PSYC 110 Week 2 Assignment Alopes

Student Name

Chamberlain University

PSYC-110: Psychology

Prof. Name:

Date

How We Perceive Our Surroundings

Social interaction is a vital part of human life, and understanding how we engage with our environment is fundamental to perceiving our surroundings. For this week’s assignment, I chose to explore Option 2, which delves into how our sense of hearing helps us adapt to and interact with our environment. Hearing is a complex process involving several steps that allow us to perceive sounds. According to the Week 2 Course Module Lesson, sound waves first enter our auditory system through the pinna, traveling down the auditory canal and causing the eardrum to vibrate. This vibration sets off a chain reaction, where the hammer, anvil, and stirrup also vibrate. The stirrup’s movement activates the oval window, stimulating the fluid in the cochlea. This fluid movement causes the basilar membrane to vibrate, which in turn activates the organ of Corti, prompting it to move upward. Sensory receptors, the hair cells within our ears, send action potentials through the auditory nerve when stimulated. This anatomical process enables our brain to interpret and experience the sensation of hearing (Franklin, 2022, p. 3).

For the experiment, I chose to conduct a trial where I abstained from using my sense of hearing for 15 to 30 minutes while performing daily tasks. I used my AirPods to block out sound, intending to carry out my activities relying solely on my other senses—sight, smell, touch, and taste. I integrated this experiment into my gym workout to assess how weightlifting would be affected by the absence of hearing. By activating the noise-canceling feature on my AirPods, I eliminated all sound. I found that my sense of sight and touch were crucial to completing the exercises. My vision was vital for interacting with the weights and performing the correct movements, while my sense of touch helped me gauge the weights and maintain proper form.

During my workout, my reliance on sight became evident as I navigated the equipment and ensured that each lift was performed correctly. Touch also played an important role, allowing me to communicate non-verbally with others in the gym. However, the absence of hearing revealed aspects I wouldn’t have noticed otherwise. Without the music that usually motivates me, I struggled to stay focused and often allowed my mind to wander, making the workout feel slower and more tedious. Conversely, the lack of auditory distractions from others in the gym was unexpectedly beneficial. I found that I was less affected by noises like dropped weights or loud exercises, allowing me to concentrate better on my tasks.

Sensory Adaptation and Habituation

According to Feldman (2018), habituation refers to the decrease in response to a stimulus due to repeated exposure. I experienced this phenomenon during my experiment as my peripheral vision initially drew my attention, but over time, I became less reactive to it. Additionally, sensory adaptation, which is the adjustment in sensory capacity after prolonged exposure to unchanging stimuli, became evident as I grew accustomed to the absence of sound (Feldman, 2018). Although it was challenging at first, I gradually adapted and was able to complete my workout effectively without relying on my hearing. This experience was a fascinating demonstration of the brain’s ability to adapt to new situations.

Conclusion

While I found it intriguing to observe my brain’s adaptability during this experiment, I began to consider the challenges of permanently losing the sense of hearing. Such a change would require a profound shift in how one perceives and navigates the world. My respect for those who are deaf or hard of hearing has deepened significantly. Despite the differences between those who can hear and those who cannot, I believe everyone has the capacity to adapt to their circumstances. Just as I was able to manage without hearing during my workout, individuals with permanent hearing loss can also find ways to thrive in their environments. Overall, I found this experiment to be a valuable learning experience that provided me with insights about both myself and my workout routine that I would not have discovered otherwise.

References

Feldman, R. S. (2018). Understanding Psychology. Dubuque: McGraw-Hill Education.