The Brain and the SensesPsychology

The Power of the BrainHuman brain has 10 billion neurons (30,000

can fit in the head of a pin)Each neuron has 1000-10,000 connections

with other neurons; up to 10 trillion possibleMessages between them travel in one

thousandth of a secondAverage brain weighs 3-4 lbs. and consumes

20% of the body’s oxygen supply and 20% of the blood flow

Almost fully developed by age 11, except for the frontal lobe which develops through your early 20’s

Brain FactsBrain produces 25 watts of power while

you’re awake; enough to illuminate a light bulb

At age 35, humans start losing 7000 brain cells a day

Alcohol and drugs also kill brain cells and weakens connections between neurons

Stress over long periods will weaken the brain’s ability to learn and remember

Same part of the brain interprets physical and emotional pain

Your brain is more active at night than during the day

Brain FactsPeople who ride on roller coasters have a

higher chance of having a blood clot in the brain.

An adult bottle-nosed dolphin’s brain is about the size of a human adult’s brain.

A living brain is so soft you could cut it with a butter knife.

There is no sense of pain within the brain itself. This allows neurosurgeons to probe areas of the brain while the patient is awake.

How do your senses effect your behavior?What do you do when you smell something good or bad?When you taste something good?When you touch something hot or cold?When you see something beautiful? Something scary?

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Our senses are the way we perceive the worldWhat we perceive depends on the relay of

information between the major sensory systems and the central nervous system (CNS)

Information is processed by our senses, interpreted, and acted upon

Senses should work together in an integrated and coordinated way = sensory integration

Allows for smooth development of complex motor skills, learning and proper behavior

The Seven SensesFive main senses: sight, taste, touch, hearing,

smellExteroception

Less detectable: Vestibular system: Related to sense of balance,

spatial orientation and movementProprioception: Sense of orientation of limbs

and effort necessary for motionInteroception: Detection of pain, hunger, heat,

time, bladder, etc.

Senses developed in utero (vestibular first)

Vulnerable and subject to damage through stress or illness during pregnancy or infancy

Issues associated with learning disabilities, coordination problems, and behavioral/emotional difficulties

Sensory Integration Disorder: causes depression, social anxiety, etc.

Visual PerceptionLens focuses on an image, transmits to light-

sensitive membrane at the back called retinaRetina: part of the brain that translates

patterns of light into neuronal signals, causes neural impulses

Sighthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmHHVaY

bNmY&feature=relatedThe McGurk Effect

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-lN8vWm3m0

Auditory PerceptionVibrations detected by ear drum; simplifies

air pressure waves into a single of amplitudeInner ear detects distribution of vibrations

with hair cells in basilar membraneConverts vibrations into pattern of nerve-

firings on the auditory nerve which transmits sounds to brainstem

HearingMusic has strong effects on emotion and is

associated with memoriesVoice recognition begins in the wombhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRepnhXq

33s&safe=active

Olfaction: Sense of SmellHumans can distinguish over 10,000 different

odor moleculesWhen you inhale, the air hits millions of cilia

(little hairs) containing olfactory receptor neurons

The shape of the inhaled molecules is identified and turned into electrical signals sent to the brain

The Power of SmellsScent can effect purchasing decisions,

perception of a person or place, your generosity, and political leaningsExample: Clean smells tend to make people

more honest and fair in their interactions as well as generous

Properly themed smells for a product or place create a positive image and memory

Animals use pheromones to select mateshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W48DoLdR8

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Tactition: TouchSomatosensory system reacts to stimuli using

different receptors on the skin, bones, organs, muscles, joints and cardiovascular system

Integration of senses/receptors including those for pain, temperature, bodily orientation, etc.

Information passes via sensory nerves through the spinal cord to the parietal lobe and cerebral cortex

Touch and BehaviorFeeling “warmth” in the sense of closeness is

closely tied to actual heat: talking with someone over a warm cup of coffee increases sense of closeness and caring

Sitting in a soft chair makes you more relaxed and “soft” in negotiations, like at a car dealership

Holding a wooden block vs. a soft blanket effects your perception of a social interaction

Physical sensory comfort level effects mood, emotions and behavior

Gustation: TasteSubstance reacts chemically with receptors

in the 10,000 taste buds on the human tongue, cheeks, and throat

Taste works together with senses of smell, temperature, texture and pain to determine flavors

Sweet, sour, bitter, salty and savory determined by interactions with molecules and ions

Taste senses what is harmful and beneficial (aversive or appetitive)

TasteThree categories of tasters: supertasters

(25%), medium tasters(50%), and non-tasters (25%), depending on density of taste budsSupertasters are drawn to salt and sensitive to

bitternessVery picky eaters are often supertasters while

very non-picky eaters might be non-tasters

SynesthesiaDisorder where one sensory input is

involuntarily linked to another: hear colors, see sounds as shapes, etc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTr1VnXKr4A

The artist Kandinsky: painting symphonies