AP Psychology - Sensation and Perception Lab Complete each of the following stations and write down any observations or answers in the boxes provided. You may complete the stations in any order. Materials needed: ● Markers or Colored Pencils (Sharpie Markers work best) ● One loose piece of paper ● *If possible: Various flavored candies (jelly belly’s are best) Station #1: (Structure of Eye): Eye Jamboard Find your group number’s slide on the Jamboard Without using notes, arrange the labels with the appropriate parts of the eye diagram When completed, take a screenshot and paste below. ● Open Link: Eye Structure Jamboard - B BLOCK Screenshot: Additional Practice if you didn’t complete these for homework: 1) Play the matching game on Quizlet 2) Try the "eye construction" game Station #2: (Rods and Cones): Peripheral Pens Obtain a baggie of Sharpie markers. (*If you are completing at home, obtain 3 or more identical pens, colored pencils, or markers that are different colors, and can play the role of subject and partner at the same time). Have the subject stare straight ahead, and hold the marker directly behind their head. Move the marker slowly from the back of the head towards and then past the subject’s right ear, while the subject continues to stare ahead. Subject should say out loud the moment that they can see that the object is there -- then the partner pauses movement. Can the subject identify the color? Continue moving the marker until they can confidently and correctly identify the color. Record your observations: Station #3: (Retinal Disparity): Binocular Vision Demos Part 1: Touching Fingers In this demonstration, the importance of binocular cues is easily seen (no pun intended). Close one eye, hold your arms out in front of you (but not fully at arms length), and point your two forefingers toward each other. Then bring them together quickly. They are likely to miss. An even more difficult test is to hold a pencil in each hand and bring the points together. Repeat this demonstration again, making sure that you drop your arms out of view before you try it again. This will eliminate the perception of any depth cues from the position of the hands and arms. How did you do? Part 2: “X-Ray Hand Tube” Roll a sheet of paper into a tube and raise it to your right eye like a telescope. Now look through it, with both eyes open, focusing on the blank wall in front of you. Now hold your open left hand beside the tube and continue to focus ahead (See image to the right). You may need to slide your hand alongside the tube until you find the precise spot where the hole appears to go through the very center of your hand. What causes you to see a hold in your hand? Station #4: (Motion Detectors): Swirly Starry Night In each video, stare at the black and white pattern for approx. 30-60 seconds while sitting directly in front of your computer screen. Fix your gaze directly on the center of the spiral. Do not let your eyes move (but blinking is okay). Then, change where you’re looking (in Video A, look at “Starry Night,” and in Video B, look at your partner’s face or an object in your room). ● Video Link A: Starry Night ● Video Link B: Optical Illusion - Hypnotic Spiral What happens? Why do you think this is happening? Station #5: Blind Spot Demo Part 1 Find the WHITE slip of paper with the • and + symbols (*If you are completing at home, you can use this document and either print it or use it directly on your computer screen: Blind Spots: Electronic-version) Hold the paper (or computer screen) at arm’s length while closing one eye or covering one eye with your hand. Important: If the left eye is covered, fixate on the symbol on the left with your right eye (and vice versa) Then slowly advance the paper toward the eye. Notice what happens to the symbol you are not directly looking at: At some critical distance from the eye it disappears, but as the distance from the eye is further decreased, it reappears. You should then be able to tune the symbol in and out by adjusting the distance of the paper from the eye. Part 2 Find the WHITE slip of paper with the • and + and X Again, holding at arm's length, fixating on the symbol on the left with the left eye covered, and slowly advancing the paper toward the eye. At some critical distance from the eye the + will disappear. If the paper is then held at this point, it is possible to observe an unusual phenomenon: shifting fixation to the + causes the third symbol to disappear. Thus by shifting fixation back and forth between the left and center symbols, you can make the center and right symbols pop in and out of view. We have a blind spot in each eye, or a total of two such spots in our typical visual field. Why do we have a blind spot? Why then don't we see holes in that visual field? Part 3 Find the BLUE slip of paper with the • and + Predict: When a symbol disappears into your blind spot on this blue piece of paper, how do you think your brain will fill in the gap? That is: will the missing symbol be replaced with “blank” or white or blue or black or something else? Station #6: (Sensory Interaction): Equilibrium Demo Part 1 Stand on one foot for 30 seconds first with your eyes open. Now try it with your eyes closed. Which is more difficult… with your eyes open or with your eyes closed? Why might that be? Part 2 Next, spin around a few times (thus disrupting their sense of equilibrium) and then close your eyes, and try to stand on one foot. What happens? Why does this happen? Part 3 Now try this… Follow these directions carefully: Stand on your right foot with your left foot tucked behind your right leg for good balance. Now close your left eye and look at some convenient point or object with your right eye. Finally, very carefully and gently press with your right index finger on the eyelid of the right eyeball. As you gently displace the eyeball toward the nose, you should continue looking at the object. Immediately, you will begin to lose balance and sway to the right. Also try the left foot and left eye. You may even notice this effect sitting down, as your upper body sways toward the side of the eyeball pressed on. Station #7: (Sensory Interaction): Taste (Go outside for this one and stay 6 feet apart) *Note: If you are completing at home, see if you can find some candy that has different flavors, or perhaps any food or drink item that has a strong flavor. If you can’t find anything that works, you can skip this station for now. Find the small package of jelly beans in your baggie. Each partner should have their own bag. Without looking, select a jelly bean from the bag. Before you eat the jelly bean, hold your nose closed with your other hand, and close your eyes. Begin eating the jelly bean (while holding your nose) and try to identify the flavor. After a few moments, unplug your nose and then see if you can identify the flavor. What did you notice? What does this mean? Station #8: Sound Localization Demo (Go outside for this one) Note: This will be very difficult to complete on your own if you are studying from home. Find a family member at home to help you, or you can skip this station for now. To demonstrate how we process sound, have your partner sit in the chair outside with their eyes closed. Use a clicker-pen or snap your fingers at varying locations around his/her head (especially: directly above, directly behind, directly in front, and to the side both in front and behind, etc.). See if you can notice a pattern of locations where they confidently and accurately identify the sounds as well as the areas where they had the most difficulty on your lab sheet. Record your observations here: Station #9: If you finish all the others: (Real Life Application/Current Event): COVID and smell/taste Please read this article independently and reflect on the questions below. Content note: This article describes the emotions and experience of individuals who have currently lost their senses of taste and/or smell due to COVID-19. If you would rather not read this article at this point in time, then skip this station. ● Article Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/02/health/coronavirus-smell-taste.html?searchResult Position=1&fbclid=IwAR1qLU2338VIiwWvHarLagrdysJyWfna2pDKvj3fhY1Y13auiNePU a-vIfE What are your initial thoughts and reactions to this article? Sometimes, people think about which of their senses are “most important.” While I don’t recommend thinking about it this way, take a moment to reflect on what your senses of smell and taste mean to you.
