Evaluation and Conclusion, Lab Report Example

Evaluation

The cortex receives and interprets the stimuli which it receives from the surroundings by means of the five senses. These organs which send the stimuli and communicate with the brains are the eyes for sight, the tactile sense which are applied through the hands, the gustative senses which are centered in the taste buds, and the audial sense which is centered in the ear and the olfactory sense which is centered in the nose. As the individual awakens each day, the ocular organs perceive light and transmit a signal to the brain. The tactile sense perceives the warmth of the sun. The audial senses may hear a rooster or birds chirping. The olfactory sense may perceive the smell of freshly brewed coffee. The taste buds may work in conjunction with the olfactory sense and give us a craving for the taste of freshly brewed coffee when it is perceived.

Research Problem

Is there a distinction which can be measured with regards to the distinction of the rate that visual, audial and tactile sensory information can be processed by the cortex?

Research Hypothesis

The hypothesis is which sense can be processed more effectively. Can the visual, audial or tactile stimuli be processed more quickly?

Variables

The controlled variables are the visual, verbal and tactile cues which are given to the respondent. The independent variable is the rate of descent of the metering stick. The dependent variables are the responses of the subjects to the stimuli.

Materials

A meter stick will be applied in this experiment. The meter stick has a range of 100 cm and an uncertainty of ± 1 cm.

Experimental Procedure

Part 1: Sight

1. A meter stick was acquired.
2. The meter stick was suspended vertically with the beginning measurement of zero centimeters sustained at a height which is equivalent to the waist. The point of the meter stick which indicates one hundred (100) would be suspended at eyesight level. .
3. An associate in this empirical study was to sustain the meter stick with the inscription hand with the forefinger and the thumb of the hand in a manner inferring that they would release the meter stick.
4. The associate releases the meter stick in order to provide a falling aspect to the end which is marked zero cm.
5. The meter stick was released. The intention of the empirical study is for the experimental associate to clutch the metering stick in the absence of verbal cues with regards to its disposition.
6. The distance which the metering stick moved prior to the action of the associate deterring it from falling will be documented. The information which had been collected with regards to the distance that the metering stick dropped vertically was entered onto a data table.
7. The procedure is to be repeated for five trials.
8. The experiment was conducted repetitively for all of the associates in the laboratory class.

Part II: Audial

9. The steps 1- 8 which had been conducted in the sight component of the experiment are to be repeated. In this trial, the associate who is performing the catching action of the deterrence of the fall of the metering stick is to maintain their eyes closed. The individual who is releasing the metering stick into a free fall will provide a verbal cue by applying the word “Now”. It is of great significance that the verbal cue which is given by stating the word “now” be immediately sequenced by the release of the metering stick.
10. The vertical distance which had been travelled by the metering stick is to be documented on a data table and repeated for five trials.
11. The trials were repeated for the laboratory associates in the class.

Part III: Touch

12. In this instance the associated that is performing the catching action is to maintain their eyes closed. The associate who is performing the dropping action is to provide a physical cue to the associate who is performing the catching action by providing a physical cue of a tap on the shoulder.
13. The distance which the metering stick moved in the vertical plane is to be documented for five trials.
14. The distance which the metering stick moved in the vertical plane for the other associates in the laboratory class was recorded.

Questions

I perceived that my group responded to the visual cues, followed by the auditory cues. This is sequenced by the tactile cues. The pathways for the visual stimuli travel faster according to the light signal which enters the retina and the signal which is sent to the cortex.  The type of stimuli that my group was least responsive with had been the tactile stimulus. The hand which I use to inscribe is my right hand. I was able to catch the metering stick faster with my right hand. This may be attributed to the aspect of the right hand being the preferred hand and having more use possesses quicker reflexes.

The messages which migrate along the nerve passageways consume time due to the aspect of their being signals. The signals must be activated by a cue. The nervous passageways of an individual who is seventy years old may be slower due to age and deterioration.  The reaction time is the amount of time which it takes an individual to respond to stimuli. The responses which are rapid and protection within the nervous system are called reflexes.

In order to be able to position a stimulus which is related to the sense of touch, it is not only necessary to know where the sensation which relates to the tactile stimulus is originating on the body but where the component may be found in correlation to the perceiver’s body. . This aspect incorporates the application of all of the senses which include sight, touch, and auditory signals in order to find where objects are in space. In research which had been conducted over the past few years, the sensory stimuli are averaged and put together in order to position tactile stimuli in addition to providing the perceived position of an object in space. In the research which had been conducted, the respondents apply the perceptions of elevation of an object which is suspended in space in order to ascertain the manner by which all of the senses work together to provide the cortex with a model of the position of the object (Spence 171).

The human cortex is adapted to receive the information from the five senses into a model of the surrounding environment with regards to the sensory qualities. Research has demonstrated that there are significant exchanges which take place between the sense of touch and the sense of sight. If the individual looks toward or away from what is being touched, this aspect affects the perception which is collected by the senses (Wasslein, 00084).

Conclusion

The aspect of the data which had been derived from the research was assessed by means of Pearson’s correlation coefficient and t test. Additional t test could have been conducted in order to confirm specific assumptions which are held with regards to the hypothesis. The lines of best fit could have also been calculated.  The tests which had been conducted and the Pearson’s correlation coefficient which had been calculated could have been extended to the other test.  There had been a total of six t- tests which had been conducted in order to confirm the alternate hypothesis or to confirm the null hypothesis. A wider population of respondents could have been used. Individuals who are left handed in comparison to the individuals who are right handed could have been given a wider representation. The respondents may have also been affected by a lack of sleep. Increased controlled conditions in this experiment could have minimized the error. The hypothesis which had been established initially in the experiment remains true. The sense of sight and touch are not affected by one another in this experiment. Some of the errors which could have taken place in the experiment could have been attributed to the chronometer error which had been equivalent to ± 5 ms.  Additional error could have been attributed to the measurements which had been taken and entered on the data a table. The potential for error was ± 1 cm with the metering stick. Other sources of error which may have taken place may have occurred with the auditory or tactile cues with regards to the response times and reaction times of the respondents.

A more extensive number of trials could have been conducted. This aspect would have enabled a larger population sample with which to prove or disprove the hypothesis. The hypothesis which has been proven to be true is that the environment does affect the reaction times with regards to the processing of visual, auditory and tactile information. The aspect of having the eyes wide open or closed also is another aspect which could have affected the outcome of the experiment. The Pearson correlation coefficients for the comparison of the values demonstrated that there had been a high correlation between the aspects of possessing the capability of sight and not being able to see with respect to the response times.

Works Cited

Spence, C., F. Pavani, A. Maravila & N. Holmes.”Multisensory contributions to the 3-D representation  of visuotactile peripersonal space in humans: evidence from the crossmodal congruency task.” J Physiol Paris Jan- Jun 98(2004): 171- 189. Web. 29 March 2014 http://www.sciencedirect.com/scoience/article/pii/S0928425704000798

Wasslein, Ann- Katrin, Charles Spence & Christian Frings.”Vision affects tactile target and distractor processing even when space is task irrelevant.” Front Psychol 6 Feb 2014. Web. 29 March           2014 http://journal.frontiersinorg/Journal/10.3389/psyg.2014.00084/abstract