Essential Reading

• What is sensory perception?

  Sensory perception is the process of knowing and experiencing the world through our senses.
• How do we experience the world through our senses?

  We experience the world by seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and smelling things.
• What are sensations in the context of sensory perception?


  Sensations are the qualities of experience that correspond to actual physical properties of objects.
• What are some examples of sensations associated with different senses?

  Examples include loudness, pitch, timbre for hearing, and sweetness, sourness, bitterness for taste.
• What distinction is made between sensory knowing and the qualities of sensory experience?

  Sensory knowing refers to the awareness of external objects, while qualities of sensory experience refer to sensations like color and shape.

  
• Who was Thomas Reid and what did he contribute to the understanding of perception?


  Thomas Reid was a Scottish philosopher who wrote about the relationship between sensations and perception in 1785.

  
• What does Reid mean by the term 'perception'?

  Reid refers to perception as the conception and belief in the existence of external objects based on sensory experiences.
• How are sensations and perception related according to the text?

  Sensations are the means by which sensory knowledge is presented to the conscious mind, and perception is knowing by sensing.

  
• Can perception occur without sensations?

  Yes, non-conscious forms of perception, such as subliminal perception and blindsight, can occur without sensations.
• What is subliminal perception?


  Subliminal perception is a form of perception that occurs without conscious awareness of sensory experiences.
• What is the basic problem that sensory processes are solving?

  The basic problem is extracting information from proximal stimulation to understand distal stimuli.
• What is proximal stimulation?

  Proximal stimulation is what stimulates sensory receptors, such as light energy for vision.
• How does proximal stimulation relate to visual perception?

  Proximal stimulation in vision is the light energy that stimulates photoreceptors in the eyes.
• What is the role of patterns in proximal stimulation?

  Patterns in proximal stimulation carry information about the world and are essential for perception.
• What is a distal stimulus?

  A distal stimulus is an object or event in the environment that can be perceived through sensing.
• How do distal stimuli affect proximal stimulation?

  Distal stimuli determine the characteristics of proximal stimulation, such as its strength and patterns.
• What is the visible range of light?

  The visible range of light is from about 400 nm to a little over 700 nm.
• How does the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation relate to its energy?

  The longer the wavelength, the lower the energy of the radiation; shorter wavelengths have higher energy.
• What is the proximal stimulation for visual perception?

  The proximal stimulation for visual perception is the images formed by the optical apparatus of the eyes.
• Why are patterns of light important for visual perception?

  Patterns of light contain information about the world and enable perception; unpatterned light results in no perception.
• What technique do parapsychologists use to test clairvoyance?

  Parapsychologists use the Ganzfeld technique, which involves uniform light to eliminate visual distractions.
• What are the key components of sensory perception?

  • Sensory systems enable knowledge and experience of the world.
  • Sensations are qualities of experience corresponding to physical properties.
  • Perception is knowing by sensing.
  • Distinction between conscious and non-conscious perception.

  
• What are the definitions of proximal stimulation and distal stimulus?

  • Proximal Stimulation: Physical energy that stimulates sensory receptors.
  • Distal Stimulus: Objects or events in the environment that can be perceived through sensing.

  
• What is the electromagnetic spectrum and its relevance to visual perception?

  • The electromagnetic spectrum includes all types of electromagnetic radiation.
  • Visible light is a small part of this spectrum, from about 400 nm to 700 nm.
  • Different wavelengths correspond to different types of radiation (e.g., radio waves, microwaves, X-rays).

  
• What are images formed by the optical apparatus of the eyes made of?

  Light
• Why are patterns of light important for perception?

  They contain information about the world that enables perception
• What happens if the eye is stimulated by light without any patterns?

  Nothing is perceived at all
• What technique do parapsychologists use to test clairvoyance?

  Ganzfeld technique
• How does the Ganzfeld technique work?

  It uses uniform light to prevent visual stimulation from influencing telepathic images
• What is the pupil in the eye analogous to in a camera?

  The aperture
• How does the pupil adjust to different light conditions?

  It changes size automatically through the pupillary light reflex
• What is the purpose of the pupillary light reflex?

  To ensure enough light enters the eye without damaging light-sensitive cells
• What happens to the image when the hole in a pin-hole camera is larger than a pin prick?

  The image becomes blurry
• What is required to form a sharp image when the hole is larger than a pin prick?

  Lenses are needed
• What are the two lenses in the human eye called?

  The lens and the cornea

  
• What is the function of the cornea in the eye?

  It provides most of the focusing power
• What is the role of the lens in the eye?

  It adjusts its thickness to focus images
• What is the automatic mechanism for adjusting the focus of the lens called?

  Accommodative reflex
• How does the auto-focus mechanism in modern cameras differ from the accommodative reflex?

  It changes the relative positions of the lenses rather than their thicknesses
• What is the thin sheet of cells that covers the back of the eye called?

  Retina