Lesson 3: Sensation and Perception Attention People often say, “Your perception is your own personal reality,” but what does that really mean? Is perception a realistic reflection of the truth (objectively speaking) or is it simply an illusion?
This lesson will challenge you to re-think the relationship between perception and reality by explaining core concepts such as stimulus, sensation and something called “Gestalt Psychology.”
Click HERE to link to this video directly on YouTube In this video the narrator relates that when we are in the world we use a lot of assumptions to make sense of what is around us. These assumptions are highly influenced by factors such as our culture, gender, upbringing, and recent experiences. We make errors in perception because we make assumptions about the real world and how it works. This video demonstrates the "Ames Room" which is a room that is totally distorted in shape, but when viewed from a specific vantage point the room looks "normal"...we are then susceptible to some illusions that will definitely grow on you! Have fun with all of this! Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to:
Teaching Three Concepts regarding Sensation Transduction Reduction Habituation Consider what we experience when we get up in the morning and put on our socks. At first we are very aware of the socks but in very little time we are distracted and we forget about them (until we step into a puddle). This "habituation" happens both on the cognitive level in terms of our awareness and what we attend to and on the neurological level where consistent unchanging stimuli no longer elicit nerve impulses. Sensation vs. Perception Culture
Assessment Lesson 3 Discussion For this post, please provide an example (from your own life experience) in which you were forced to change your perception of a situation or person. For example, you may have had the belief that Mexicans eat tacos and burritos every day and then you traveled to Mexico, only to realize that your perception was colored by Americanized Mexican food. Your experience traveling to Mexico changed your perception of Mexican people and their food. Remember, to get full credit, you must post a “main post” and a “reply post.”
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