Sensation and perception · 感觉与知觉
| English | 中文 | Pinyin · 拼音 |
|---|---|---|
| sensation/senˈseɪʃn/ | 感觉 | gǎn jué |
| perception/pəˈsepʃn/ | 知觉 | zhī jué |
| absolute threshold/ˈæbsəluːt ˈθreʃəʊld/ | 绝对阈限 | jué duì yù xiàn |
| difference threshold/ˈdɪfrəns ˈθreʃəʊld/ | 差别阈限 | chā bié yù xiàn |
| perceptual constancy/pəˈseptʃuːəl ˈkɒnstənsi/ | 知觉恒常性 | zhī jué héng cháng xìng |
| illusion/ɪˈluːʒn/ | 错觉 | cuò jué |
The same image can invite two readings
- An ambiguous drawing looks like a vase or two faces. Detecting its light pattern and interpreting its shape are different processes.
- Sensation 感觉 detects stimulation; perception 知觉 interprets sensory information. An interpretation uses the input and context.
The eye detects wavelengths of light. What is that? · 眼睛检测到光的波长,这属于什么?
Detection by a sense organ is sensation. Seeing red is the brain's interpretation, which is perception. · 感觉器官的检测是感觉。看见红色是大脑的解释,那是知觉。
Use a detection criterion
- The absolute threshold 绝对阈限 is commonly defined as the stimulus level detected on 50% of trials under specified conditions. It is not a guarantee of detecting every weaker or stronger signal.
- The difference threshold 差别阈限 concerns a just-noticeable change. Weber’s proportional relation is an approximation over relevant ranges, not a law for every intensity.
Adding one candle is noticeable in a room with two but not with fifty. What does this show? · 房间里有两支蜡烛时加一支很明显,有五十支时就不明显。这说明什么?
The example illustrates the approximate proportional relation of a just-noticeable difference. It is not universal at every intensity.
Explain stable objects and changing views
- Perceptual constancy 知觉恒常性 helps an object retain perceived properties as viewing conditions change. A door can still look rectangular when its retinal projection changes.
- An illusion 错觉 can reveal how interpretation works. It may arise from contextual cues; it does not prove every illusion has one cause or that perception is generally useless.
A door swinging open projects a changing shape on the eye, yet you see one rectangular door. · 一扇门推开时,投在眼中的形状不断变化,而你看到的仍是同一扇长方形的门。
That is perceptual constancy: the brain holds the object steady while the input changes. · 这就是知觉恒常性:输入在变,而大脑让物体保持稳定。
Check the alternative interpretation
- In the vase-and-faces drawing, the same boundaries can be treated as edges of different objects. Ask which region is being treated as the figure.
- A lighting-based illusion instead uses shading cues. State the actual cue in the supplied image rather than applying one explanation to every illusion.
What can an illusion reveal about perception?
An illusion can help investigate interpretation and context. Its mechanism needs to be identified for the particular example.
A light is detected in half the trials at a stated intensity. What does that intensity describe?
The common threshold criterion is detection on 50% of trials, with the procedure and conditions specified.
Keep the processes distinct
- A hearing example separates detecting vibrations from recognising a familiar tune. Recognition also uses prior information.
- Explain the detection, interpretation and relevant context. A threshold needs a procedure and criterion, not just “the smallest thing anybody can notice”.
Explain the detection, interpretation and relevant context. A threshold needs a procedure and criterion, not just “the smallest thing anybody can notice”.
Read more: Sensation and perception: threshold definitions.
In one sentence, explain the difference between sensation and perception using an example. · 用一句话并举例说明感觉与知觉的区别。
Example: "The ear senses air vibrations, but perceiving them as a familiar song is the brain's interpretation." · 例如:“The ear senses air vibrations, but perceiving them as a familiar song is the brain's interpretation.”