What type of sensations includes tactile, thermal, pain, and proprioceptive?

The correct answer is general senses because this category encompasses a variety of sensations that are distributed throughout the body rather than concentrated in specific organs. General senses include tactile sensations (touch), thermal sensations (temperature), pain sensations (nociception), and proprioceptive sensations (perception of body position and movement). These senses are mediated by sensory receptors found in the skin, muscles, and joints, allowing us to perceive and respond to a wide range of environmental and bodily stimuli.

In contrast, special senses refer to those senses that have specialized organs devoted to them, such as vision (sight), hearing (auditory), taste (gustation), and smell (olfaction). Cognitive senses and complex senses are not standard classifications within the study of sensory systems, making them less relevant in this context. Thus, identifying general senses as the correct answer effectively captures the broad nature of these sensations and their physiological representation.