Understanding Psychology (10th Ed)

5.
The three fl uid-fi lled tubes in the inner ear that are 
responsible for our sense of balance are known as the 
.
6.
The 
theory states that when certain 
skin receptors are activated as a result of an injury, a “path-
way” to the brain is opened, allowing pain to be experienced.
R E T H I N K
1.
Much research is being conducted on repairing faulty sen-
sory organs through devices such as personal guidance 
systems and eyeglasses, among others. Do you think that 
researchers should attempt to improve normal sensory 
capabilities beyond their “natural” range (for example, 
make human visual or audio capabilities more sensitive 
than normal)? What benefi ts might this ability bring? 
What problems might it cause?
2.
From the perspective of a social worker: How would you han-
dle the case of a deaf child whose hearing could be re-
stored with a cochlear implant—but different family 
members had confl icting views on whether the procedure 
should be done?
Answers to Evaluate Questions
 
Module 12 
Hearing and the Other Senses 
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Consider the vase shown in Figure 1a for a moment. Or is it a vase? Take another 
look, and instead you may see the profi les of two people. 
Now that an alternative interpretation has been pointed out, you will probably 
shift back and forth between the two interpretations. Similarly, if you examine the 
shapes in Figure 1b long enough, you will probably experience a shift in what you’re 
seeing. The reason for these reversals is this: Because each fi gure is two-dimensional, 
the usual means we employ for distinguishing the fi gure (the object being perceived) 
from the ground (the background or spaces within the object) do not work. 
The fact that we can look at the same fi gure in more than one way illustrates an 
important point. We do not just passively respond to visual stimuli that happen to fall 
on our retinas. Rather, we actively try to organize and make sense of what we see. 
We turn now from a focus on the initial response to a stimulus (sensation) to 
what our minds make of that stimulus—perception. Perception is a constructive pro-
cess by which we go beyond the stimuli that are presented to us and attempt to 
construct a meaningful situation. 
The Gestalt Laws of Organization
Some of the most basic perceptual processes can be described by a series of principles 
that focus on the ways we organize bits and pieces of information into meaningful 
wholes. Known as