PSYC 2274 Sensation and Perception
How do our senses tell us what is really in the world around us, and can our senses be trusted? These questions have been pondered by philosophers for centuries, and more recently by psychologists and neuroscientists. This course will explore the anatomical/biological basis of sensation (how the world that we perceive is translated into the raw language of the nervous system) and the cognitive processes underlying perception (how our brains reconstruct the physical world from these neural inputs). We will examine these questions for vision, hearing, touch, smell, and taste.
Course overview
- Department
- Psychology and Neuroscience
- School
- MCAS
- Credits
- 3
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Offered
- Annually
Catalog details
- Prerequisites
- PSYC1110
Requirements fulfilled
- Neuroscience B.S.: Foundation (24 Credits) — One of the following (Current University Catalog; students should confirm their catalog year)
- Applied Psychology and Human Development: Major electives — any Psychology (PSYC) or Sociology (SOCY) course (no more than two electives from outside LSEHD) (Current University Catalog; students should confirm their catalog year)
- Psychology B.A.: One course from the Biological/Cognitive cluster (3 credits) (Class of 2028 and After)
- Psychology B.S.: One course from the Biological/Cognitive cluster (3 credits) (Class of 2028 and After)
- Psychology B.A. (Class of 2027 and Before): Three 2000-level courses — Cognitive area (Class of 2027 and Before)
- Psychology B.S. (Class of 2027 and Before): Three 2000-level courses — Cognitive area (Class of 2027 and Before)
- Psychology: Courses That May Be Applied to the Minor (Current University Catalog; students should confirm their catalog year)
Course evaluations
- Course rating
- 3.31 / 5 · Good
- Instructor rating
- 3.61 / 5 · Very Good
- Terms evaluated
- 9
| Term | Instructor | Course overall | Instructor overall | Well organized | Clear learning objectives | Intellectually challenging | Helpful assignments | Applicable beyond course | Attendance necessary | Weekly effort | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | Sean Macevoy | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 4.7 | 3.1 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 1–3 hrs/week | 20 of 27 |
| Spring 2025 | Sean Macevoy | 3.2 | 3.4 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 1–3 hrs/week | 29 of 35 |
| Fall 2024 | Sean Macevoy | 3.0 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 4.6 | 4–6 hrs/week | 33 of 34 |
| Spring 2024 | Sean Macevoy | 3.4 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.6 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 4–6 hrs/week | 36 of 44 |
| Fall 2023 | Sean Macevoy | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 38 of 45 |
| Spring 2023 | Sean Macevoy | 3.3 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.6 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 1–3 hrs/week | 36 of 44 |
| Fall 2022 | Sean Macevoy | 3.6 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.9 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 1–3 hrs/week | 32 of 44 |
| Spring 2022 | Sean Macevoy | 3.4 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 1–3 hrs/week | 28 of 47 |
| Fall 2021 | Sean Macevoy | 4.0 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 1–3 hrs/week | 17 of 37 |