Sensation & Perception Class Website & Syllabus 2006

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Course Objectives:

This course is an introduction to the biological mechanisms of brain function and the relation between these mechanisms and sensation and perception. The basics of neural anatomy, physiology and psychophysics will be presented to the students. Some rudimentary concepts of how neuronal circuits affect sensory processes will be covered. They will learn what the building elements of the central nervous system are and how they are combined to produce functional units at a higher level and give rise to perception. Topics related to brain development, damage and abnormal functioning will also be covered and discussed in the light of modern theories of nervous system malfunction. Mechanisms of sensory processing will be covered and compared between human and other mammalian brains with some emphasis on human clinical techniques (e.g. magnetic resonance imaging and optical imaging). The students should become familiar with three general levels of analysis and discussion: a) the level of events in the perhipheral sensory organ b) the level of central nervous system; and b) the level of behavioral phenomena & sensory perceptual abilities. This course serves as one of the upper level science requirements for psychology majors.

Required Text: