Unit 3: Sensing & Feeling

Description: This unit explores how the brain enables sensation, perception, emotion, & communication. Students will examine how sensory systems detect & interpret stimuli, how emotions are generated & expressed, & how language is produced & understood. The unit includes five modules: Vision, Nonvisual Senses, Sex & Love, Emotions, & Language. Together, these topics reveal how the brain transforms physical signals into meaningful experiences & social connections.

Why This Unit Is Important: Understanding how we sense, feel, & communicate is essential for psychology professionals across clinical, counseling, educational, & research domains. This unit provides foundational knowledge for interpreting behavior, supporting clients, & applying neuroscience to real-world challenges.

For counselors, this unit provides:

• Insight into sensory & emotional disorders & their impact on mental health.
• Tools for discussing identity, relationships, & communication with clients.
• Understanding of how trauma, culture, & neurodiversity shape perception & expression.

For other psychology professionals, this unit supports:

• Research into sensory processing, emotional regulation, & language development.
• Educational strategies for learners with sensory or communication differences.
• Clinical assessment of disorders affecting perception, emotion, & language.
• Integration of neuroscience into developmental, cognitive, & social psychology.

Unit Learning Objectives: By the end of this unit students will be able to…

• ULO1: Describe how sensory systems detect & transduce stimuli, including visual & nonvisual modalities. (CLO1, CLO2)
• ULO2: Analyze how perception is shaped by neural pathways, top-down processing, & cultural influences. (CLO2, CLO3)
• ULO3: Evaluate the biological basis of sex, love, & emotion, including hormonal & neural mechanisms. (CLO1, CLO3, CLO4)
• ULO4: Explain how brain structures support emotional experience, regulation, & expression. (CLO1, CLO2)
• ULO5: Assess the neural mechanisms of language production, comprehension, & disorders. (CLO2, CLO4)