Perception involves unconscious inference From a pattern of activity in the primary afferents, we infer a state of affairs in the world. Our perceptual system is not designed to give us direct access to our sensations. Perception is directed outward. It requires special training, or at least informed directed attention, to specifically attend to the sensation per se . Cannot be applied to animals or preverbal infants.
Verbal reports are often unreliable.
Investigate responses elicited by stimuli that vary systematically along one dimension and are otherwise identical. Such stimuli typically do not occur in nature. Evoked potential Measure the electrical activity in the brain elicited by a given stimulus. Measure of blood flow using radioactive tracer. Measure of blood flow that relies on differences in magnetic properties of oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin.