Tonic receptors are one of the two kinds of receptors in terms of adaptation. Tonic receptors show little or no decrease in the frequency of action potentials as stimulation is maintained. In other words, these receptors show relatively little adaptation.

Tonic Receptors

Phasic receptors are one of the two kinds of receptors associated with sensory adaptation. These receptors display adaptation, rapidly decreasing the frequency of action potentials when the stimulus is maintained. 

Phasic Receptors

A clear example of sensory adaptation involves being in a hotel room with a constantly flashing light outside. Initially, the light is very distracting and annoying. However, after some time, one stops noticing the flashing, even though the light continues to stimulate the eye's photoreceptors. This demonstrates a cessation of perception despite ongoing sensation.

Example of Sensory Adaptation: Flashing Light

Analyze the following scenario and identify the psychological principle that best explains the experience. Provide a brief justification for your answer.

The Bakery Experience

Sensory adaptation is the process by which conscious perception of a stimulus decreases over time due to constant exposure. By demonstrating that continuous sensory input does not always reach awareness, it serves as a key concept to help explain the difference between what is merely sensed and what is actually perceived.

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Sensory receptors are specialized neurons that are uniquely responsive to specific types of stimuli from the environment. Their function is to detect sensory information, such as light, sound, or pressure, and initiate the process of sensation.

Sensory Receptors

The discrepancy between what sensory receptors detect (sensation) and what is consciously experienced (perception) can be explained by several psychological mechanisms. Concepts such as sensory adaptation, selective attention, and signal detection theory help explain why certain sensory stimuli are perceived while others are not.

Factors Explaining Gaps Between Sensation and Perception

Breedlove, S. & Watson, N. (2017). Behavioral neuroscience, eighth edition. Oxford University Press.

Behavioral Neuroscience 8th Edition

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

Transduction is the process by which, upon exposure to a stimulus, a receptor cell converts that energy or substance into a change in the electrical potential across its membrane. Receptor cells are transducers that convert energy around us into neural activity that leads to sensory perception.

Transduction

Sensory Adaptation

Also known as top-down processes, neural connections descend from the brain to lower stations in the sensory pathway, in some cases as far as the receptor surface. In this top-down process, the upper brain regions modulate the activity of lower centers.

Control of Receptor Cells from Upper Levels

The receptive field of a sensory neuron consists of a region of space in which a stimulus will alter that neuron's firing rate. To determine a receptive field of a receptor cell, one must record the neuron's electrical responses to a variety of stimuli to see what makes the activity of the cell change from its resting rate. 

Receptive Fields

Tonic sensory input adapts slowly to stimuli and continues to produce action potentials over the duration of the stimui. It conveys information about the duration of the stimulus. Tonic effects result from spending time on a task (vigilance).


Tonic Receptor Cells

Phasic receptors rapidly adapt to a stimulus. The response of the cell diminishes very quickly and then stops. It conveys information on rapid changes in stimulus intensity and rate. Phasic effects result from brain changes induced by warning signals or targets.


Phasic Receptor Cells

Based on the following scenario, identify the specific type of environmental information that the auditory sensory receptors are specialized to detect, and explain the fundamental role these receptors play in the process of hearing.

Sensory Receptor Specialization

Attention is a critical factor that influences perception by determining which sensory stimuli are consciously processed. It functions as a filter, enabling an individual to focus on specific information from the environment while disregarding other stimuli, thereby shaping what is ultimately perceived from what is merely sensed.

Role of Attention in Perception

Signal detection theory provides a framework for understanding how motivation, expectations, and other factors influence our ability to detect a meaningful stimulus against background noise. It is one of the primary theories used to explain why certain sensations lead to conscious perception while others do not.

Signal Detection Theory

Selective attention is the psychological process of focusing on a specific subset of available sensory information while ignoring other distracting stimuli. Because it acts as a filter for incoming sensory data, selective attention helps explain why some environmental stimuli are consciously perceived and others are not.

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