4. Sensory, Attentional and Perceptual Processes
The chapter discusses sensory, attentional, and perceptual processes that allow individuals to understand their internal and external environments. It highlights the functions and limitations of sensory organs, the mechanisms of attention such as selective and sustained attention, as well as the nuances of perception shaped by personal, social, and cultural factors. The chapter concludes by exploring illusions and how they reflect the complexities of perceptual organization.
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Sections
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What we have learnt
- Knowledge of the world is acquired through sensory processes involving sensation, attention, and perception.
- Attention functions as a mechanism to filter relevant stimuli from irrelevant ones and can be categorized into selective and sustained types.
- Perception is influenced by various factors including cultural background, cognitive styles, and personal experiences, leading to individual differences in interpreting sensory information.
Key Concepts
- -- Absolute Threshold
- The minimum value of a stimulus required to activate a given sensory system.
- -- Selective Attention
- The process of focusing on a limited number of stimuli from a larger pool, often influenced by external and internal factors.
- -- Perception
- The process through which individuals recognize, interpret, or give meaning to stimuli from their sensory organs.
- -- Gestalt Psychology
- A theory that emphasizes the human tendency to perceive patterns and organized wholes rather than incomplete parts.
- -- Illusion
- A misinterpretation of sensory information that results in a discrepancy between the reality of the stimulus and the individual's perception.
Additional Learning Materials
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