Psychology Friday, 2/10

A Common Misconception:Reading in dim light will not harm the

eyes. It can cause temporary eye strain, which makes the eyes feel tired, but it

will not damage them.

Please get out your Psychology textbook, a piece of paper and a writing implement.

Today’s Agenda1. Chapter 4, Section 1-Understanding Sensation and

Perception…continued

2. To prepare for Class on Monday, 2/13• Read Chapter 4, Sections 2 & 3

Chapter 4-Sensation & Perception

• The Big Idea:– Sensation and Perception are critical to understanding and living

in our environment. Each of the five senses plays a major role in our ability to interpret our surroundings.

• Essential Questions:1. What is the process of sensation and what is the relationship

between sensations and perceptions?2. Why are human beings able to see?

Objectives1. Identify the absolute threshold for one of the senses.2. Identify how and if you use signal detection theory. 3. Identify the five “basic” senses and various absolute

thresholds for each.4. Explain how the eye works to enable vision.

Objective: Identify the absolute threshold for one

of the senses.• Taste the water from each of the 5 containers in any

particular order, silently• Which containers do you think contained some

sugar? Write it on your paper• DO NOT DISCUSS YOUR THOUGHTS (we’ll do this

together in a minute)• How does this activity demonstrate absolute

threshold?

Objective: Identify how your senses have adapted.

• On a piece of paper that you can turn in…Write about an occasion when you experienced sensory adaptation for one of the following senses:– Pressure– Sight– Temperature

• Explain how the adaptation occurred.• Speculate about the advantages and consequences of

sensory adaptation if the sense had not adapted.

Signal-Detection Theory

• What is Signal-detection theory?

• Why is it easier to listen to a conversation when there are no other competing noises?

• What might lead an individual to perceive a stimulus when there was none?

Objective: Identify how and if you use signal detection

theory. • Watch & Listen to this clip from Saturday Night Live:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/74627/saturday-night-live-update-thursday-debate-open-part-2

• Focus only on one duo: – David Kip (left) and Obama– Dalton Cheeks (right) and McCain

• On your piece of paper, answer:– How much of the speech did you hear?– Do you remember any of the other speech?– How is this an example of Signal Detection Theory?

Chapter 4, Section 1 ClosureObjective: Identify the five “basic”

senses and various absolute thresholds for each.

• On the piece of paper that you have been writing on, add…

• Name the five “basic” senses and various absolute thresholds for each

• What is the process of sensation and what is the relationship between sensations and perceptions?

Video Clips

• Awareness Test

• Video: Concentration and Perception

Animal Senses• Biologists have noted that sharks, like land animals,

may be able to detect natural disasters before they occur. During the hurricanes that hit Florida in both 2001 and 2004, sharks escaped the devastation. Using data from tagged sharks, scientists know that sharks in shallow estuaries, headed for deeper waters and survived. The sharks’ departure apparently coincided with the sharp decreases in air pressures associated with incoming hurricanes.

Animal SensesOver the centuries, people have reported that animals appear to have a sixth

sense for detecting earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis.

In more recent times, animals’ acute senses have been used to help the

disabled, find missing persons, and sniff out bombs and drugs.

Psychology in Today’s World

• In December 2004, animals sensed an impending tsunami in the Indian Ocean that struck dozens of Asian and African countries.

• Alan Rabinowitz of the Wildlife Conservation Society says that many animals can detect changes in the environment that humans cannot.

• Dogs have been shown to accurately predict epileptic seizures.

• Dogs can sniff out survivors after a disaster.

• A recent study trained wasps to detect many different odors. The training may be used to sniff out bombs and drugs.