The Importance Of The Sensory System

The human brain is capable of perceiving and interpreting information or stimuli received through the sense organs (i.e., eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and skin) (Weiten, 1998). This ability to perceive and interpret stimulus allows the human being to make meaningful sense of the world and environment around them. However, even as the human being is able to perceive and interpret stimuli information through all sense organs, stimuli is most often or primarily interpreted using the visual (eyes) and auditory (ears) sense organs (Anderson, 2009). However, for the purpose of this paper, the visual information process will be examined.

Senses are society's main boundaries and as we grow old we understand and try to cope with the life we carry.

There are six senses in total and these are known as languages of the mind, or ‘modalities’. These are Sight, hearing, feeling, smell and taste, although the last two can be put into the ‘feeling’ category. We use all of our senses in a particular situation but all of us will have a favourite which we are more comfortable with and are likely to fall back on in times of crisis. (Chrysalis pg. 4)

Our senses are linked to memory and cognition. Damage leading to the disruption of sensory input from one sense can lead to the improvement of the remaining senses. In the event that the visual cortex is damaged, the sensory cortex will respond more to input from the other senses (Bates). When sensory deprivation occurs at an early age, the other senses become heightened more than they would be in people who lose the ability to use one of their senses later in life (Bates). Christina Karns, Mark Dow and Helen Neville of the University of Oregon performed an experiment to see how the loss of hearing at an early age affected neuroplasticity in the brain of a deaf person (Karns). They also wanted to determine if this 'reorganization' in the brain would lead to altered perceptual abilities (Karns). Another point of interest was ascertaining if deafness affects how the brain processes both vision and touch together (Karns). Their participants included

After investigating spatial cognition and the construction of cognitive maps in my previous paper, "Where Am I Going? Where Have I Been: Spatial Cognition and Navigation", and growing in my comprehension of the more complex elements of the nervous system, the development of an informed discussion of human perception has become possible. The formation of cognitive maps, which serve as internal representations of the world, are dependent upon the human capacities for vision and visual perception (1). The objects introduced into the field of vision are translated into electrical messages, which activate the neurons of the retina. The resultant retinal message is organized into several forms of sensation and is

Dopamine limits and selects sensory information from the thalmus. The parietal lobe also deals with movement, along with orientation, recognition, and perception of stimuli. This cortical region is the main sensory area for the sense of touch, major inputs from the skin relay from the thalmus to the parietal lobe. All visual processes are carried out in the occipital lobe (true to its name), and the temporal lobe is associated with perception and recognition of auditory stimuli, memory and speech. The temporal lobe is responsible for deriving meanings for the appropriate retention of visual memories, language comprehension, and emotional association. Together these areas of the brain control the body through the CNS (central nervous system). Every bodily function needed to sustain life is initiated first through these primary sensory areas, making the brain of course the most important muscle in the

The above points also shows the roles of “nature” and “nurture” with regard to the interpretation and evaluation of sensory data

Though our sensory organs may be working fine, environmental influences may distort our interpretation of the data the organ is sending to us. For example, we could look down a street and not see anyone and think it is safe to walk down that street, but someone could be behind a tree or other object. We do not always interpret sensory data correctly no matter what sensory organ we are using. That is the most important reason we should be aware that we may not always rely on sensory information. Our senses are who we are, without them we are left to isolation and our ability to think and learn due to lack of experience. Senses are our connection from the physical world into the realm of our mind. “There is nothing in the mind unless it is first in the senses” (Kirby &

Individuals with a sensory loss need effective positive communication in their life in order to maintain their mental wellbeing and improve their health and emotional state. It's important for the individual to feel that they can still participate and contribute in the decision making process, having choices and control in how they live their lives whilst still allowing individuals to retain their personal dignity by having informed choices in the way they are cared for and supported. This helps individuals to cope with their sensory loss and enables them to feel included which helps to build their self esteem and confidence and contributes to a better quality of life. For individuals with sensory loss ,communication is vital that in order

The visual system of the cells within the brain contain an area known as the receptive field and is the point in which light enters hits the cell of a receptor (Kalat, 2013). This part of the visual system relies on sensory information, such as light, to either excite or inhibit the cells within the center portion of the receptive field. One of the most significant processes of transmitting information from the visual field is through primary cells of the visual receptors, which include the retinal ganglion cells. In the retina, ganglion cell send information from the eye to the brain. Both the rods and cones within the visual system have a rather small receptive field that connects to bipolar or amacrine cells, of which have their own receptive field consisting of ganglion cells, and then the ganglion cells ultimately make up a larger receptive field (Kalat, 2013).

Explained as simplistically as possible, Visual perception itself is the ability to interpret one 's surrounding environment by, processing information through the eye to the brain. The eye is a sense organ which is part of the sensory system which in turn transmits information about one 's environment to the brain.

INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 3 VISUAL SENSORY SYSTEM ..................................................................................... 4 AUDITORY, TACTILE AND VESTIBULAR SYSTEM...................................................... 6 COGNITION........................................................................................................... 8 DECISION MAKING................................................................................................ 9 DISPLAYS AND CONTROLS................................................................................... 10 ANTHROPOMETRY AND WORKSPACE DESIGN ..................................................... 11

Back in the 19th and 20th century, anthropologists used a practice called armchair anthropology. This practice involved anthropologists gathering their work through secondary sources. Anthropologists would stay in their offices and have other people supposedly gather data from field work. This allowed for bias views and work that couldn’t be sufficiently backed up. These practices are no longer being used with the help of dedicated anthropologists. Malinowski, Jackson and Guerts views of the role of the body and of sensory experience all play a key part in the production of knowledge

The topic of paper will involve an in-depth discussion of two differing views on the senses, but at the same time. These two epistemological and ontological views have been discussed by French philosopher Rene Descartes and Greek philosopher, Socrates. The first view, where Socrates proposes that in understanding knowledge, the senses should not be of great importance to humanity. He instead believes that understanding the world of ideas is the theory that in terms of understanding the world around us is favorable, especially when it comes to learning. He sees it as considerably unfavorable to only rely on received knowledge and empiricism alone.