Adam Johnson

Professor Flynt
Psychology 1010
Course Reflection
As an introduction course, psychology 1010 has introduced me to a variety of theories, concepts,
and perspectives that I had not previously considered. To be more specific and personal, I found
the science of senses and perceptions particularly interesting. How various external stimuli can
be converted to neural messages is fascinating, but there is also practical applications on how one
interprets such sensations, i.e., perceptions. Before I get into the applications, lets review these
concepts and a few case studies.
There are many ways that we sense external factors. We have general sense receptors for
temperature, pressure, body position, etc. In addition, we have special sense receptors found in
complex organs. These sensations include smell, taste, vision, and hearing. We experience all
the above sensations when stimuli is received by a receptor, and then due to the voltage and
action potential of our nerves, the receptor sends a message to the central nervous system. This is
when we interpret the sense and perceptions come into the equation.
Since perceptions are how an individual interprets a sense, our actions and behavior will
be subsequent of this process. For example, we can develop tendencies to stop attending to
constant stimuli, or be less responsive, and these are termed habituation and sensory adaptation,
respectively. Our eyes are an exception to these constants due some movement inside the eye.
This brings me to my first case study on a sense: vision.
The retina in our eye receive photons and then our optic nerve sends this information to
the brain. But it is interesting to note that there is a blind spot in our eyes so most of this data

sent to our brain is like a badly pixilated photo. Amazingly, our brains read this twodimensional array of data from the retina and creates from it the impression of three-dimensional
space. The brain, in other words, builds a mental picture or model. (Hawking, 47) This raises
questions on the objectivity of perceptions. Stephen Hawking addresses subject, for scientific
observations are done through our senses. He mentioned a case study in which participants wore
glasses that flipped there entire image upside down. In time, their brains adapted and fliped the
image right side up. When this occurred, they took off the glasses and saw the world upside
down until their perception adjusted again.
So perceptions may not be what they seem. Another study I like to emphasize this point
is the Muller-Lyer illusion. This illusion distorts the lengths of lines by the an angle at the end of
each line. That is, if there is an outward angle at the end of a line it will seem longer than if it
had an inward angle. It has been theorized by Segall and his colleagues that this is because we
correlate such lines to the structures of wall corners. So people who are not subject to western
architecture may not perceive the above as an illusion. (Ciccarelli, White) Again, our
perceptions even on the same senses can differ among individuals.
So how does all of this apply? I think it is important to understand senses and perceptions
so we can improve the way that we act upon sensations, i.e., form more rational perceptions.
This may result in more rational actions and behavior. And since almost everyone converts
external stimuli into neural signals, we can all benefit from the psychological perspective of
perceptions. I have been able to incorporate these concepts into other subjects of my interest as
well. For example, I have been able to use these psychological perspectives and insights as a new
way to look at my biology, chemistry, and math classes. This course has provided me with new,
or alternative perspectives as well as new concepts and information not mentioned above.

(Eporfolio: http://atomjohnson.weebly.com/psychology.html )
Works Cited
Ciccarelli, Saundra K., and J. Noland White. Psychology: An Exploration. Pearson Education Inc.
2013. Print.
Hawking, Stephen, and Leonard Mlodinow. The Grand Design. New York: Bantam. 2010. Print.