his Ph。D。 under Oswald Kulpe。 Wertheimer first discovered the phenomenon of apparent motion
during a train trip； and later conducted studies on the phi illusion at Frankfurt； where Wolfgang
K。hler and Kurt Koffka； his cofounders of the Gestalt school of psychology； participated as his
research participants。 In 1933； Wertheimer fled Germany due to Hitler’s rise to power； ing to the
United States。 He taught at the New School for Social Research in New York City until his death in
1943。
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CHAPTER 5： PERCEPTION
TIMELINE
Yea Event
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1815 Napoleon was defeated at the battle of Waterloo and banished to St。 Helena。
1838 Johannes Müller formulated his doctrine of specific nerve energies； which states
that sensory experience depends not on the stimulus； but on the part of the
nervous system that is activated。
1846 Ernst Weber postulated that the difference threshold is a constant proportion of
the initial stimulus intensity； a notion later formalized as Weber’s Law。
1857 Based on the earlier work of Thomas Young； Hermann von Helmholtz proposed
that color vision is due to three different types of color receptors （cones）； each of
which is sensitive to a specific range of wavelengths of light。
1860 Gustav Fechner published Elemente der Psychophysik； marking the founding of
psychophysics； the study of the relationship between subjective experience and
physical stimulation。
18611865
The American Civil War was fought。
1881 Pasteur and Koch discovered the germ theory of disease。
1917 The Bolshevik Revolution was fought in Russia。
1938 H。 Keffer Hartline discovered that optic nerve fibers respond to stimulation from
different receptive fields。
1948 Israel became an independent nation。
1953 The genetic code was broken。
1954 Tanner and Swets proposed the application of signal detection theory to the study
of thresholds。
1957 S。 S。 Stevens demonstrated that changes in one’s subjective impression of stimulus
magnitude are a power function of the actual stimulus magnitude。
1957 Leo Hurvich and Dorothea Jameson； building on the earlier work of Ewald
Hering； postulated the theory that color vision is based on opposing neural
processes； the opponent…process theory of color vision。
1959 David Hubel and Torsten Wiesel discovered that cells in the visual cortex of cats
（and； in 1968； of monkeys） respond differentially to form and movement。
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PSYCHOLOGY AND LIFE
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING
Goldstone； R。 L。 （1995）。 Effects of Categorization on Color Perception。 Psychological Science； 6（5）； 298—
304。 Suggests that category learning influences the perceptual discrimination of color attributes。
Provides empirical evidence that cognition influences perception by examining the influence of
learned categorization on color perception。
Kosslyn； S。 M。 （1995）。 Visual Cognition： An Invitation to Cognitive Science； Vol。 2 （2nd ed。）。 Cambridge：
MIT Press。 Explores the mental aspects of visual processing。 Discusses the important research；
discoveries； and insights in various areas of research on visual cognition and attempts to
integrate work from related fields。
Kosslyn； S。 M。； & Koenig； O。 （1992）。 Wet Mind： The New Cognitive Neuroscience。 An excellent volume
that introduces the field of cognitive neuroscience to the uninitiated。 This volume covers a range
of cognitive and neurological issues； to include sensation and perception。 Well written and easy
for even the lay person to understand。
Link； S。 （1994）。 Rediscovering the Past： Gustav Fechner and Signal Detection Theory。 Psychological Science；
5（6）； 335–340。 Suggests that the origins of experimental psychology are found in the theoretical
works of Gustav Fechner and that Fechner is not given the credit that he is due for his
contributions。 Argues that his works spawned many new ideas and theories； including the
response bias found in signal detection theory。
Matlin； M。 W。； & Foley； H。 J。 （1992）。 Sensation and Perception （3rd edition）。 Boston： Allyn and Bacon。
A well…written introduction to the fields of sensation and perception。
Meyering； T。 （1989）。 Historical Roots of Cognitive Science： The Rise of a Cognitive Theory of Perception
from Antiquity to the Nineteenth Century。 Dordrecht： Kluwer Academic Publishers。 Begins with the
Aristotelian theory of perception and then works its way to nineteenth century theories of
perception。 A very thorough review of the history of perceptual theories。
Sabourin； M。； Craik； F。； & Robert； M。 （1998）。 Advances in Psychological Science； Vol。 2： Biological and
Cognitive Aspects。 Hove： Psychology Press/Eribaum （UK） Taylor & Francis。 Covers a wide range
of topics in human and animal experimental psychobiology。 Provides an excellent review of
current research in many areas of psychology including perception。
Sekuler； R。 （1995）。 Motion Perception as a Partnership： Exogenous and Endogenous Contributions。 Current
Directions in Psychological Science； 4（2）； 43—47。 Describes the process of motion detection as a
result of the interaction of exogenous and endogenous influences。
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CHAPTER 5： PERCEPTION
DISCOVERING PSYCHOLOGY
PROGRAM 3： THE BEHAVING BRAIN
Overview
The structure and position of the brain： how neurons function； how information is collected and
transmitted； and how chemical reactions determine every thought； feeling； and action。
Key Issues
The biology of the brain； how the brain processes information； the electroencephalogram （EEG）；
neurometric evaluation； the effects of drugs on the functions of the brain； the brain’s own manufactured
chemicals； and neurotransplantation。
Demonstrations
Multiple brain wave recording to reveal various types of brain malfunction。
Effects of chemicals on learning and memory in rats。
New Interviews
John Gabrieli illustrates how the brain stores and retrieves information。
PROGRAM 7： SENSATION AND PERCEPTION
Overview
Explores how we make contact with the world outside our brain and body。 See how biological；
cognitive； social； and environmental influences shape our personal sense of reality； and gain
an understanding of how psychologists use perceptual errors to study how the constructive
process of perception works。
Key Issues
Visual illusions； the biology of perception； the visual pathway； how the brain processes
information during perception； sensory feedback in visual perception； and perceptual
constancy。
Demonstrations
Sensory feedback in visual perception。 A Stanford student demonstrates the problems football
quarterbacks face in the adjustment to special kinesthetic cues with distortion goggles that
displace feedback from the perceived visual field。
Perceptual constancy。 Philip Zimbardo demonstrates visual misperception in the Ames
distorted room in the Exploratorium in San Francisco。
Interviews
Nobel Prize winner David Hubel explains the mapping of the reaction of receptor cells along
the visual pathway of primates。 Hubel’s award…winning experiment of the response of neurons
to electrical activity in the visual cortex of a cat illustrates his point。
Misha Pavel uses puter graphics to demonstrate how the visual system of the brain breaks
down and rebines visual stimulation into recognizable； coherent images。
FILMS AND VIDEOS
A Touch of Sensibility （1981）。 BBC； 50 minutes
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PSYCHOLOGY AND LIFE
This NOVA presentation discusses the importance of touch and the effects of touch deprivation。
This film examines the importance of touch for development at various age levels。 Many interesting
areas of research are cited。
Brain Power （1983）。 IU （LCA）； 11 minutes
Discusses three principles of perception that affect how a person receives information： recognition；
interpretation； and expectation。 Throughout the film； visual cues； puzzles； and optical illusions
remind the viewer that one’s perceptions can be easily fooled。 A brief； clever film that stimulates
students’ interest in sensation and perception。
Human Perception： A Collection of Demonstrations and Effects （1986）。 Hanover； N。H。：
Dartmouth College； Office of Instructional Services and Educational Research。 Contains real…time
segments； single frames； picture and chapter stops。
The Mind： Pain and Healing （1988）。 HARR； 24 minutes
Reviews the influence of the mind on people’s ability to control pain and on their ability to promote
physical healing。 An excellent film。 Traces the progress of a woman through a three…week clinic
program to reduce chronic； long…term pain。 The changes in her movement and affect are dramatic。
Demonstrates the placebo effect； and shows how cues； such as a doctor’s white coat； can trigger the
release of endorphins to reduce pain。 In the final segment； a cancer patient discusses how the
interaction of cognitive therapy with physical therapy has increased her life expectancy and her life
quality。
The Senses： Eyes and Ears （1985）。 FFHS； 26 minutes
Visual and auditory distance receptors are discussed。 Demonstrations of how each processes
information are also shown。
The Senses： Skin Deep （1985）。 FFHS； 26 minutes
The sense receptors that depend on immediate contact with the world—taste buds； olfactory cells；
and touch sensors—are examined。
CASE STUDY LECTURE LAUNCHER
One night in 1965； a United Airlines Boeing 727 started a steady descent to Chicago’s O’Hare
Airport from an altitude of 22；000 feet。 Nineteen miles off the shore of Lake Michigan； the plane
plunged into the lake。 One month later； also at night； an American Airlines Boeing 727； preparing
to land at Kentucky’s Boone County Airport； followed the thread of the Ohio River toward the
runway which began at the river’s steep south bank。 The plane failed to make the runway； and
crashed into the bank； 12 feet below the runway。 One night in early 1966； an Al Nippon Airlines
Boeing 727 headed toward Tokyo Bay。 The pilot could see the lights of Tokyo and Yokohama
clearly。 He requested and received permission to approach using visual cues rather than relying
exclusively on the instruments of the plane。 The pilot had not even let