relationship between frequency and the perceptual experience called pitch.
Note: The readings assigned beneath subunits 5.1 and 5.1.1 also cover this subunit.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Interactive Illustration 10.x, Phase and Cancellation” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above or the link on page #4 of the “Chapter 10” PDF document for the embedded activity called “Interactive Illustration 10.x, Phase and Cancellation.” If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that gives you control over the phase relationship between two sounds. Follow the directions on pages #4 and #5 of the PDF document to hear the difference between being in and out of phase.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 5.1 also covers this subunit.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Interactive Illustration 10.x, Timbre” (JAVA)
Instructions: Click the link above or the link on page #5 of the “Chapter 10” PDF document for the embedded activity called “Interactive Illustration 10.x, Timbre.” If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that gives you control over timbre of a sound. Follow the directions on page #5 of the PDF document to hear the effects of adding or subtracting harmonics.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 5.1 also covers this subunit.
Link: Pearson Education’s “LIVE!Psych: Virtual Tour of the Human Ear” (Shockwave)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page. The animation has three (3) parts. On the first page, listen to the directions and then roll your mouse over each labeled structure to see a description. When you are finished, click the right-pointing triangle at the lower right to move to screen 2 of 3, and watch the animation. When you are finished, click the right-pointing triangle at the lower right again to move to the final screen (3 of 3), and watch the animation. NOTE: This web media applies to all subsections of section 5.1.8-5.1.11.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Fundamentals of Audition: Illustration 10.x The Ear” (JAVA)
Instructions: If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that gives you a schematic view of the working of the ear. Start the sound with the button at the bottom of the screen (the sound does not actually play through your speakers in this demonstration), and then watch the changes as you use the Frequency slider to change the frequency. To zero in on a specific part of the ear, choose from the drop-down menu at the top of the screen. NOTE: This assignment applies to all subsections of section 5.1.8-5.1.11.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The readings assigned beneath subunits 5.1 and 5.1.8 also cover this subunit. What would happen if we “lost” an ear? Be sure you understand the important role of the pinna in the perception of sound.
Note: The readings assigned beneath subunits 5.1 and 5.1.8 also cover this subunit. Why do you think there are so many raw nerve endings in our auditory canals? Do you think it is important for us to know when something is in our ear?
Note: The readings assigned beneath subunits 5.1 and 5.1.8 also cover this subunit. As you read this section, consider what might happen if the eardrum became thick and scarred by repeated ear infections over time.
Link: Pearson Education’s “LIVE!Psych: Virtual Tour of the Human Ear” (Shockwave)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page. The animation has three (3) parts. On the first page, listen to the directions and then roll your mouse over each labeled structure to see a description. When you are finished, click the right-pointing triangle at the lower right to move to screen 2 of 3, and watch the animation. When you are finished, click the right-pointing triangle at the lower right again to move to the final screen (3 of 3), and watch the animation. NOTE: This web media applies to all subsections of section 5.2.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Fundamentals of Audition” (JAVA)
Instructions: If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that gives you a schematic view of the working of the ear. Start the sound with the button at the bottom of the screen (the sound does not actually play through your speakers in this demonstration), and then watch the changes as you use the Frequency slider to change the frequency. To zero in on a specific part of the ear, choose from the drop-down menu at the top of the screen. NOTE: This assignment applies to all subsections of section 5.2.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 5.2 covers this subunit. These smallest bones in the body are truly a miracle of evolution. Be sure you understand how the geometry of their arrangement helps focus the movement of the eardrum onto the oval window.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 5.2 covers this subunit. Consider the effect of the incorrect operation of the ossicles. Many people have scar tissue in their middle ears from repeated infections. How might this affect the vibration of these structures?
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 5.2 also covers this subunit.
Link: Tom Harris’ “How Hearing Works” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read the main text.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage and document.
Link: Georgia State University’s “HyperPhysics: The Cochlea” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read the main text.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage and document.
Link: Georgia State University’s “HyperPhysics: The Organ of Corti” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read the main text. NOTE: This reading applies to subsections 5.3.2-5.3.3.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage and document.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 5.3.2 also covers this subunit.
Link: University of Pennsylvania Health System’s Medical Animation Library’s “Hearing and the cochlea” (HTML and Quicktime)
Instructions: Click the link above to watch the animation.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage and document.
Link: Sumanas, Inc.’s “Sound Transduction” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page. Choose the “Narrated” or “Step-Through” link to view the animation. Although the first parts of the animation are redundant to other subunits, be sure to watch this flash video in its entirety.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Link: Georgia State University’s “HyperPhysics: The Auditory Nerve” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read the text for all sections. NOTE: This reading applies to subsections 5.3.5-5.3.6
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage and document.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 5.3.5 covers this subunit. Be sure you have a good understanding of the basic pathway for carrying auditory signals from the inner ear to the cortex of the brain.
Link: The Rockefeller University’s Laboratory of Sensory Neuroscience’s “Cochlear Travelling Wave” (HTML and Quicktime)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and watch the animation. NOTE: This reading applies subsections 5.4.1-5.4.2.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 5.4 also covers this subunit. Why do you think sound has different effects on different parts of the basilar membrane? Focus on this question as you view and listen to the demonstration.
Link: YouTube: Brandon Pletsch’s “Auditory Transduction” (YouTube)
Instructions: Watch the video.
Watching this video should take approximately 8 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Link: Stanford University: Professor Lera Boroditsky’s “Hearing I: Lecture Notes” (PDF)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read the entire page. Do not be concerned if some of the links to figures and illustrations do not work. NOTE: This reading applies to subsections of 5.4.4-4.4.7.
Terms of Use: The material has been hosted with the kind permission of Professor Lera Boroditsky.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 5.4.4 covers this subunit. Be sure to have a good understanding about why the frequency of action potentials is not sufficient to signal the pitch of a sound wave.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 5.4.4 covers this subunit. How does phase locking solve the “problem” if signaling the pitch of a sound?
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 5.4.4 covers this subunit. Make sure you are very clear about the effect of the “missing fundamental.”
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception” (PDF)
Instructions: Click the link and save the PDF document to your computer. Read from page 11.2 to “Music” on page 11.11. NOTE: This document is in a continuous state of updating. Ignore the internal notes, such as “[need illustration here],” for example. Most of the referenced figures are included at the end of the document; it is okay if not all the figures are available.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Interactive Illustration 11.x, Tone Masking” (JAVA)
Instructions: If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that illustrates the concept of the missing fundamental. Follow the directions on page #4 of the PDF document to manipulate the demonstration.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Interactive Illustration 11.x, Masking and Critical Bands” (JAVA)
Instructions: If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that illustrates the concept of the missing fundamental. Follow the directions on pages #6 to #8 of the PDF document to manipulate the demonstration.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Interactive Illustration 11.x, Missing Fundamental Experiment” (JAVA)
Instructions: If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that illustrates the concept of the missing fundamental. Follow the directions on pages #9 and #10 of the PDF document to manipulate the demonstration.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: Stanford University: Professor Lera Boroditsky’s “Hearing II: Lecture Notes” (PDF)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read “Section 1: Loudness.” Do not be concerned if some of the links to figures and illustrations do not work. NOTE: This reading applies to all subsections of section 5.5.
Terms of Use: The material has been hosted with the kind permission of Professor Lera Boroditsky.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 5.5 covers this subunit. In some ways, the idea of neural firing rate as a perceptual signal is an issue for the perception of both pitch and loudness. Make sure that you understand how it relates to both pitch and loudness perception.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 5.5 covers this subunit. If firing rate doesn’t do the job of signaling loudness, should we perhaps look to the raw number of neurons that are stimulated?
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 5.5 covers this subunit. As you read this section, think about why we refer to band-limited auditory stimuli as “noise.”
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 5.5 covers this subunit. According to Zwicker, what is the relationship between loudness and the total energy stimulating the basilar membrane?
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 5.5 covers this subunit. This reading summarizes how we think pitch and loudness perception actually work. It is critically important to understand the mechanisms of each.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 5.5 covers this subunit. As you read this section, are you aware of the sound of the air conditioning or heating fan in the room? Does the computer you are using make any kind of hum? What does it mean if ambient sounds that we are unaware of go unnoticed until we pay attention to them?
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception” (PDF)
Instructions: Click the link and save the PDF document to your computer. Read from “Auditory Space Perception” on page 11.13 to “Speech” on page 11.19. NOTE: This document is in a continuous state of updating. Ignore the internal notes, such as “[need illustration here],” for example. Most of the referenced figures are included at the end of the document; it is okay if not all the figures are available. ADDITIONAL NOTE: This reading applies to all subsections of section 5.6.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 5.6 covers this subunit. One of the reasons we have more than one ear is to enrich our ability to perceive sound “in space.” It helps us localize sounds, for example. Is it possible to receive cues about things like sound localization with only one ear?
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 5.6 also covers this subunit.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Interactive Illustration 11.x, Binaural Cues for Direction” (JAVA)
Instructions: If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that illustrates binaural directional cueing. Follow the directions on page #16 of the PDF document to manipulate the demonstration. NOTE: We recommended that you use headphones for the best experience of this effect.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 5.6 also covers this subunit.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Interactive Illustration 11.x, Head in Sound Space” (JAVA)
Instructions: If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that illustrates the way sound arrives at each ear at a slightly different time. Follow the directions on page #14 of the PDF document to manipulate the demonstration.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Interactive Illustration 11.x, Time of Arrival and Phase” (JAVA)
Instructions: If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that illustrates phase differences between the two ears. Follow the directions on pages #14, #15, and #16 of the PDF document to manipulate the demonstration. NOTE: We recommended that you use headphones for the best experience of this effect.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 5.6 also covers this subunit.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Interactive Illustration 11.x, The Precedence Effect” (JAVA)
Instructions: If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that illustrates the precedence effect. Follow the directions on page #19 of the PDF document to manipulate the demonstration.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: Internet Psychology Lab’s “Tone Perception” (JAVA and HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the main page. Read each subsequent page, using the “Next” text link to move through the eight (8) pages. You must have previously installed the JAVA plug-in described on page #2 of this document.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage.
Link: University of Sussex: Professor Chris Darwin’s “Hearing Lecture Notes: Auditory Scene Analysis” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the main page and read “Music Perception.”
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception” (PDF)
Instructions: Click the link and save the PDF document to your computer. Read Chapter 11 from “Music” on page 11.11 to “Auditory Space Perception” on page 11.13. NOTE: This document is in a continuous state of updating. Ignore the internal notes, such as “[need illustration here],” for example. Most of the referenced figures are included at the end of the document; it is okay if not all the figures are available.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Interactive Illustration 11.x, The Musical Scale” (JAVA)
Instructions: If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that illustrates the attributes of the musical scale. Follow the directions on page #11 of the PDF document to manipulate the demonstration.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Interactive Illustration 11.x, Gestalt Laws of Proximity and Similarity” (JAVA)
Instructions: If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that illustrates some Gestalt principles. Follow the directions on pages #12 and #13 of the PDF document to manipulate the demonstration.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Interactive Illustration 11.x, Gestalt Law of Good Continuation” (JAVA)
Instructions: If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that illustrates some Gestalt principles. Follow the directions on pages #12 and #13 of the PDF document to manipulate the demonstration.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
In this unit, we will discuss the three remaining senses: smell, taste, and touch. Though we will only spend one unit on these three senses, each is complex and important; however, we use them less frequently than sight and sound. This unit will discuss the ways that taste, smell, and touch are anatomically related and explain why they are useful to us as humans. Pay special attention to the fact that both taste and smell are chemical senses, in that they give us information about the chemical composition of our surroundings.
Unit 6 Time AdvisoryUpon successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
Link: Stanford University: Professor Lera Boroditsky’s “Taste, Smell, and Touch: Lecture Notes” (PDF)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read “Section I: Taste.” Do not be concerned if some of the links to figures and illustrations do not work. NOTE: This reading applies to all subsections of section 6.1.
Terms of Use: This material has been hosted with the kind permission of Professor Lera Boroditsky.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 6.1 also covers this subunit.
Link: BBC’s Science and Nature: Human Body and Mind: “Nervous System - Taste” (HTML and Adobe Flash)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page. Read the main text. In addition, click the “Taste Animation” link and page through the animation using the yellow, right-pointing triangle.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 6.1 covers this subunit. As you read this section, consider why different areas of the tongue have different types of papillae.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 6.1 also covers this subunit.
Link: LearnersTV’s “The Sense of Taste” (Shockwave)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and watch the animation.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 6.1 covers this subunit. As previously discussed, transduction in sensory systems is the “morphing” of an external stimulus into neural energy, or action potentials. Make sure you have a clear understanding of how chemicals in the mouth are transduced into electrochemical energy in neurons.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 6.1 covers this subunit. As you read this section, consider why different neural pathways serve different parts of the tongue.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 6.1 also covers this subunit.
Link: West Virginia University: Mandy Hatfield’s (for Professor Kevin Daly) “The Gustatory Pathway” (Powerpoint)
Instructions: Click the link above to open the web page, and find the text/link called “Taste” (third section from the top of the page). Open or download this PowerPoint document and view all the slides.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 6.1 covers this subunit. As you read this section, consider why there are taste buds in areas other than the mouth.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 6.1 covers this subunit. How is the issue of specificity vs. distributed coding similar to the coding of auditory information?
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 6.1 covers this subunit. Why do people sometimes hold their nose when having to eat or swallow something that tastes bad to them?
Link: Stanford University: Professor Lera Boroditsky’s “Taste, Smell, and Touch: Lecture Notes” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read “Section II: Smell.” Do not be concerned if some of the links to figures and illustrations do not work. NOTE: This reading applies to all subsections of section 6.2.
Terms of Use: This material has been hosted with the kind permission of Professor Lera Boroditsky.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 6.2 also covers this subunit.
Link: BBC’s Science and Nature: Human Body and Mind: “Nervous system - Smell” (HTML and Adobe Flash)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page. Read the main text. In addition, click the “Smell Animation” link and page through the animation using the yellow, right-pointing triangle.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 6.2 covers this subunit. What are pheromones? Why are they less important for humans than they are for many other animals?
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 6.2 covers this subunit. As you read this section, consider how the olfactory mucosa is similar to the basilar membrane in the cochlea.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 6.2 also covers this subunit.
Link: West Virginia University: Faizan Kalwar’s (for Professor Kevin Daly) “The Olfactory Pathway” (Powerpoint)
Instructions: Click the link above to open the web page, and find the text/link called “Olfactory” (third section from the top of the page). Open or download this PowerPoint document and view all the slides.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 6.2 covers this subunit. What visual receptor characteristic is similar in function to olfactory receptor proteins?
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 6.2 covers this subunit. Be certain that you have a good understanding about how chemical stimulation from odors is transformed into neural energy.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 6.2 covers this subunit. Where do the glomeruli “sit” in the neural pathway? From where do they receive their signals, and to where are their signals sent?
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 6.2 covers this subunit. Be sure you understand the definition and significance of odotopes.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 6.2 covers this subunit. What are some of the possible roles of pheromones in human behavior and interaction?
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception” (PDF)
Instructions: Click the link and save the PDF document to your computer. Read the entirety of Chapter 12. NOTE: This document is in a continuous state of updating. Ignore the internal notes, such as “[need illustration here],” for example. Most of the referenced figures are included at the end of the document; it is okay if not all the figures are available. ADDITIONAL NOTE: This reading applies to subsections 6.3.1-6.3.4.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 6.3 also covers this subunit.
Link: Sumanas, Inc.’s “Receptors in the Skin” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page. Choose the “Narrated” or “Step-Through” link to view the animation.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 6.3 covers this subunit. Before reading this sentence, were you aware of the pressure of your buttocks on your chair? Were you aware of the feel of your clothes on your skin, especially things like underwear and socks? As you read this section, consider why you generally are not aware of such things.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 6.3 also covers this subunit.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Interactive Illustration 12.x, Somatosensory Pathways” (JAVA)
Instructions: If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that illustrates cortical somatosensory pathways. Follow the directions on page #4 of the PDF document to manipulate the demonstration.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 6.3 covers this subunit. As you read this section, consider why it makes sense that more sensitive areas of the skin are served by larger portions of the cortex.
Link: Neuroscience for Kids’ “Your Really Weird Body Map.” (Flash)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and watch the animation.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above document and webpage.
Note: The reading assigned beneath subunit 6.3 also covers this subunit.
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception: Interactive Illustration 12.x, Melzack and Wall's Gate Control Theory” (JAVA)
Instructions: If you have installed the JAVA plug-in (see page #2 of this course), clicking the embedded link will open a page that illustrates the gate control theory of pain. Follow the directions on pages #11 and #12 of the PDF document to manipulate the demonstration.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
In this final unit, we address one of the most interesting of all topics in sensation and perception; that is, how do these processes develop and change over our lifetime? It should be apparent that perception both requires sensory experience and that it changes as past perceptions influence how we respond to novel stimulation. The ultimate point is that sensation and perception are not static mechanisms; they are always in a state of dynamic flux, sometimes strengthening our awareness of the world around us and sometimes causing interference. Although these systems change over time, we are never more eager for stimulation, nor more sensitive to potential harm, than in the first years of life. Much of the research on perceptual development focuses on this “critical period.”
Unit 7 Time AdvisoryUpon successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
Link: Hanover College: Professor John Krantz’s “Experiencing Sensation and Perception” (PDF)
Instructions: Click the link and save the PDF document to your computer. Read the introductory sections of chapter 15. NOTE: This document is in a continuous state of updating. Ignore the internal notes, such as “[need illustration here],” for example. Most of the referenced figures are included at the end of the document; it is okay if not all the figures are available.
Terms of Use: The linked material above has been reposted by the kind permission of John Krantz, and can be viewed in its original form here. Please note that this material is under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any capacity without explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Link: Colby College: M. E. Arterberry’s “Perceptual Development” (PDF)
Instructions: Near the top right of the page, find the link “Perceptual Development” under the header “Browse Sample Content.” Read the introductory section.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage and document.
Link: Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute: Dr. R. D Hammer and Dr. Giuseppe Mirabella’s “What Can My Baby See?” (HTML)
Also available in:
PDF
Instructions: Click the link above and read the entire main text on the web page. To view in PDF format, select the appropriate link below the article title.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage and document.
Link: YouTube: Peter Vishton's “Development of Infant Visual Tracking. Activity 1” (YouTube) from “What Babies Can Do: An Activity-Based Guide to Infant Development”
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to YouTube and start the video.
Watching this video should take approximately 7 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage.
Link: YouTube: BBC’s “Baby Synapse Connection” (YouTube)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to YouTube and start the video.
Watching this video should take approximately 5 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage.
Link: University of North Carolina–Greensboro: R. Proctor and M. Compton’s “Perceptual Development” (PDF)
Instructions: Click the link above to open the PDF document called “Perceptual Development.” Read section III, “Visual Development.” NOTE: This is a training document for professionals serving families of children with perceptual difficulties. Ignore the self-report and testing aspects of this document.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage and document.
Link: Colby College: M. E. Arterberry’s “Perceptual Development” (PDF)
Instructions: Near the top right of the page, find the link “Perceptual Development” under the header “Browse Sample Content.” Read the entire document.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage and document.
Link: University of North Carolina–Greensboro: R. Proctor and M. Compton’s “Perceptual Development” (PDF)
Instructions: Click the link above to open the PDF document called “Perceptual Development.” Read section II, “Auditory Development.” NOTE: This is a training document for professionals serving families of children with perceptual difficulties. Ignore the self-report and testing aspects of this document.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage and document.
Link: University of North Carolina–Greensboro: R. Proctor and M. Compton’s “Perceptual Development” (PDF)
Instructions: Click the link above to open the PDF document called “Perceptual Development.” Read section IV, “Touch.” NOTE: This is a training document for professionals serving families of children with perceptual difficulties. Ignore the self-report and testing aspects of this document.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage and document.
Link: Mercer County Community College: Professor Heather Jennings’ “Perceptual Development” (PowerPoint)
Instructions: Click the link above to open the PowerPoint presentation called “Perceptual Development.” Although the entire presentation is relevant to section 7 of this course, you should pay special attention to slides #5 through #11.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage and document.
Link: Livestrong.com’s “Early Childhood Perceptual Development” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read the main text.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage.
Link: Answers.com’s “Ageing: Sensory and Perceptual Changes” (HTML)
Instructions: Click the link above to navigate to the web page and read the main text.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use included on the above webpage.
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “PSYCH306 Final Exam”
Instructions: You must be logged into your Saylor Foundation School account in order to access this exam. If you do not yet have an account, you will be able to create one, free of charge, after clicking the link.