Introduction to Sensation and Perception

In this video I introduce sensation and perception by explaining the difference between these two related terms. I also define transduction and consider how the organization and interpretation of sensory stimulation involves learning, experience, and the possibility for multiple interpretations … Read More

What is Psychophysics?

My apologies to those of you hoping to read about physics gone mad; the truth is that psychophysics is actually the study of our sensitivity to stimuli of different strengths. This is generally done by attempting to measure different types of … Read More

Sensation & Perception Resources

On this page you’ll find a number of resources for understanding the key concepts of sensation and perception. If I’ve missed a good resource, please share it in the comments section! General Resources Sensation & Perception Key Terms Sensation & … Read More

How do 3D Movies Work?

Before we can address how 3D movies work, we need a brief review on how we experience depth perception in our everyday life. Remember that our retinas are flat surfaces which light stimulates, so how do we go from 2 … Read More

Hallucinations

I recently finished reading Oliver Sacks’ book Hallucinations. It’s a fascinating look at different types of hallucinatory experiences, from the visual scenes of Charles Bonnet Syndrome to hearing voices and feeling mystical religious ecstasy. In one chapter, Sacks also describes his … Read More

Visual Illusions from Stuart Anstis

Here’s a link to some great demonstrations from Stuart Anstis at UCSD. You can also find audio from all of the lectures of his Psych 102 class on Sensation and Perception here. The link here is to the latest edition … Read More