By definition psychology is the study of the mind and behavior, this module will focus on the influence of the mind on behavior.  In Lesson 1 students will take a look at the workings of the brain, exploring concepts of cortical localization, brain plasticity, right down to neural transmission and looking at how the many regions and structures of the brain work together to create the human experience.  From there Lesson 2 explores the relationship between sensation and perception, focusing on how the mind works to interpret what our body senses.  Finally Lesson 3 will explore higher cognitive functions in the brain, focusing on memory and intelligence.  By the end of this module students will have a knowledgeable perspective on the brain.

This week we will explore sensation and perception.  We rely on our senses everyday to gather information from our environment and depend on our brain to interpret those incoming messages.  In Objectives 12 - 17 students will learn about all of our senses and how each has a specific organ that is specialized to send environmental stimuli to the brain, resulting in our ability to see, taste, smell, touch, hear, stand, and move without falling over.

Did you know that our brain is bombarded with an infinite amount of information at a given time but can only pay attention to a fraction of it?  Watch this video to see an example of what I mean:

Despite the potential abilities of the brain we are still limited to understanding the world around us based on the small amount of information that we can pay attention to.  It's a good reminder that it is easy to miss the details if you aren't looking for them.  For fun, let's take a look at another video:

Got you again!  The brain is an amazing organ that works in conjunction with its physical body...so what role does the brain have when it comes to our sensations?  The brain is responsible for interpreting and making sense out of the information that comes into it, first through transduction (a sensory process) then through perception, which is how the brain organizes the information it receives.  Objectives 18, 19, and 21present students with some principles that are brain uses to interpret this information.  However the brain does not always understand the information it receives:

Do you see an old lady...or a young one?	Which sphere is larger?
Is that a square on her head?	Which vertical line is taller?

By the end of this lesson students will understand the processes involved in perception and be able to explain some of the illusions that it struggles with, such as the Muller-Lyer Illusion (bottom-right picture above) and other optical illusions such as the spheres that are presented above and you will explore in Objective 20.  Interested students can further explore the world of perception by visiting the optional  links below:

• Website: It's All In The Brain

• Interactive Tutorial: ePsych - Vision Island

• Website: The Seeing Exploratorium (click on the eye and then view the Exhibits)