Transcript A.P. Psychology 4 (E)

Unit 4(E):
Other Senses
Mr. McCormick
A.P. Psychology
Do-Now
(Discussion)
 What are some vital characteristics of
the following senses:
 Touch
 Kinesthesis
 Vestibular
 Taste
 Smell
Touch
 Touch:
 Includes four distinct skin senses:
 Pressure
 Warmth
 Cold
 Pain
Homunculus
Touch
 Kinesthesis:
 The system for sensing the position and
movement of individual body parts
Whirling Dervishes
Touch
 Vestibular Sense:
 The sense of body movement
and position, including the
sense of balance
 Located in the inner ear
Wire Walk
Touch
 What do you think are some effects
of an overactive vestibular sense?
 An underactive vestibular sense?
Touch: Understanding Pain
 Gate-Control Theory:
 The theory that the spinal cord contains a
neurological “gate” that blocks pain signals or allows
them to pass on to the brain
 The “gate” is opened by the activity of pain signals
traveling up small nerve fibers and is closed by
activity in larger fibers or by information coming from
the brain
 E.g. Rubbing the area around a stubbed toe will
create competing stimulation that will block some pain
messages
Touch: Understanding Pain
 In addition to physiological
factors, what else influences
our perception of pain?
Biopsychosocial Influences of Pain
Touch: Understanding Pain
 Methods of Pain Control:
 Drugs
 Surgery
 Acupuncture
 Exercise
 Hypnosis
 Thought Distraction
Taste
Sweet
Sour
Salty
Bitter
Umami
(Fresh
Chicken)
Taste
 From an evolutionary perspective,
why do you think we are sensitive to
each of the five types of taste?
Taste
 Survival Functions of Taste:
 Sweet: Energy source
 Salty: Sodium essential to physiological
processes
 Sour: Potentially toxic acid
 Bitter: Potential poisons
 Umami: Proteins to grow and repair tissue
Smell
 Like taste, smell is a chemical sense.
 Odorants enter the nasal cavity to
stimulate 5 million receptors to sense
smell.
 Unlike taste, there are many different
forms of smell.
Smell
Smell: Associations with Memory
 Can you think of a smell that
elicits a particular memory?
 Why do you think this occurs?
Smell: Associations with Memory
Sensory Interaction
 Sensory Interaction:
 The principle that one sense may influence
another
 E.g. the taste of strawberry interacts with its
smell and its texture on the tongue to produce
flavor
Review
 How does the Gate-Control Theory
explain our perception of pain?
 What are the survival functions of each
of the five types of taste?
 Why do smells often trigger memories?
 Provide an example of sensory
interaction.
Homework
 Unit 4 Quiz: “Sensation and Perception”
 Unit 4 Sensation Lab
 Unit 4 Test: “Sensation and Perception”
 Chapter 5 Outline: “States of Consciousness”
 (M) 11/21/11