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Download Full Text (6.7 MB)
Download Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study of Sensation and Perception (79 KB)
Download Chapter 2: Approaches to Studying Sensation and Perception (393 KB)
Download Chapter 3: Receptors and Neural Processing (548 KB)
Download Chapter 4: The Lateral Geniculate Nucleus (LGN) and Primary Visual Cortex (V1) (216 KB)
Download Chapter 5: Higher-Level Visual Processing: Beyond V1 (167 KB)
Download Chapter 6: Attention and Visual Perception (388 KB)
Download Chapter 7: Object Recognition (743 KB)
Download Chapter 8: Color Vision (753 KB)
Download Chapter 9: Depth Perception (864 KB)
Download Chapter 10: Motion (270 KB)
Download Chapter 11: Audition (988 KB)
Download Chapter 12: Cutaneous Senses (533 KB)
Download Chapter 13: Gustatory Senses (238 KB)
Download Chapter 14: Olfaction (344 KB)
Download S&P Texbook_Version History.pdf (83 KB)
Document Type
Open Educational Resource
Publication Date
9-2026
Disciplines
Psychology
Description
Sensation and Perception V3 is an introductory college textbook that explores how we detect and interpret sensory information from the world around us. Covering all five major senses—vision, audition, touch, taste, and smell—the book provides a comprehensive overview of the biological and psychological processes that underlie perception. While all sensory modalities are discussed, the primary emphasis is on vision, tracing the flow of visual information from the moment light strikes the retina through the complex mechanisms that allow us to perceive objects, color, motion, and depth.
Department
Psychology
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Kahan, T. A. (2026). Sensation and Perception V3. Bates College. https://scarab.bates.edu/oer/6
Comments
Online version can be found here.
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