OUM BUSINESS SCHOOL

SEMESTER JANUARY 2015

BBCG 3103

INTRODUCTION OF PSYCHOLOGY

NAME : TEO SEH GUAN

MATRICS NUMBER : RF 147257003

NO. KAD PENGENALAN : RF 147257

TELEPHONE NUMBER : 013 - 8977369

E-MAIL : teosehguan @ oum.edu.my

LEARNING CENTRE : OUM KOTA KINABALU

TABLE OF CONTENT PAGE

 BBCG 3103 INTRODUCTION OF PSYCHOLOGY

1 INTRODUCTION 3

2 SENSATION AND PERCEPTION 4-8

3 FACTORS THAT ENABLE US TO SEE THE WORLD 9- 11

4.0 INTERVIEW RESULT ON HOW PEOPLE DEVELOP THEIR TASTE 12 - 13

PREFERENCES
5.0 CONCLUSION 14

REFERENCE 15

1 INTRODUCTION

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 BBCG 3103 INTRODUCTION OF PSYCHOLOGY

Psychology is an academic and applied discipline involving the scientific study of mental
processes and behavior. Psychology also refers to the application of such knowledge to
various spheres of human activity, including relating to individuals daily lives and
treatment of mental illness.

Psychology differs from the other social sciences anthropology, economics, political
science, and sociology in that psychology seeks to explain the mental processes and
behavior of individuals. Whereas biology and neuroscience study the biological or neural
processes and how they relate to the mental effects they subjectively produce, psychology
is primarily concerned with the interaction of mental processes and behavior on a
systemic level. The subfield of neuropsychology studies the actual neural processes while

The field of psychology seeks to explain the complexities of human behavior and
cognition. This assignment will show the breadth of what psychology has to offer and
how the different areas of psychology (sensation and perception) fit together as a science.
This essay will approach psychology from an experiment point of view.

As we explore the exciting realm of human behavior and cognition, bear in mind that it is
likely that this essay will uncover even more questions and answers. Hopefully this will
lead to interesting discussion and that, ultimately, we will see the world in a new way.

The purpose of this report is to decentralize and examine specific of the meaning of
Sensation and Perception.

2 SENSATION AND PERCEPTION

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When we smell a fragrant flower, are we experiencing a sensation or perception? In

everyday language, the terms sensation and perception are often used
interchangeably.

2.1 SENSATION AND PERCEPTION

Sensations can be define as the passive process of bringing information from the
outside world into the body and to the brain. The process is passive in the sense
that we do not have to be consciously engaging in a sensing process. Perception
can be defined as the active process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting the
information brought to the brain by the senses.

2.1.1 How They Work Together:

1) Sensation Occurs
a) Sensory organs absorb energy from a physical in the
environment.
b) Sensory receptors converts this energy into neural impulses
and send to the brain.
2) Perception follows:
a) The brain organizes the information and translates it into
something meaningful.

2.1.2 But what does "meaningful" mean? How do we know what information is
important and should be focused on?

1) Selective Attention - process of discriminating between what is

important & is irrelevant (Seems redundant: selective-attention?),
and is influenced by motivation.

For example - students in class should focus on what the teachers

are saying and the overheads being presented. Students walking by
the classroom may focus on people in the room, who is the teacher,
etc., and not the same thing the students in the class.

2) Perceptual Expectancy - how we perceive the world is a function of

our past experiences, culture, and biological makeup. For example,
as an American, when I look at a highway, I expect to see cars,
trucks, etc, NOT airplanes. But someone from a different country
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with different experiences and history may not have any idea what
to expect and thus be surprised when they see cars go driving by.

Another example - you may look at a painting and not really

understand the message the artist is trying to convey. But,
if someone tells you about it, you might begin to see things in the
painting that you were unable to see before.

II) PERCEPTION

Much of our understanding of how and why we perceive things comes

from Gestalt Psychology

For example - one of the most well-known Gestalt principles is the Phi
Phenomenon, which is the illusion of movement from presenting stimuli in
rapid succession. When you see a cartoon or running Christmas lights, you
see movement (although none actually exists) because of this principle.

A) Gestalt Principles of Perceptual Organization

1) figure-ground - this is the fundamental way we organize

visual perceptions. When we look at an object, we see that object
(figure) and the background (ground) on which it sits. For example,
when I see a picture of a friend, I see my friends face (figure) and
the beautiful Sears brand backdrop behind my friend (ground).

2) simplicity/pragnanz (good form) - we group elements that

make a good form. However, the idea of "good form" is a little
vague and subjective. Most psychologists think good form is
whatever is easiest or most simple. For example, what do you see
here: : > )

Do you see a smiling face? There are simply 3 elements from my

keyboard next to each other, but it is "easy" to organize the
elements into a shape that we are familiar with.

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3) proximity - nearness=belongingness. Objects that are close

to each other in physical space are often perceived as belonging
together.

4) similarity - do I really need to explain this one? As you

probably guessed, this one states that objects that are similar are
perceived as going together. For example, if I ask you to group the
following objects: (* * # * # # #) into groups, you would probably
place the asterisks and the pound signs into distinct groups.

5) continuity - we follow whatever direction we are led. Dots

in a smooth curve appear to go together more than jagged angles.
This principle really gets at just how lazy humans are when it
comes to perception.

6) common fate - elements that move together tend to be

grouped together. For example, when you see geese flying south for
the winter, they often appear to be in a "V" shape.

7) closure we tend to complete a form when it has gaps.

B) Illusion an incorrect perception caused by a distraction of visual

sensations.

1) Muller-Luyer Illusion

2) Reversible Figures ambiguous sensory information that

creates more than 1 good form. For example, the picture of two
faces looking toward each other that is also a vase. I am sure most
every Introductory Psychology book has this example.

3) Impossible Figures objects that can be represented in 2-

demensional pictures but cannot exist in 3-dimensional space
despite our perceptions. You know the artist, Escher who draws the

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pictures likethe hands drawing each other, the waterfall that goes
down and stays level at the same time, etc

C) THE PERCEPTION OF PAIN

Pain is an unpleasant yet important function for survival; warning

system (but not all pain is needed for survival).

There are two different pathways to the brain on which pain can
travel information brought from free nerve endings in the skin to
the brain via two different systems:

1) Fast pathways registers localized pain (usually sharp pain)

and sends the information to the cortex in a fraction of a
second. EX. cut your finger with a knife.
2) Slow pathways sends information through the limbic
system which takes about 1-2 seconds longer than directly
to the cortex (longer lasting, aching/burning).

Factors in Pain Perception not an automatic result of stimulation:

1) expectations - research shown that our expectations about

how much something will hurt can affect our perception.

Melzack - indicated that believing that something will be

very painful helps us prepare for it.

For example - child birth: Lamaze method falsely leads us

to believe it won't be painful. Maybe if we know it will be
bad we can adequately prepare to handle it.

another example - placebo effect - if we believe pain has

stopped, it may.

2) personality - people with negative types of personalities

often have more pain. E

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For example - a very uptight person may experience muscle

pains, back pains, etc.

3) mood - bad moods, angry, unhappy, etc, can lead to the

experience of increased pain.

For example - study manipulated moods of subjects then

asked them to complete questionnaires of pain perception.
Those in negative mood group reported significantly more
pain than other subjects. So, it seems that our brains can
regulate, control, determine, and even produce pain.

3 HOW WE SENSE AND PERCIEVE THE WORLD

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Sensation and perception researchers represent a broad range of specialties, including

ophthalmology, the study of the eyes structure, function, and diseases; audiology, the
science concerned with hearing; neurology, the scientific study of the nervous system; and
many others. Understanding sensation and perception requires comprehending the
physical properties of the objects of our perception light, sound, the texture of material
things, and so on. The psychological approach to these processes involves understanding
the physical structures and functions of the sense organs, as well as the brains conversion
of the information from these organs into experience.

3.1 THE PROCESSES AND PURPOSES OF SENSATION AND PERCEPTION

Our world is alive with stimuli all the objects and events that surround us.
Sensation and perception are the processes that allow us to detect and understand
these various stimuli. It may seem strange to think about it this way, but we do not
actually experience these stimuli directly; rather, our senses allow us to get
information about aspects of our environment, and we then take that information
and form a perception of the world.

Sensation is the process of receiving stimulus energies from the external

environment and transforming those energies into neural energy. Physical energy
such as light, sound, and heat is detected by specialized receptor cells in the sense
organs eyes, ears, skin, nose, and tongue. When the receptor cells register a
stimulus, the energy is converted to an electrochemical impulse or action potential
that relays information about the stimulus through the nervous system to the brain
(Sani & oth-ers, 2009; Wang & Hatton, 2009). Recall from Chapter 2 that an
action potential is the brief wave of electrical charge that sweeps down the axon of
a neuron for possible transmission to another neuron. When it reaches the brain,
the information travels to the appropriate area of the cerebral cortex (Gruber
&ODonnell, 2009).

The brain gives meaning to sensation through perception. Perception is the

process of organizing and interpreting sensory information so that it makes

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sense. Receptor cells in our eyes record that is, sense a sleek silver object in the
sky, but they do not see a jet plane. Recognizing that silver object as a plane is
perception. Sensing and perceiving give us views of the setting sun, the sounds of
a rock concert, the touch of soft caresses, the taste of sweets, and the fragrance of
powers. Of all the various stimuli that are present in your environment right now,
you are able to sense and perceive only some of them. Every species is adapted to
sense and perceives stimuli that matter to that species ability to survive in its
environment.

3.1.1 Bottom-Up and Top-Down Processing

Psychologists distinguish between bottom-up and top-down processing in

sensation and perception. In bottom-up processing, sensory receptors
register information about the external environment and send it up to the
brain for interpretation. Bottom-up processing means taking in information
and trying to make sense of it (Weidner & others, 2009). An example
of bottom-up processing might be the way you experience a song the first
you hear it: You listen carefully to get a feel for it. In contrast, top-down
processing starts with cognitive processing at the higher levels of the brain;
in top-down processing we begin with some sense of what is happening
and apply that framework to information from the world (Balaguer-
Ballester & others, 2009; Johnson & Johnson, 2009).You can experience
top-down processing by listening to your favorite song in your head right
now. As you hear the song in your minds ear, you are engaged in
perceptual experience.

Both bottom-up and top-down processing take place in sensing and

perceiving the world (Liu & others, 2009), and these processes work
together to allow us to function accurately and efficiently. By themselves
our ears provide only incoming information about sound in the
environment. Only when we consider both what the ears hear (bottom-up
processing) and what the brain interprets (top-down processing) can we
fully understand how we perceive sounds in our world. In everyday life,
the two processes of sensation and perception are essentially inseparable.

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For this reason, most psychologists refer to sensation and perception as a

unified information-processing system(Goldstein, 2010).

3.1.2 The Purposes of Sensation and Perception

Why do we perceive the world? From an evolutionary perspective, the

purpose of sensation and perception is adaptation that improves a species
chances for survival (Hartman & Smith, 2009; Mader,2010). An organism
must be able to sense and respond quickly and accurately to events in the
immediate environment, such as the approach of a predator, the presence of
prey, the appearance of a potential mate. Not surprisingly, therefore, most
animals from gold fish to gorillas to humans have eyes and ears, as well as
sensitivities to touch and chemicals (smell and taste). Furthermore, a close
comparison of sensory systems in animals reveals that each species is
exquisitely adapted to the habitat in which it evolved (Molles, 2010).

Animals that are primarily predators generally have their eyes at the front
of their faces so that they can perceive their prey accurately. In contrast,
animals that are more likely to be someone elses lunch have their eyes on
either side of their heads, giving them a wide view o their surroundings
at all times. A marvelous example of evolutionary accomplishment appears
in a fish called Anableps microlepis, which has four eyes. This remarkable
adaptation allows the Anableps microlepis to swim just at the surface of the
water, with two aerial eyes monitoring the dangerous world above the
water and two aquatic eyes looking for food in the world below.

4.0 INTERVIEW RESULT ON HOW PEOPLE DEVELOP THEIR TASTE

PREFERENCES

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4.1 INTERVIEW 1: Favoring The Well-known

My friend Hannah said coffee is a drink that can develop her taste preferences.
The smell of the strong coffee and the bitter taste with the help of milk and sugar
really give her energize. Repeated exposure is usually required to actually enjoy
coffee, and the development of such a taste preference has been coined mere
exposure effect. It is assumed that there is a direct link between taste experiences
and preferences. A biological safety principle builds the basis for this effect:
through careful tasting and waiting for any negative consequences (intolerance),
our ancestors have gathered taste experiences. However, our own food behaviour
is rarely mere intake, but rather coupled with emotions, social aspects and
digestive processes that may influence the mere exposure effect.

4.2 INTERVIEW 2: Develop Taste In Music

It is around age 10 that Pricilla start to formulate her musical interests, even if she
had no prior interest in music. During the teenage years that follow, herself-
discovery is in full swing and emotions are heightened, so she is ultra sensitive to
all kinds of music.

Around age 12, she listen to whatever her friends are listening to in order to place
herself into a specific social circle. And fitting in the with popular kids in middle
school make she like Britney Spears.

Her music taste is different from what it was when she were a young. When she
hit 18-20, she thought that her music taste is essentially solidified. Researchers
estimate that by this age, weve become less open-minded, and our neural circuits
become almost fully structured based around our experiences, leaving little wiggle
room for new associations.

4.3 INTERVIEW 3: Fearing the New

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My friend Nancy said when new kind of foods are being introduced, she
will freak out. Already after a single eat of a new food, Nancy show a
significant increase in acceptance. On the other hand, food neophobia is
very pronounced. In this sensitive phase, she often begin to reject new
foods and new flavours. The neophobia protects her from eating harmful
or poisonous foods.

Although the rejection of new foods appears innate, there are individual
and gender-specific differences to the neophobia, with women seemingly
less affected than men. Furthermore, similarities within families hint at a
genetic component.

4 CONCLUSION

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Sensation is the process of receiving stimulus energies from the environment. Perception
is the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information to give it meaning.
Perceiving the world involves both bottom-up and top-down processing. All sensation
begins with sensory receptors, specialized cells that detect and transmit information about
a stimulus to sensory neurons and the brain. Sensory receptors are selective and have
different neural pathways.

Psychologist have explored the limits of our abilities to detect stimuli. Absolute threshold
refers to the minimum amount of energy that people can detect. The difference threshold,
or just noticeable difference, is the smallest difference in stimulation required to
discriminate one stimulus from another 50 percent of the time.

Perception is influenced by attention, beliefs, and expectations. Sensory adaptation is a

change in the responsiveness of the sensory system based on the average level of
surrounding stimulation, essentially the ways that our senses start to ignore a particular
stimulus once it is around long enough.

REFERENCE

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Dr Noor Afza A., Dr Basariah S., Dr Norhani A., Dr Hasnah K., Universiti Utara Malaysia, 2013,

Allen, Jamie, 2000a, Overview of psychology

Don Baucum, Psychology

Warren Hilton, Sensation and Perception

http://www.psychology.com/sensation

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