Download File - Ms. Beam`s Class

Bell Work
• Brain cells that analyze incoming sensory
information into lines, angles, shading, and
movement are called
– Sight cells.
– Second stage sensors.
– Feature detectors.
– Vision neurons.
– Ocular nerves.
Bell Work
• In comparing the human eye to a camera, the
film would be located in the eye’s
– retina
– pupil
– lens
– cornea
– iris
Visual Cliff
• Gibson and Walker placed 6-14 months old
infants on edge of a visual cliff (table half
glass, half wood), making the appearance of a
drop-off; Mothers then tries to convince infant
to crawl pass the normal part of the table
onto glass; most refused, indicating
perception of depth
Perception
• Convergence: binocular cue in which the more
the eyes turns inward, the closer the object
• Brain reads rapid series of slightly different
images as movement; phenomenon called
stroboscopic movement
• Another illusion of movement is phi
phenomenon: perception of movement when
lights blink one after the other; the lighted arrow
signs on the back of parked construction trucks
Sight
• Formerly blind patients often can’t recognize objects
familiar by touch
• Sensory restriction like allowing only diffused, unpatterned
light does no damage is occurring later in life; affect only at
infancy, suggesting critical period for development
• Perceptual adaptation: ability for our vision to adjust to
artificial displacement; given goggles that shift vision 30
degrees to left, humans learn to adjust actions 30 degrees
to left
– Roger Sperry surgically turned eyes of animals; found out Fish,
Frogs, Salamanders (Note: reptiles) CAN’T ADJUST
– while Kittens, Monkeys, Humans (Note: mammals) ADAPTED
Parapsychology
• Parapsychology: study of paranormal phenomena
• 50% of Americans believe in extrasensory perception (ESP):
claim perception occurring without sensory input
• Three varieties of ESP:
– Telepathy (sending or reading thoughts)
– Clairvoyance (gain information about an object, person, location
or physical event through means other than the known senses)
– Precognition (seeing future)
• Vague predictions can later be interpreted to match events
– Confirmation bias
• After many experiments, never had a reproducible ESP
phenomenon or individual who can convincingly
demonstrate psychic ability
I Can See!
• Light waves from the visual spectrum are floating around for all to
take in.
• Light waves pass through the cornea (protective rounded part).
• Light waves pass through the pupil (allows light to come in)
• The amount of light coming through is controlled by the iris.
• The lens then focuses the light into a narrow beam and projects it
upside down to …
• The retina, where the photoreceptors convert the image into
electric impulses for brain processing (transduction).
• Using the optic nerve, impulses reach the thalamus (regulatory)
and then the primary visual cortex in the occipital lobe.
• The visual association area draws associations to schemas which
allow the brain to perceive what it is they are looking at.
• Issues that can occur with sight:
– near/far sightedness – problems with placement on
the retina
– visual agnosia – inability to perceive complex
sensations into meaningful ideas
• Face blindness
• Visual association area – the area of the brain (in the
occipital lobe) that gives meaning to images being seen.
Prior associations, mindset, shading, linear relationship, etc.,
can all affect associations.
– color blind
Hearing
• Sound waves are floating around varying in pitch (speed or
frequency) and decibel level (loudness).
• Sound waves are funneled in by the outer ear.
• It moves to the middle ear, where the hammer, anvil and
stirrup turn the waves into vibrations after they have
passed through the eardrum (tympanic membrane).
• In the inner ear, vibrations pass to the cochlea where
transduction occurs.
• Vibrations pass through the hair cells of the cochlea and
into the basilar membrane.
• At that point, the electrical signals pass into the auditory
nerve.
• Info is then passed into the primary auditory cortex located
in the temporal lobe.
Hearing Theories
• Frequency theory – the rate at which nerve impulses
reach the brain determine how low the pitch of the
sound is. Low pitches have lower frequency. The higher
the frequency, the higher the pitch
• Place theory – The area within the basilar membrane
of the cochlea determines how we hear high pitch
sounds, such as scraping Styrofoam or a chalkboard. If
the vibration occurs at the beginning of the membrane,
it’s low pitch. If it occurs at the end of the membrane,
it’s high pitch.
Vestibular System
• Semicircular canals – control balance in the
ear.
• Potential problems:
– Vertigo
• Temporary dizziness tinnitus, hearing loss,
nausea/vomiting
– Motion sickness
– Meniere’s disease
• Permanent damage to the semicircular canal.
• Vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss, nausea/vomiting
Taste
• Chemical
• Salty, sweet, bitter, sour, and umami
– Bitter vs. Sour: Bitter is the most sensitive of all tastes; sour=acidity;
Bitter=coffee, unsweetened cocoa, citrus peels, beer; Sour=citrus
“meat,” wine, and sour milk
– Umami: Proposed in 1908; declared a taste in 1985; savory or meaty,
MSG (distinct from salt), cheese, soy sauce, breast milk, fish,
mushrooms, green tea
• Eating spicy foods can cause a taste bud to become dull or
damaged. The taste buds can also be damaged by hot foods, cold
foods, infections, dry mouth, smoking and extremely sour foods.
Spicy foods may dull your taste buds, but the condition is
temporary.
– In a study published by My Health, 40 volunteers were given capsicum
on the right and left sides of their tongues and then given five main
flavors that humans can taste. After the study was concluded they found
that capsicum dulled the taste of sweetness, bitterness and umami by
30 percent.
The myth of the tongue map; that 1
tastes bitter, 2 tastes sour, 3 tastes salt,
and 4 tastes sweet.
Other Taste Sensations
(Somatosensory)
• Pungency/Piquance
– Asia and Latin America
– Hot and spicy
– Black and chili peppers; ginger; horseradish
• Coolness
– Fresh and minty
– Spearmint; menthol; ethanol
• Astringency
– Dry, rough, rubbery
– Tea, red wine, bananas
• Heartiness
– Japan: Kokumi
– Richness or heartiness
– Fish sperm; braised, aged, or slow-cooked meats and other foods
• Numbness
– Chinese; Indonesian
– Numbing hotness
More Taste Sensations
• Metallicness/Metallicity
– Blood, some medicines, dental fillings
• Fattiness
– Specifically fatty acids
– Again, found in mice so far
• Temperature
– Food and drink that—in a given culture—is traditionally served hot is often
considered distasteful if cold, and vice versa.
– Alcohol; soup; cocoa
– Soda: North America=cold; South America=lukewarm
• Calcium
– Chalky
– Calcium in vegetables; calcium in milk products bind to fat cells, so the calcium
taste isn’t noticeable
– Scientists found a CaSR calcium receptor on the taste buds of mice; We have
these receptors in our GI system, kidneys, and brain
• Carbon Dioxide
– Fizziness
– Soda, beer, champagne
Smell and Taste
• Smell (olfaction) accounts for about 80% of our ability to
taste.
• Anosmia-Loss of smell
• Ageusia-Loss of taste
• Some people are born without a sense of smell, it can be
the result of a frontal head injury or something as mundane
as an infection. Old age is also a factor, with smell and taste
deteriorating rapidly after the age of 75.
• Loss of ability to smell and taste (as opposed to congenital)
can indicate the onset of brain illnesses such as multiple
sclerosis, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, often years before
other more recognizable symptoms emerge.
– Rose oil, lemons, cloves
• One person is the researcher, one the subject and
two others are speakers.
• Have the two speakers stand equal distance away
from each of the subject’s ears and recite two
different speeches (each person should select a
poem from the literature book).
• In the end, the researcher will judge how well the
subject could tune out one speaker while trying
to focus on the other. (Before you start,
determine how you will measure this)
• Do three trials. Use different poems each time.