By the end of this section, you will be able to: – Explain how learned behaviors are different from instincts and reflexes – Define learning – Recognize and define three basic forms of learning—classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning

Sensation occurs when sensory receptors detect sensory stimuli. Perception involves the organization, interpretation, and conscious experience of those sensations.

By the end of this section, you will be able to: Explain the figure-ground relationship Define Gestalt principles of grouping Describe how perceptual set is influenced by an individual’s characteristics and mental state

By the end of this section, you will be able to: Describe the basic functions of the chemical senses Explain the basic functions of the somatosensory, nociceptive, and thermoceptive sensory systems Describe the basic functions of the vestibular, proprioceptive, and kinesthetic sensory systems

By the end of this section, you will be able to: – Describe the basic anatomy and function of the auditory system – Explain how we encode and perceive pitch – Discuss how we localize sound

By the end of this section, you will be able to: – Describe the basic anatomy of the visual system – Discuss how rods and cones contribute to different aspects of vision – Describe how monocular and binocular cues are used in the perception of depth

By the end of this section, you will be able to: – Describe important physical features of wave forms – Show how physical properties of light waves are associated with perceptual experience – Show how physical properties of sound waves are associated with perceptual experience

By the end of this section, you will be able to: – Distinguish between sensation and perception – Describe the concepts of absolute threshold and difference threshold – Discuss the roles attention, motivation, and sensory adaptation play in perception

States of consciousness vary over the course of the day and throughout our lives. Important factors in these changes are the biological rhythms, and, more specifically, the circadian rhythms generated by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Typically, our biological clocks are aligned with our external environment, and light tends to be an important cue in setting…

By the end of this section, you will be able to: – Define hypnosis and meditation – Understand the similarities and differences of hypnosis and meditation