PSYC304 Perception
Week 1 Forum
There are two parts to this assignment. The first part is an introduction and the second part is related to the course.
Part 1. Introduction
This part of the assignment should be a minimum of 150 words and requires completion for credit for the first forum.
You’ve probably experienced being required to do this in prior classes. It’s an important element of any class because we enjoy knowing who we are talking to. Where are you stationed or do you live? What are some of your interests? What do you enjoy doing when you’re not in this class working away learning about sensation and perception? What is one thing that you wonder about perception? Please include three specific goals that you hope to attain from this course.
(NOTE: Please don’t copy an idea from the course syllabus or text–this question is about what you bring to the class before ever seeing those materials).
Part 2. Processes in perception. This part of the forum should be 150 words.
After watching the two videos below, discuss the role of higher-level or “cognitive” processes in perception. Then describe a situation in which you initially thought you saw or heard something, but then realized that your initial perception was in error. What was the role of bottom-up and top-down processing in this process of first having an incorrect perception and then realizing what was actually there?
Support your belief and use specific examples. You may refer to your assigned Week 1 readings or draw on scholarly online resources. The latter must be academic in nature (e.g. from the APUS online library) and not from pop culture and/or commercial websites, blogs, opinion sites, etc.
PSYC304 Perception
Week 2 Forum
Upon viewing the video on the Anatomy and Physiology of Hearing (the link can be found in the syllabus), describe the structure of the ear, focusing on the role that each component plays in transmitting the vibrations that enter the outer ear to the auditory receptors in the inner ear. Then, discuss the basic difference between determining the location of a sound source and determining the location of the visual object. Lastly, discuss the differences a person may experience in hearing when living in the city versus a rural environment. Support your belief and use specific examples.
PSYC304 Perception
Week 3 Forum
Many people wear glasses to compensate for the fact that the optical system of their eye does not focus a sharp image on the retinas. Once you have reviewed the videos below, discuss at least three of the disorders of focusing. Be sure that you are discussing the complete epigenetic origin which should include a discussion of the genetic/biological origin and the environment influence related to these disorders of focusing. Include in your discussion the impact of culture in the development of the optical system at various stages of the lifespan. Support your belief and use specific examples.
PSYC304 Perception
Week 4 Forum
First, watch the video below discussing the primary visual cortex. Then discuss a minimum of two functional properties of visual cortical cells. Include in your discussion how the human brain uses these properties in perceiving objects in our everyday activities. In addition, discuss three things (objects, situations, age etc.) that can impede the normal functioning of these properties.
Support your answer and use specific examples. You may refer to your assigned Week 3 readings in the syllabus or draw on scholarly online resources. The latter must be academic in nature (e.g. from the APUS online library) and not from pop culture and/or commercial websites, blogs, opinion sites, etc.
PSYC304 Perception
Week 5 Forum
Color is all around us, but just how deeply integrated is the phenomenon of color into our senses and neural pathways? Describe trichromatic theory and opponent-process theory of color vision, including the observations on which it is based and the physiological basis of each theory. Lastly, watch the video on synaethesia below, and discuss what it means to say that color is created by the nervous system. Explain what everyday life would be like for an individual with the disorder, including its impact on occupation, relationships, and leisure time. Be sure to include how the disorder might affect the person’s behaviors and experiences in these settings.
PSYC304 Perception
Week 6 Forum
The idea behind selective adaptation is that when we view a stimulus with a specific property, neurons tuned to that property fire, and if viewing continues for long enough, these neurons adapt. Discuss how the psychophysical procedure of selective adaptation has been used to demonstrate the link between feature detectors and (a) the perception of orientation, and (b) the perception of size. Be sure to include a discussion of your understanding of the rationale behind selective adaptation experiments and how we can draw conclusions about physiology from the results of such a psychophysical procedure. Provide two examples for the class that support your conclusions. For this week’s discussion, it is expected students will use their readings and outside scholarly web sources to answer this question completely.
PSYC304 Perception
Week 7 Forum
This week we will examine the chemical sense of smell (olfaction) and taste. This is a two-part discussion question (part one pertaining to olfaction and part two pertaining to taste) and both parts must be answered in order to receive full credit. After viewing the material for this week as outlined in the syllabus, discuss the components of the olfactory system: the olfactory receptors, the olfactory sensory neurons, the olfactory bulb and the cortex. Then, discuss what kinds of evidence support the idea that different people may have different taste experiences. What mechanisms might be responsible for these differences? Lastly, explain the role of culture in the development of smell and taste and provide two examples of how culture could account for variation in perception.
PSYC304 Perception
Week 8 Forum
Learning to recognize; is this merely a human trait? After watching the videos for this week as listed in the syllabus, discuss what it means that our perceptional system has been shaped by the properties of the environment and provide two examples to support your point. In addition, discuss the strengths and limitations of human facial recognition and list some of the problems that make facial recognition and/or object recognition difficult for computers, but not for humans.
PSYC304 Perception
Week 2 Presbycusis Paper
Presbycusis is a condition affecting the hearing of many adults. There are a variety of causes, including damage to structures of the middle and inner ear. The result is loss of hearing—not complete deafness, but difficulty in detecting certain sounds within the normal range of hearing. Use each numbered item as a required subheading in your paper. Students should preview the grading rubric before beginning the assignment.
explain how normal hearing occurs. Include in your discussion the following points:
How is sound transmitted from the environment outside the body to the inner ear? What structures are involved, and how do they transmit sound?
What happens in the inner ear (cochlea) when sound waves are converted to neural signals? How is sound frequency (pitch) processed?
Next, summarize the causes of presbycusis and explain how they will interfere with the normal processing of sound as outlined above.
Discuss one source of presbycusis involving a problem with the outer/middle ear.
Discuss one source of presbycusis involving a problem with the inner ear.
Finally, describe what it might be like to have presbycusis. Include the following points:
If you have normal hearing now, how would your ability to converse with others be affected?
What activities that you now enjoy would be limited by this condition?
How would such a condition affect your work life?
The paper should include:
Be a minimum of 3.5 and a maximum of 4.5 full pages, size 12 font Times New Roman, double spaced with 1 inch margins, NOT including the Title and References pages.
A title page
Include the sub headings of: “Introduction”, “How Normal Hearing Occurs”, “Causes of Presbycusis”, “Having Presbycusis”, and “Conclusions”.
Introductory paragraph ending in a clear thesis statement
Several well-developed (5-7 sentences) body paragraphs that explore the assignment questions in detail
A summary and conclusions paragraph
Three references, two of which cannot be from the class readings.
Be sure to submit your project in one Word document in APA 6th ed. format and attach it below.
PSYC304 Perception
Week 4 Midterm Essay Exam
For your Midterm essay exam, you will complete 10 short answer essay questions which focus on the course readings. Midterm essay answers must be attached as Word documents to the appropriate assignment page, not typed into the assignment student comments boxes. In addition to writing a 300 word answer to each essay question with APA formatted citations and references (APA title page and reference page are required. Each question should be answered clearly and numbered) students will answer each question thoroughly and completely, providing examples where required.
Answer the questions below in your Midterm exam.
Describe the process of perception as a series of steps, beginning with the environmental stimulus and culminating in the behavioral responses of perceiving, recognizing, and acting.
Because the long axons of neurons look like electrical wires, and both neurons and electrical wires conduct electricity, is tempting to equate the two.Compare and contrast the functioning of axons and electrical wires in terms of their structure and the nature of the electrical signals they conduct.
What are the two answers (one “simple” and the other “profound”) to the question, “Why is our perception of colors and details worse in the dim illumination than in bright illumination?”
What is color consistency?Describe three factors that help achieve color consistency.What is lightness consistency?Describe the factors that are responsible for lightness consistency. Lastly, compare and contrast color consistency with lightness consistency.
When you walk from outside, which is illuminated by sunlight, to inside, which is illuminated by “tungsten” illumination, your perception of colors remains fairly constant.But under some illuminations, such as street lights called “sodium – vapor” lights that sometimes illuminates highways or parking lots, colors do seem to change.Why do you think collar consistency would hold under some illuminations, but not others?
What is sensory adaptation?How does it occur within the various senses?What function does sensory adaptation serve?Provide a relevant example which illustrates your point.
What are the characteristics of the energy that we see as visible light?Provide an example illustrating how these characteristics are expressed when someone sees a rainbow.What types of things (situations and/or objects) can interfere with these characteristics?
How does the eye transfer light energy into a neural message?What is the blind spot in the eye and how does it impact the transference of light energy?
How is visual information processed in the brain?But what are some things (situations and/or objects) which can impede visual information being processed in the brain.Please include a relevant example to illustrate your answer.
What theories contribute to our understanding of color vision?Discuss at least two relevant theories within the field of vision.
PSYC304 Perception
Week 7 Final Paper
For Week Seven, you will be using the material covered in your reading list and the APUS Library, to develop a paper which explores one of the sensorimotor systems (e.g., vision, touch, taste, smell, or attention. You will not be allowed to use hearing as a topic as it was examined in the Week Two paper.) from a biopsychological perspective. Be sure to address, the physiological (structure and function) as well as the psychological (cognitive-perceptual) underpinnings of the system. Use each item as a required subheading in your paper. Students should preview the grading rubric before beginning the assignment.
The paper should include:
Be a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 5 full pages, size 12 font Times New Roman, double spaced with 1 inch margins, NOT including the Title and References pages.
A title page
Include the sub headings of: “Physiological Underpinnings”, “Structure”, “Function” “Psychological Underpinnings”, “Cognitive-Perceptual”.
100-120 word abstract
Introductory paragraph ending in a clear thesis statement
Several well-developed (5-7 sentences) body paragraphs that explore the topic in detail
A summary and conclusions paragraph
Four references, three of which cannot be from the class readings.
Be sure to submit your project in one Word document in APA 6th ed. format and attach it below.
PSYC304 Perception
Week 8 Final Essay Exam
Assignment Instructions
For your Final essay exam, you will complete 10 short answer essay questions which focus on the course readings and videos. Final essay answers must be attached as Word documents to the appropriate assignment page, not typed into the assignment student comments boxes. In addition to writing a 300 word answer to each essay question with APA formatted citations and references (APA title page and reference page are required. Each question should be answered clearly and numbered) students will answer each question thoroughly and completely, providing examples where required.
Answer the questions below in your Final exam.
How do we experience taste?Be sure to discuss the composite of the five basic taste sensations.After you have fully and completely answered this question from a biological perspective, include a relevant example which illustrates your answer.
How does our sense of smell work?Discuss the concept that our sense of smell is directly connected to the brain. After you have fully and completely answered this question from a biological perspective, include a relevant example which illustrates your answer.
How do our senses to monitor our body’s position and movement.Discuss factors which may influence our vestibular senses. After you have fully and completely answered this question from a biological perspective, include a relevant example which illustrates your answer.
What did the Gestalt psychologists contribute to our understanding of how the brain organizes sensation into perceptions? After you have fully and completely answered this question from a biological perspective, include a relevant example which illustrates your answer.
How do the principles of figure-ground and moving contribute to our perception of form?Discuss how the roles of proximity, similarity, continuity, connectedness, enclosure impact the order and form of stimuli during the organizational process.
How do we see the world in three dimensions?Be sure to discuss the research on visual cliffs, binocular cues, retinal disparity, and monocular cues.
How do perceptual consistencies help us to organize our sensations into meaningful perceptions?Include a discussion of how perceptual consistencies help explain several well known visual illusions, such as the Moon and the Ames Room illusions.
What does research on sensory restriction and restored vision reveal about the effects of experience on perception? After you have fully and completely answered this question from a biological perspective, include a relevant example which illustrates your answer.
How adaptable is our ability to perceive the world around us?Discuss the biological components involved in vision and the brain’s ability to adapt body movement. After you have fully and completely answered this question from a biological perspective, include a relevant example which illustrates your answer.
Describe the following, which are related physiological mechanisms that are involved in determining cognitive and experiential aspects of pain perception: gate-control model; opiates and pain: the physiology of the placebo effect.
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