FINAL BLOG ENTRY/POST (I forget which one)

While reflecting on this year and what I learned, I found myself remembering what I came into the semester thinking. I had fully anticipated a more “theory” based class, and I what I found, is what a laymen would term “neuroscience” topics. Granted, this semester was nothing short of being hard for me. I truly struggled with the material. However, I learned a lot. To get to the point of the post though, the most interesting thing I learned came in the latter half of the semester. I found myself deeply interested in color perception and depth perception. This interest is undoubtedly rooted in my upbringing with “optical allusions” books and the likes, but finding out the way that free-fusing works was a glorious discovery. I think what is most interesting about the topic in general is the way that the retina works. I find it interesting not on an anatomical level, but rather on a philosophical level. The idea that I am unconsciously processing image and color while I am thinking about an entirely different subject is utterly amazing. Additionally, the rate in which every process happens is also incredible. The fact that by the time an image registers in my mind (lets say 1 unit for simplicity sakes) multiple processes have gone on. The photon passes through the cornea, lens, hits the back of the retina, a variety of receptor cells fire, send signals through numerous parts of the brain and then forms an image in the visual cortex. Each of these processes (and there is, of course, more) happens in just a fraction of a unit! It still amazes me.

Furthermore, I also found the “disorders” of perception extremely interesting. In fact, synesthesia is one of the most  intriguing concepts I have come across in my entire education.  Without elaborating any further, I have to say I just came to a realization. I went into this class with the attitude mentioned above, and that is the knowledge I came out with. The more generalized concepts and bigger ideas of perception is what I found most interesting. I couldn’t tell you how many parts of the eye/brain I couldn’t name. That may be disconcerting, but my retention of information lies within what I found inspiring. Essentially, what I am trying to say is that I got out of this class exactly what I wanted. I discovered how my eye turns photons into a perception and how many people have disorders that impair there perception. I also found out why my dad always has trouble with the color red…

Anyway, my computer is dying, and I am caught without a charger. Overall, the number one most interesting thing I discovered this semester is the perception of motion and how it can identify gender. This just came into my head, and I thought, “that is by far the coolest thing I learned.”

And I leave you with that. Thank you for all the information and work you did this semester!

-b

Perception and Parkinson’s

Unfortunately, I am writing this post a day late due to a tragic event in my life. Last night my roommate informed me that his father had just been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and that he, nor his father, was taking it very well. Upon consideration of my values I felt it necessary to sit and talk with my roommate about the condition and the surrounding opinions and ideas that came with it. After we finished, I was very curious as to how Parkinson’s starts, and I just so happened to fall upon this article in Science Daily. I think we may have mentioned it earlier in the semester, but the article identifies that a loss or deterioration of the sense of smell can be an early indicator to Parkinson’s.

The test was the first done on the general public and tested the men in the mid-1990′s and followed them for eight years to see if they actually developed PD. The study found that the men who ranked the lowest among olfactory perception were more than 5 times likely to develop PD. The study also ran through a variety of interpretations of the data ranging from the formation of abnormal protein clusters (Lewy bodies) within the olfactory structures, to impaired nerve cell formation, to the degeneration of motor skills like sniffing. Essentially, the idea that the scientists from Hawaii were pushing was that a poor sense of smell, identified early enough, can be a strong indicator of PD.

The most important conclusion, however, and most relevant to helping find the cure for Parkinson’s is that patients identified with the loss of sense of smell can be used as trial patients for new medicine that helps slow or eliminate Parkinson’s at an early stage. Currently, identifying such patients is difficult, but having up to four years warning is a huge leap in establishing preventive measures.

Another thing that I find interesting about the study is the relation of the sciences. A deficit within the realm of psychology and perception can lead to a cure that involves almost exclusively the biological processes and anatomical structure of the human. It is eye-opening to consider how everything that happens to and around the human body is interconnected and how that connection can provide a variety of additional information to further enhance our understanding of a specific region or idea about human operation.

Overall, while the the science behind PD is interesting and this study encouraging, all I can hope is that my roommate and his father get through this time and the time to come without too much difficulty, and that hopefully something can be done to help slow the progression of the disease, if not cure it.

-b

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080320155232.htm

A crying shame, but a tearful victory

All of this talk about the eye and how it perceives images sent me off on a tangent this week. Given some recent happenings in my life, I started thinking about the perception of tears of another individual. In class we alluded to Sen. Hilary Clinton’s crying incident in January, but I wanted to see if there was any research done on the topic of the perception of tears in the public eye. That is, what reaction does an audience (public or private) evoke when they see another person cry. A relatively recent USA Today article expresses how Hilary’s tears were perceived. In general, a Penn State study found, tears at work are perceived negatively. They are seen as manipulative and underhanded. One boss cites the sentiment that if tears simply interfere with work. However, “tearing up” is looked upon more favorably. In addition to this, men are looked upon more favorably for tearing up because “it makes them human.” The interesting thing about this, however, is that in general tears are viewed as feminine reaction; but in study, tears on women are viewed unfavorably by both genders.

Regardless, I found it interesting that tears in general are simply becoming more acceptable within society. Previously, men crying would have been looked down upon because crying shows weakness. But the fact that men now are perceived as human and stronger for crying is not only refreshing but healthy. It is healthy because pent up emotions help no one.

Additionally, as I close this post up, I find myself realizing a common theme in my perception thoughts: there is never one way to look at something. As with my meditation post last week, the idea that are different perspectives is encouraging and inspires further.

I guess what I am trying to say is that there is never just one way to view something. Everyone forms their own opinions not only based on their anatomical and biological reaction to the stimulus, but because of personal memories as well.

-b

Source:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/workplace/2008-01-17-crying_n.htm?loc=interstitialskip

EDIT: I forgot to mention the fact that many political analysts attribute Clinton’s victory in New Hampshire  to her tears. Even though some viewed it as weak, others contended that under the conditions crying wasn’t just acceptable, it might have been expected.

Meditation and Perception

After tripping over my luggage to find my computer (which was buried under a pile of books), I flipped it open and started thinking about perception and how I could use a recent experience in my life to help with my blog post (because I haven’t left Spring Break behind yet). What I came upon was the idea of meditation and relaxation. As I was laying on the ship this past week, I had a lot of time to myself to muse and meditate on a variety of subjects. Following this notion, I wandered if a meditation is correctly executed, is the perception of that idea or object enhanced? I then found an article relating meditation to an increase in EEG waves, specifically within the area of high-amplitude gamma synchrony. While the article goes into great about the specific frequencies the EEG emits, the part I found most interesting was the study that was actually done. The psychologists took two pools of participants–a group of students who had been meditating for a week, and a group of Tibetan monks who had up to forty years of meditation. What the results show is that proper meditation yielded a much higher brain activity and that the perception of the feeling of compassion was much higher. Now while the scientific results were astounding, the idea still intrigues me. The thought that one can clear his or her own mind in order to fully feel an emotion or perceive an object is bewildering. The reports even referenced a state of mind called the  “fundamental state of luminosity” in which the perceiver transcends the typical confines of perception and is immersed in the meditation on a universal level. This idea, although I can’t get a full grasp on it, is uniquely soothing. I mean that it is comforting that the typical confines of discursive thought can be broken and that my perception of an object/idea is only at the base of its offering. Through a thorough study of meditation, I could achieve a consciousness and awareness that would supersede my currently muddled view of the world.

Overall, while the scientific results of the EEG study are impressive, my own musings lie within the idea that current view and study of perception could be be expanded even further to include the heightened state of awareness that is achieved through meditation.

-b

Being an avid advocate for the arts I can’t help but enjoy a variety of music. Everything from the lyrics to the rhythms and beats truly astounds me. But after sitting in class and reading the textbook, a thought wandered its way into my mind (I know, it is a rarity…). The thought stems around the idea of taste, but not in the chemical sense. Rather taste in the musical and artistic sense. Everybody (save for the exceptions) perceives the same tones, rhythms, etc., but some take to the music more than others. Thus, the question of “taste” arose. Is taste controlled by strict perceptual influences (is it solely the beats, pitch, tone) or is it more heavily influenced by conditioning (that is: What did your parents listen to you with you in the car?)? A little research (Peter J. Rentfrow, UT Austin) tends to show that the general consensus regarding musical taste is based on personality traits, rather than a solely internal stimulus.  Additionally, a cursory review of Google shows that musical taste generally falls under social psychology.

Oh well…there goes my plans of genetically mutating someone to change their appreciation for the arts…

-b

Taste…the myth?

It seems only a short time ago that I was sitting in Ms. O’Shea’s 2nd grade classroom pondering the myth of taste. How do I know what taste is my little mind wondered. Much to my chagrin, however, my teacher revealed that the taste that comes from food are actually due to localized “buds” on my tongue. This information, although stifling my imagination at the time, was very intriguing. Yet, jumping forward 12 years, I find that taste is not in fact localized. I WAS LIED TO!!!!! Rather, the taste buds are all throughout the tongue. The most intriguing part of this discovery, however, is the amount of people that still are convinced taste buds are localized. A recent small poll (conducted by myself amongst 25 undergraduates at Vanderbilt University that had NOT taken PSY 214) showed that 18 of 25 students still believed in the localized palate theory. A search on google images for “taste buds” shows that over half of the accepted images go by this antiquated theory. Of even further interest, is that nearly all of the images and relevant information show no signs of adding the additional taste to the palate. Finally, above all, the most disconcerting evidence is that I asked my mother (who teaches pre-school, and helps out in elementary school) if this theory is still taught, and she replied yes. IN fact, she didn’t even realize another theory existed. What this says about society is yet to be fully understood, but what it says about the school system is that some things they “teach” us are just plain wrong.

-B

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