Over the years there has been a great deal of speculation about the use of subliminal messages in advertising, rock music, and self-help audio programs. Therefore, the message is sensed, but for whatever reason, it has not been selected for processing in working or short-term memory. A message below that threshold is said to be subliminal: we receive it, but we are not consciously aware of it. A stimulus reaches a physiological threshold when it is strong enough to excite sensory receptors and send nerve impulses to the brain: this is an absolute threshold. It is also possible for us to get messages that are presented below the threshold for conscious awareness-these are called subliminal messages. Under quiet conditions, the hair cells (the receptor cells of the inner ear) can detect the tick of a clock 20 feet away (Galanter, 1962). It has been estimated that on a clear night, the most sensitive sensory cells in the back of the eye can detect a candle flame 30 miles away (Okawa & Sampath, 2007). The sensitivity of our sensory receptors can be quite amazing. Another way to think about this is by asking how dim can a light be or how soft can a sound be and still be detected half of the time. Absolute threshold refers to the minimum amount of stimulus energy that must be present for the stimulus to be detected 50% of the time. The sensitivity of a given sensory system to the relevant stimuli can be expressed as an absolute threshold. We also have sensory systems that provide information about balance (the vestibular sense), body position and movement (proprioception and kinesthesia), pain (nociception), and temperature (thermoception). It turns out that this notion of five senses is oversimplified. You have probably known since elementary school that we have five senses: vision, hearing (audition), smell (olfaction), taste (gustation), and touch (somatosensation). ![]() The conversion from sensory stimulus energy to action potential is known as transduction. These cells relay messages, in the form of action potentials (as you learned when studying biopsychology), to the central nervous system. For example, light that enters the eye causes chemical changes in cells that line the back of the eye. When sensory information is detected by a sensory receptor, sensation has occurred. In this case, perception happens when the brain interprets the sensory information and sends corresponding signals to sensory organs for response to the physical stimuli.What does it mean to sense something? Sensory receptors are specialized neurons that respond to specific types of stimuli. On the other hand, perception is a part of top-down processing. ![]() This means that sensation occurs when the sensory organs transmit information towards the brain. Most psychologists believe that sensation is an important part of bottom-up processing. Also, hearing a sound is different from perceiving the music being played. Another example is that feeling the coldness of the environment is different from perceiving that winter is coming. For instance, seeing the light (sensation) is different from determining its color (perception). Once perception is finished, a person is able to "make sense" out of the sensations. In the brain, the nerve impulses go through a series of organization, translation and interpretation. ![]() The line of difference between sensation and perception is now drawn perception follows sensation. These signals are transmitted to the sensory cortices of the brain. Then, the organs decode this information, and transform them into neural impulses or signals. In sensation, the physical stimulus, together with its physical properties, is registered by sensory organs. Sensation and perception are two completely different elements in terms of how they process information. And without perception, our sensations would remain to be "unknown" to us since there is no mental processing of what we sense. Without sensation, perception will not be possible, except for people who believe in extrasensory perception or ESP. They work together for us to be able to identify and create meaning from stimuli-related information. Sensation and perception are elements that balance and complement one another. Perception occurs when the brain processes information to give meaning to it, by means of emotions, memories, etc. It is a vital process that helps us rationalize or make sense of the information related to the physical stimulus. Perception refers to the occurrence when the brain performs organization of information it obtains from the neural impulses, and then begins the process of translation and interpretation.
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