PY3110:03
Human Sensation and Perception
| Cairns | HECS Band 1 |
26 hours lectures, 12 hours tutorials, 24 hours workshops. Semester 2.
Staff: Assoc. Professor R van der Zwan (Cairns campus).
This subject reviews the anatomy and physiology of the visual, auditory, gustatory, olfactory and somaesthetic sensory systems from periphery to cortex and explores how neural activity gives rise to our rich perceptual world. This course explores the hypothesis that all perceptions are creations of our brains and looks at how and why we have evolved this strategy. Visual and somato sensory perception are dealt with in particular detail. Students are introduced to the essentials of psychophysics.
Learning Objectives:
- a keen appreciation of the way in which humans make sense of the sea of energies in which they are immersed;
- a thorough understanding of the experimental techniques used to study perception and experience in applying them;
- a detailed knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the senses and the experiences to which they give rise.
Assessment by an essay/laboratory report (40%); final examination (60%).