Our Senses

 

The Institute for Personality and Ability Testing has certified Robert Fettgather as a Stress Management Trainer, and Medical Hypnosis Seminars of the Los Gatos Institute has certified him in Clinical Hypnotherapy.  At Santa Clara University, Graduate Department of Education and Counseling Psychology, Robert Fettgather's studies included Health Education and Behavioral Medicine.

Sensation is the process by which sensory organs in the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, skin, and other tissues receive and detect stimuli. When sensory information is detected by a sensory receptor, then sensation has occurred.

Perception focuses on the organization and interpretation of these stimuli within the human brain. These two work closely together to allow us to experience the world as coherent and meaningful. Of course, the Escher-like print above is one example of visual stimuli that challenges our ability to form a coherent perception. Cloud gazing invites our own projections.

Sensation allows us to receive information from the world around us. According to your text: "Studying sensation means studying human beings, who are complex and variable. Not everyone is born with the same collection of stimulus-detecting equipment. Some individuals have eyes that see "20/20"; while others have worn glasses since they were young children. There is even variation within a given individual".  Yes, human variability does figure into our study of sensation. Let's start with an uncommon experience of sensation. Synesthesia is a rare and unusual condition in which an individual experiences more than one sensation related to a sole stimulus. For example, consider the person who can hear and see... a sound.

For many of us, vision seems to be the most essential of the senses. The retina is quite tiny, the size of a quarter. It contains the sensory receptor neurons that transform incoming light waves in to an electrical-chemical signal that the nervous system can comprehend. Each eye has two types of sensory receptors, rods and cones. Approximately 70 percent of the sensory receptors located in your eyes are rods. Rods perceive the brightness of light and send messages about the levels of black, white, as well as shades of gray. With the exception of the "blind spot", rods occupy the entire retina. To discover why the spot is blind see below. Rods are quite light sensitive, and produce images with low sharpness or acuity. Our ability for the eyes to make adjustments to darkness, as in a dark room, and eventually see objects is mediated by the rods in our eyes. That is referred to as dark adaptation.

Environmental Factors In Addiction

Robert Fettgather has taught at San Jose State University, National University and Mission College in Santa Clara. In addition, Robert Fettgather has addressed State and National Conferences on a variety of topics. The Transactional Analysis Journal, Voices: The Art and Science of Psychotherapy, and Lifelong Learningjave have published Robert Fettgather's articles on a variety of topics.

What makes some people abuse and become addicted to drugs, while others do not seem to develop a long term problem? As we seek out answers, our first stop is "Rat Park".  Researcher Bruce Alexander designed an experiment showing that rats in bare cages were more likely to consume drugs excessively than rats in enriched environments-Rat parks.  More recent research by Dr. Marco Venniro also supports the view that social environments have a strong relationship to addiction.

Looking beyond the addictive properties of chemicals, Alexander's experiment emphasized environmental factors.  Psychiatrist Gabor Matte also underscores the importance of environmental antecedents to addiction. Specifically, Matte cites the "brokenness of the human spirit" through trauma in understanding substance abuse. 

Both Matte and Alexander believe that the environment is more influential than either genetics or perhaps even the addictive properties of drugs in predicting addiction.  Their work suggests that improved environments, as well as reducing poverty and childhood trauma/stress might make for fewer addiction problems in our society.

Reflection Point: Since early intervention reduces later drug abuse, how might we champion early intervention programs?

Redirect Thought To Blessings

 Robert Fettgather has served as Special Consultant in psychometrics to the Departments of Education and Developmental Disabilities for the State of California. Robert Fettgather also holds a specialist credential in learning handicapped and community college credentials in both learning and developmental disabilities. Robert Fettgather has taught at San Jose State University, National University and Mission College in Santa Clara.

Research evidence exists to support multiple causes of anxiety, including biological models that identify brain circuit and neurotransmitter involvement as well as psychological and social contributions. A multidimensional model of these factors considers how they all contribute simultaneously to the presence of abnormal, potentially pathological levels of anxiety. Environmental factors can be very significant contributors to anxiety and include our immediate environment (i.e., family or work) as well as larger factors like sociocultural bias (racism, sexism), economic policy, and even the forces of environmental degradation and climate change.

Both genetic and psychological vulnerabilities seem to contribute to the development of generalized anxiety disorder-GAD. Let us consider the experience of "threat". In particular is the fact that individuals with GAD seem to be more sensitive to threat in general, particularly when the threat has some personal relevance. Although drug and psychological treatments may be effective in the short term, the most successful long-term treatment may help individuals with GAD focus on what is really threatening to them in their lives. Benzodiazepine medications seem to be useful for an acute episode of anxiety, but there are risks for both psychological and physical dependence when used over time. Recent evidence suggests that antidepressant medications such as Paxil and Effexor may provide superior symptom relief over the benzodiazepines, and with fewer risks. 

Cognitive Behavioral treatment (CBT) of anxiety may involve the identification of "cognitive distortions"  (link to list). These distorted thoughts (for example, "I must be a perfect student") lead to anxiety and are replaced with rational alternative thoughts ( "I'm a good but not perfect student and I can learn from my mistakes").

In treating these anxieties in clinical practice, I often suggested an NNR approach where N stands for notice the cognitive distortion, the next N stands for naming it ("I'm ruminating") and R stands for redirecting one's thoughts to either the task at hand or an object of gratitude. The task at hand could be studying this Module, a conversation with a significant other, or washing the dishes. One might also redirect to a pleasant thought like a simple blessing.

Late-Life Disengagement

Robert Fettgather holds a BA in psychology from San Jose State University as well as Masters and Doctoral degrees. He works as an associate faculty at Mission College in Santa Clara, educating students in different areas of psychology. Robert Fettgather also holds a specialist credential in learning handicapped and community college credentials in both learning and developmental disabilities.

What is it to "disengage"? First, consider  Erikson’s view of the ego integrity/despair crisis; there the life review results in both positive and negative emotional outcomes. It seems that the overall yield of positives versus negatives is related to elders’ well-being and mental health. It may not surprise you that researchers have found life reviews burdened by guilt and regrets are more prone to depression than those who have generally positive feelings about their lives. Folks leaning toward the negative may isolate and withdraw.

Disengagement theory asserts a withdrawal from others, fewer contacts and a shrinkage of life space. Throughout the lifespan it appears that social connection brings positive outcomes to all domains-physical, cognitive and psychosocial. Alternatively, loneliness and isolation in our senior years is associated with many negative outcomes. According to the National Institutes on Aging research has linked social isolation and loneliness to higher risks for a variety of physical and mental conditions: high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, a weakened immune system, anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, and even death.

So activity is important in our later years.  Activity theorists often cite research demonstrating that the most active older adults report slightly greater satisfaction with themselves or their lives, are healthiest, and have the highest morale. Finally, continuity theory argues that the primary means by which elders adjust to aging is by engaging in the same kinds of activities that interested and challenged them in their earlier years. For instance, an older woman who was an avid gardener would do well to continue that activity in old age. 

Given the physical and societal challenges to aging it might surprise you that researcher Laura Carstensen believes that "In general, people get happier as they get older."