Module 12: Nonvisual Senses

Description: This module explores sensory systems beyond vision, including audition (hearing), somatosensation (touch, pain, temperature), vestibular function (balance), & chemical senses (taste & smell). Students will examine how these systems detect & transduce stimuli, how sensory information is processed in the brain, & how sensory disorders affect perception & behavior. The module also highlights cultural influences on perception & emerging interventions like stem cell therapy.

Why This Module is Important: Nonvisual senses are essential for communication, survival, & emotional connection. Understanding these systems is critical for psychology professionals working in clinical, counseling, educational, & research settings.

For counselors, this module provides:

• Insight into sensory disorders & their psychological impact.
• Understanding of how sensory loss affects identity, emotion, & social connection.
• Tools for discussing sensory restoration & assistive technologies with clients.

For other psychology professionals, this module supports:

• Research into sensory processing & neuroplasticity.
• Educational strategies for students with sensory impairments.
• Clinical assessment of pain, balance, & sensory integration issues.
• Application of neuroscience to therapies involving sensory stimulation.

Module Learning Objectives: By the end of this module students will be able to…

• MLO1: Describe the anatomy & physiology of auditory, somatosensory, vestibular, & chemical sensory systems. (CLO1, ULO2)
• MLO2: Analyze how sensory stimuli are transduced & processed in the brain, including mechanisms of perception & localization. (CLO2, CLO3, ULO2)
• MLO3: Evaluate sensory disorders & emerging interventions, including stem cell therapy & cultural influences on perception. (CLO3, CLO4, ULO2)

Test Yourself: If you truly “know” this material then you will be able to…

• Explain how sound waves are transduced into neural signals by the cochlea & interpreted by auditory cortex. (MLO1)
• Compare the effects of infrasound & ultrasound on human physiology & perception, including psychological responses. (MLO2)
• Evaluate the potential of stem cell therapy for sensory restoration & discuss ethical & clinical implications. (MLO3)