Chapter 6
Section 6: Puzzles of
Perception
Questions
• Can we perceive what is
happening in the world without
being conscious of doing so?
• Can we pick up signals from the
world or from other people
without using sensory channels?
Subliminal Perception
• Even when people are oblivious to
speech sounds, they are processing &
recognizing those sounds at some level
–Above people’s absolute threshold
(AT)
Perceiving without awareness
• A simple visual stimulus can
affect your behavior even when
you are unaware that you saw it
Extrasensory Perception: Reality or
Illusion?
• Extrasensory Perception (ESP):
–The ability to perceive something
without ordinary sensory information
–This has not been scientifically
demonstrated
• Three types of ESP:
–Telepathy – Mind-to-mind
communication
–Clairvoyance – Perception of remote
events
–Precognition – Ability to see future
events
• Most “evidence” comes from anecdotal
accounts
–Not always accurate
–Assignments
• Read Psychology in the News pg 207
&
• Taking Psychology with You page 208