Website on Teen Health

Check out this website--it includes a lot of great info on teen health:
http://kidshealth.org/teen/index.jsp?tracking=T_Home

Process of Audition

Congratulations to the students who created these two posters.  Both groups demonstrated innovation in their ideas and have given everyone a new, interesting way to frame his/her understanding of the process of audition.  Extra credit has been awarded to: Oscar, Danny, Roberto, Nancy, Jennyfer, Bianca, and Taylor.

Study Questions (from Wednesday's class)

Here are the questions you worked on answering in class on Wednesday:


1. What do Gestalt psychologists believe?
2. Draw representations of the Laws of Perceptual Grouping:
-proximity
-similarity
-continuity
-connectedness/common fate
-closure
3. How does the visual cliff experiment relate to perception?
4. How do we adapt our perception
5. What is the difference between bottom-up processing and top-down processing?

Expectations and Perception (and some thoughts on Gestalt Psychology)

         Arocdnicg to rsceearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer are in the rghit pcale. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit pobelrm. Tihs is buseace the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe

Mary had a

a little lamb

Multiple Choice Practice Questions

These are the questions from Wednesday's class (answers are listed at the end).


   1.What function does the retina serve?

A.The retina contains the visual receptor cells

B.The retina focuses light coming in the eye through the lens

C.The retina determines which rods and cones will be activated by incoming light

D.The retina determines how much light is let into the eye

E.The retina connects the two optic nerves and sends impulses to the left and right visual

cortices

2.Which of the following sentences best describes the relationship between sensation and

perception?

A.Sensation is a strictly mechanical process, while perception is a cognitive process

B.Perception is an advanced form of sensation

C.Sensation happens in the senses, while perception happens in the brain.

D.Sensation is detecting stimuli; perception is interpreting stimuli detected

E.Sensation involves learning and expectations, and perception does not.

3.Of the following, which bend incoming light rays to focus an image on the retina?

I.Cornea

II.Iris

III.Lens

A.I only

B.II only

C.III only

D.I and III only

E.I, II, III

4.  The cochlea is responsible for

A.  protecting the surface of the eye.

B.  transmitting vibrations received by the eardrum to the hammer, anvil, and stirrup.

C.  transforming vibrations into neural signals

D.  coordinating impulses from the rods and cones in the retina.

E.  sending messages to the brain about orientation of the head and body

Answers:  1. A; 2. D; 3. C; 4. C

Sensation and Perception Study Guide

In order to prepare for Monday's exam, please ensure you have spent a significant amount of time reviewing the following:

• the process of transduction (in general and within vision and audition)
• sensory adaptation
• absolute and difference/JND thresholds
• signal detection theory
• subliminal persuasion
• visual sensation: anatomy, processing of, creation of color, color blindness, opponent-process theory, afterimages
• hearing/audition: anatomy, processing of, sound waves, pitch, frequency, amplitude, timbre, deafness, cochlear implants
• vestibular sense
• olfaction: anatomy, process, pheromones, connection with memory, transduction
• gustation: anatomy, taste sensitivity over time
• pain: gate-control theory, coping, tolerance
• relationship between sensation and perception
• feature detectors
• bottom-up vs. top-down processing
• perceptual constancy
• ambiguous figures, illusions, Laws of Perceptual Grouping (similarity, proximity, continuity, common fate)
• Gestalt theory
• figure and ground; closure
• visual cliff
• binocular vs. monocular cues, depth perception, misperception
• factors that affect perception (context, expectations, etc.), perceptual set, culture
• all previously covered material (there will be review questions on this test!)

Use your study books, memorize your flash cards, review your Cornell notes, review the blog, make concept connections, and know everything on the study guide.  Good luck!

Cochlear Implant Animation

Here is the video, from Monday's class, that explains cochlear implants and ear anatomy. Watch it again!
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Learning to Listen

Here is the video I showed in class about the little boy who had a cochlear implant. We discussed the video in conjunction with the content presented in the do now, "Close-up: Living in a Silent World."

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Extra Credit

Read this article and watch the video.  How does this relate to sensation and perception?
Think beyond basic concepts.  Extra credit will be awarded based on the level of critical thinking demonstrated in one's answer.

Other Important Senses

Wednesday's Homework
**You should write your answers on a separate piece of paper (do not post your answers as a comment)**


On a piece of paper, answer the following questions using Cornell notes:

1.  How do we sense touch and sense our body's position and movement?
2.  How do we experience pain?
3.  What is gate-control theory?  Provide a concept-to-self (text-to-self) connection.
4.  How does pain perception vary according to social situations or cultural traditions?
5.  How do we experience taste?
6.  How do we experience smell?

Take special care to interpret the concepts.  Answer these questions in your own words, not the words of the textbook author (he already has a Ph. D. in psychology, and I know he understands these concepts!)

Monday's Homework

Hi everyone.  Here is the information from the slide in class today.  For Monday, please remember that you need to complete a write-up for today's "experiment"/observation and review pp.52-62 in your study book.  I will also be sending out a unit 4 study guide and a few other attachments via email, so check your email.  If I can figure out how to post these items on the blog, I will do that as well.

Peripheral Vision Observation
*If you did not finish this in class today, you will need to complete the observation with other subjects.  Your report will be better if you have data from a variety of subjects.
Test the peripheral vision of a subject by holding a colored object (colored pencils, markers, or highlighters work well) in his/her peripheral vision.  Make sure the subject doesn't know what color the object is beforehand, and ensure that the subject stares straight ahead with his/her eyes affixed on one point.  Slowly move the object forward and observe when the subject can correctly determine its color.  You will get more information (and thus stronger results) if you use subjects who represent a variety of visual ability (e.g., those with glasses, those who don't need glasses, those with contacts) and ages (if possible).  You will also want to vary the distance from the subject that you hold the item.


Record all results; include all descriptions of the experimental methodology

• Research question and hypothesis
• –Independent variable
• –Dependent variable
• –Extraneous variables
• Sampling/subjects
• –Procedure
• –Results
• –What do your results demonstrate?  (Be specific about the process of visual intake.)
• –Were there inconsistencies in your results?  If so, why?
• –Discussion

Please let me know if you have questions!  

Advice:  Don't procrastinate!

A note on tonight's homework

Just a reminder that you need to answer (via comment) two of the four questions I posted last night.

Note:  Your comments will not automatically appear.  As I told you in class, I have adjusted the settings so that I need to approve the comments first.  I am doing this so everyone does their own work, and you are not influenced by someone else's comment/answer.

I will approve the comments tomorrow and they should be posted to the blog by tomorrow night.

Now, get to work!

Flashcards and study books

Hi everyone!  Just a quick note on the flashcards and study books.
1)  You do not need to bring them to class everyday, although you will want to bring your flashcards for the current unit of study (i.e., pull out the sensation flashcards, put them on the ring, and bring those to class)
2)  The study book will primarily be used in study group and for your independent studying.  Each section summarizes one unit of study in our class.  I will occasionally assign it for homework.  For example, I am asking you to review the research methods section for Monday's class.
3)  These are gold.  Seriously.  If you use them well, you will be much more prepared for the AP Exam.  Success in this course and on the exam does depend a lot on your self-discipline to study even when no on "makes" you.