Physiological Psychology

By the end of this laboratory you should be able to understand the range of human sensory receptors for:

The laboratory will begin with a short lecture on the sensory system. This material will be part of the in class quizzes and examinations, so pay close attention and take good notes. After the lecture is complete we will move on to the sensory system laboratory. The body’s homeostatic process begins with its sensory receptors. These receptors monitor many aspects of the internal and external environment and relay that information to the nervous system. The body uses that information to adequately respond to the environment. Sensory receptors come in many types: Mechanoreceptors interpret physical deformation of different body parts; Chemoreceptors monitor different chemical concentrations; Photoreceptors record light energy; and Thermoreceptors send information about temperature to the brain. In today’s laboratory we will be conducting exercises with the sensory systems. Exercises in Vision, Audition, Taste, Olfaction, and Touch will be conducted. Please choose a single partner to work with and read the exercise directions carefully. Please also take excellent notes of your findings so that I can check them at the end of the class. Good luck.

Step 1: With a ball point pen, mark off a 4 cm square on the inside surface of your forearm and make an 8 X 8 grid inside the square as is shown below.

Step 2: Have your partner rest their hand on the table with the marked forearm facing up. Have them also close their eyes and tilt their head away from their forearm.

Step 3: Use first, the fine hair bristle to gently touch each of the 64 squares, one at a time. Have your partner say the word "yes" every time they feel you make contact with the bristle. Record every square that they correctly felt contact of the bristle.

Step 4: Repeat Step 3 with the blunt probe and then with the sharp pin. Be sure not to puncture the skin with the pin. Use the three tactile maps below to collect your data.

Step 1: Use the calipers and the millimeter rulers to set the caliper needle points at one of the three distances shown in the graph below.

Step 3: Gently touch each area listed in the table below with the calipers. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO TOUCH BOTH POINTS ONTO THE SKIN AT THE EXACT SAME TIME.

Step 4: Ask your partner if they felt one or two points and make a note of their answer in the table below.