Using the Online Library; find two peer-reviewed journal articles on Webers Law or Mind-Body Dualism.?? In your synopsis, you wil

Research Approaches.html

Research Approaches

Scientists have tried to understand the various components of perceptual processing using different methods that fall into two general categories: psychophysical and physiological. The methods are similar yet different.

The psychophysical approach tends to focus more on reported reactions to stimuli, and the physiological approach tends to more directly measure the nervous system and chemical responses.

We will first learn about the psychophysical approach, which is historically the older approach. Psychophysics was founded by Gustav Fechner in the 1800s. Fechner was interested in the experimental study of sensation and perception, and he eventually published an influential book, Elements of Psychophysics.

Psychophysics uses quantitative methods to determine the relationship between stimuli and perception. For example, a participant might be asked to decide whether two colors are the same, and he or she would be expected to answer with a yes or a no.

The psychophysical approach assesses what an individual perceives in different ways, such as by having the person describe, recognize, detect, determine the magnitude, or search.

Let us consider the methodology of the physiological approach. This approach uses technology to measure the physiological and chemical changes that occur within the nervous system, especially the brain. For example, a person is asked to listen to pieces composed by Bach and Mozart. While listening to the music, a brain scanner device (e.g., a functional magnetic resonance imaging [fMRI] device) can be used to determine which composer's music causes greater limbic system activation.

Introduction to Sensation and Perception.html

Introduction to Sensation and Perception

Try this. Stop focusing on the computer screen and pay attention to any of the other things that are happening right now. Do you hear any noises that you hadn't heard before? Do you hear birds singing, car sounds, airplanes, or the sound of your breathing? There are stimuli around us all the time, and we are always selecting, consciously or unconsciously, what to pay attention to or what to prioritize for processing. However, remember that we can only attend to stimuli that we have the ability to process. We have to possess the proper body parts and specially designed receptors to be able to receive the stimuli. Not having the proper body parts is like trying to catch a fish for dinner without a net or a hook and bait. Sensory processing is like fishing for food—if we do not have appropriate tools, we cannot catch a fish. As you probably know, each sensory modality has specific hooks or receptors that enable us to detect stimuli. For example, our eyes have photoreceptors, and our ears have auditory receptors called hair cells. These receptors are a key component because they transduce physical and chemical stimuli, which means that they change the stimuli into electrical currents so the brain can process the information. If there is no problem with receiving and transducing a stimulus, that stimulus (which is now represented by electrical impulses) must be transmitted and processed throughout the brain. It is in the brain, between primary sensory and higher-level processing, that perception occurs. Recognition and categorization are part of perception, and this is where the perspectives and views of human beings significantly diverge. People significantly diverge in their perceptual processes.