Deck 5: Sensation and Perception

Question 1

"Wow! I'm sorry! I didn't recognize you out of context!" you exclaim, excusing your blank stare when your accounting professor greets you in a café. This vignette illustrates the importance of _________ in perception.

A) transduction
B) adaptation
C) bottom-up processes
D) top-down processes Don't really like this as an indication of top-down processing. I think you could make a better case for it being perceptual set - a person doesn't recognize the professor outside the "set" of the classroom.

Answer 1

top-down processes Don't really like this as an indication of top-down processing. I think you could make a better case for it being perceptual set - a person doesn't recognize the professor outside the "set" of the classroom.

Question 2

"It's so noisy! How can you stand it?" remarks Caitlyn as the thruway traffic screams past her friend Dave's ground floor apartment. "I don't even notice it anymore," Dave replies. This exchange best exemplifies the concept of _________.

A) adaptation
B) accommodation
C) adjustment
D) attenuation

Answer 2

adaptation

Question 3

List the technical names for each of the five sensory systems.

Answer 3

Olfactory, gustatory, somatosensory, auditory, visual

Question 4

Olfaction and gustation emerged early in our evolutionary history.

Question 5

In what hair-like structures are the sensory receptors of the olfactory system located? Wording is awkward. Recommend changing to: The sensory receptors of the olfactory system are located in the hair-like structures called:

A) Nasal mucosa
B) Papillae
C) Odorants
D) Cilia

Question 6

Which of the following sentences expresses bottom-up processing?

A) You see what's in front of you.
B) You see what you want to see.
C) You see what you expect to see.
D) You see what you're conditioned to see.

Question 7

We can detect a single drop of perfume diffused in an area the size of a one-bedroom apartment. This is a(n) ________.

A) absolute threshold
B) difference threshold
C) sensory minimum
D) just noticeable difference

Question 8

The sensory system that responds to pressure or damage to the skin is called the __________ system.

Question 9

Which of the following statements most accurately expresses the relationship between top-down and bottom-up processing?

A) Some stimuli are processed in a bottom-up fashion, while others are processed in a top-down manner.
B) Bottom-up processing precedes top-down processing during the perception of most stimuli.
C) Top-down processes only contribute to perception when stimuli are highly novel, unexpected, or ambiguous.
D) Top-down and bottom-up processes occur simultaneously during the perception of many, if not all, stimuli.

Question 10

If a light bulb does not cast a light that can be detected, what threshold has not been surpassed?

A) Difference
B) Absolute
C) Stimulus
D) Transduction

Question 11

Bottom-up processing begins with previously acquired knowledge.

Question 12

What type of perceptual processing begins with physical energies that enter the body from the environment?

Question 13

A snack manufacturer finds that it must increase the salt content of its chips by 8% in order for a sample of consumers to notice that the chips are saltier than they were before. This example most nearly illustrates the concept of a(n) _________ threshold.

A) transduction
B) difference
C) adaptation
D) absolute

Question 14

Transduction is the process by which sensory receptor cells convert environmental stimuli into neural impulses.

Question 15

Describe how top-down processing and bottom-up processing differ.

Question 16

The physical stimuli used by the gustatory sensory system are called __________.

Question 17

The conversion of environmental stimuli into neural impulses is called ________.

A) perception
B) translation
C) adaptation
D) transduction

Question 18

Why do we adapt after prolonged exposure to a constant stimulus?

A) so that we continue to respond to ongoing stimulation
B) so that we don't become distracted by irrelevant changes in the environment
C) so that we detect potentially important changes in what's going on
D) so that we don't become overstimulated by the environment

Question 19

What sensory process describes why the continual presence of a stimulus results in a decreased response to that stimulus over time?

Question 20

Describe the difference between absolute threshold and difference threshold.

Question 21

The human tongue is covered with bumps called __________.

Question 22

All sensory systems send information through the thalamus.

Question 23

Studies have shown that the piriform cortex is changeable in adulthood.

Question 24

Which structure serves as a relay station for incoming sensory information to the cerebral cortex?

A) Hippocampus
B) Amygdala
C) Insula
D) Thalamus

Question 25

The olfactory bulb sends information to the __________, an area important for learning and memory.

Question 26

Why may a person develop the disorder of ageusia, the loss of the ability to taste?

Question 27

What structure that is activated by the olfactory bulb is associated with regulation of emotions and fear?

Question 28

People who have lost the ability to smell have a disorder known as __________.

Question 29

Why are taste and smell referred to as chemical senses?

Question 30

Identify an age-related disease that produces a diminished sense of smell. What does this relationship between disease and smell indicate about brain structures?

Question 31

The sense receptors for olfaction are located on hair-like structures called ______. They convert odorants into neural impulses, an example of a process termed _______.

A) papillae; transduction
B) papillae; perception
C) cilia; transduction
D) cilia; perception

Question 32

How is the consistency of food communicated to the brain?

Question 33

"Hot" or spicy foods activate what component of the tongue that communicates pain?

Question 34

Olfaction is to gustation as _______ is to _______.

A) smell; taste
B) hearing; taste
C) taste; hearing
D) taste; smell

Question 35

Many people report that smells are evocative of past events. What 2 structures in the brain may be activated during these olfactory "trips down memory lane"?

Question 36

What sense is most closely tied to taste?

Question 37

Sweet/sour is the taste associated with monosodium glutamate.

Question 38

The method used by odorants to enter the nose and bind to specific receptor sites is similar to the method used by neurotransmitters binding to receptors sites on receiving neurons. Both bind in a(n) __________ fashion.

Question 39

Approximately how many taste receptors are on each taste bud?

A) 20-40
B) 50-90
C) 30-50
D) 60-100

Question 40

When olfactory information reaches the olfactory nerve, it travels to which organ located beneath the frontal lobes?

A) Cerebral cortex
B) Olfactory bulb
C) Piriform cortex
D) Amygdala

Question 41

How many basic types of taste are there?

A) 3
B) 4
C) 4, perhaps 5
D) 5, perhaps 6

Question 42

Which of the following statements most accurately describes the responsiveness of an individual olfactory receptor?

A) A given olfactory receptor responds only to a specific airborne chemical.
B) A given olfactory receptor responds to a wide range of odorants.
C) A given olfactory receptor responds to one of four or five basic classes of odorants.
D) A given olfactory receptor responds to virtually any airborne chemical.

Question 43

Which of the following best describe relative prevalence of ageusia and anosmia?

A) Ageusia and anosmia are equally common.
B) Ageusia is rarer than anosmia.
C) Ageusia is somewhat more common than anosmia.
D) Ageusia is much more common than anosmia.

Question 44

Your text offers the hypothesis that picky eating among children may be adaptive in helping us survive. Which of the following findings would offer the STRONGEST support for this hypothesis if it were true?

A) Children are picky eaters in a range of very different cultures around the world.
B) Children's pickiness in their food preferences is related to their parents' disciplinary styles.
C) In some of the world's cultures, children are no pickier than adults in their food preferences.
D) Identical twins raised in different adoptive families are equally picky in their food preferences.

Question 45

Dr. Baquero shows one group of participants repulsive scenes on a computer screen. A second group of participants tastes a small portion of revolting food. What should images of the participants' brains reveal regarding cortical activity in the two groups of participants?

A) The piriform cortex should be active among participants in the visual scene group, whereas the insula should be active among participants in the taste group.
B) The insula should be active among participants in the visual scene group, whereas the piriform cortex should be active among participants in the taste group.
C) The insula should be active among participants in both groups.
D) The piriform cortex should be active among participants in both groups.

Question 46

According to your text, the fact that a greater percentage of women than of men are supertasters may have had adaptive significance. Which of the following psychologists is most likely to endorse this hypothesis?

A) Dr. Hahn, an evolutionary psychologist
B) Dr. Iverson, a neuropsychologist
C) Dr. Joseph, a cognitive psychologist
D) Dr. King, a behavioral psychologist

Question 47

Which of the basic tastes are considered rewarding? Which are considered aversive?

A) Salty and sweet are considered rewarding. Sour and bitter are considered aversive.
B) Sweet is considered rewarding. Salty, sour, and bitter are considered aversive.
C) Sweet and sour are considered rewarding. Salty and bitter are considered aversive.
D) Sweet, sour, and salty are considered rewarding. Bitter is considered aversive.

Question 48

Your text states that "continuous binding of certain odorants . . . will result in the fatigue of the olfactory receptor neurons to which they bind." This passage should remind you of the concept of:

A) tolerance
B) adaptation
C) habituation
D) desensitization

Question 49

Annelle is a professional "perfume smeller" for a major cosmetics firm. She claims that "the nose" is a gift: Some people are just born with more sensitive olfactory mechanisms than others are. How does Annelle view the relative importance of top-down and bottom-up processes in olfaction? Is Annelle's view of an innate olfactory talent supported by empirical research?

A) Annelle believes that olfaction is primarily a bottom-up process. Her view is supported by research showing that humans have difficulty learning to discriminate among odors and that piriform cortex is not plastic.
B) Annelle believes that olfaction is primarily a bottom-up process. Her view is discredited by research showing that humans can learn to discriminate among odors and that piriform cortex is highly plastic.
C) Annelle believes that olfaction is primarily a top-down process. Her view is discredited by research showing that humans have difficulty learning to discriminate among odors and that piriform cortex is not plastic.
D) Annelle believes that olfaction is primarily a top-down process. Her view is supported by research showing that humans can learn to discriminate among odors and that piriform cortex is highly plastic.

Question 50

When Amber eats the hot peppers she loves so much, a chemical called _______ activates ________ receptors in her tongue.

A) capsaicin; taste
B) capsaicin; pain
C) umami; taste
D) umami; pain

Question 51

Gustatory receptors are contained in the ________, located on the ________.

A) taste buds; cilia
B) cilia; taste buds
C) taste buds; papillae
D) papillae; taste buds

Question 52

Dwight is a man. Estella is his sister. How does Estella's sensitivity to smell probably compare to Dwight's?

A) Estella is less sensitive to smell than is Dwight, except during ovulation.
B) Estella is more sensitive to smell than is Dwight, except during ovulation.
C) Estella is less sensitive to smell than is Dwight, especially during ovulation.
D) Estella is more sensitive to smell than is Dwight, especially during ovulation.

Question 53

Clay is a newborn. Which of the following statements is TRUE with respect to his chemical senses?

A) Clay prefers the odor of his mother's milk to the odor of another woman's milk.
B) Clay will rapidly develop a preference for sour tastes.
C) Clay's ability to taste is quite poor.
D) Clay does not yet show a preference for sweet tastes over bitter tastes.

Question 54

Your text states that many of the developmental changes in taste preferences " . . . are the result of learning . . . However . . . the gustatory system itself changes from infancy to adulthood." The nonitalicized phrase underscores the importance of ________ processes in gustatory development. The italicized phrase points out the role of __________.

A) top-down; bottom-up processes
B) top-down; top-down processes as well
C) bottom-up; top-down processes
D) bottom-up; bottom-up processes as well

Question 55

Regarding taste receptors, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A) Each taste receptor responds to any of the five basic tastes.
B) The different types of taste receptors are located on distinct parts of the tongue.
C) The different types of taste receptors are evenly distributed across the tongue.
D) The different types of taste receptors are not distributed evenly across the tongue.

Question 56

The relationship between smell and memory reflects connections between the olfactory bulb and the ___________. The link between smell and emotion reflects connections between the olfactory bulb and the ___________.

A) amygdala; hippocampus
B) amygdala; amygdala, also
C) hippocampus; hippocampus, also
D) hippocampus; amygdala

Question 57

Supertasters:

A) have learned to become more sensitive to the four basic tastes
B) make up 10% of the population
C) can better detect a specific bitter chemical than other people can
D) are more likely to be men than women

Question 58

Olfactory information is processed in each of these brain areas EXCEPT the:

A) thalamus
B) piriform cortex
C) hippocampus
D) amygdala

Question 59

Which are the main senses involved in the experience of a spicy meal?

A) olfaction and gustation
B) gustation and the tactile sense of pain
C) gustation, olfaction, and the tactile sense of pain
D) gustation and the tactile sense of temperature

Question 60

Based on your text's discussion of the development of the sense of taste, which of the following statements is most likely TRUE?

A) Research has confirmed the plasticity of both the piriform cortex and the insula.
B) Research has yet to confirm the plasticity of either the piriform cortex or the insula.
C) Research has established the plasticity of the insula. Research has yet to confirm the plasticity of the piriform cortex.
D) Research has established the plasticity of the piriform cortex. Research has yet to confirm the plasticity of the insula.

Question 61

What tactile receptors located deep in the skin respond to the movement of joints?

Question 62

A rare genetic condition associated with the inability to detect pain is known as __________.

Question 63

The sensory receptors that detect pain are __________.

Question 64

Which tactile receptors respond to temperature?

A) Merkel's discs
B) Ruffini's end-organs
C) Free nerve endings
D) Meissner's corpuscles

Question 65

Which tactile receptors respond to vibrations and heavy pressure?

A) Merkel's discs
B) Ruffini's end-organs
C) Pacinian corpuscles
D) Meissner's corpuscles

Question 66

What class of molecules includes endorphins and enkephalins?

Question 67

Galen is anosmic. Which of the following is TRUE?

A) Galen has lost the ability to smell.
B) Galen cannot distinguish among the four or five basic tastes described in your text.
C) Galen can taste the basic tastes as well as other, more complex flavors.
D) Galen can distinguish among the four basic odors but cannot detect more complex smells.

Question 68

Describe the characteristics of the slow and fast pain pathways.

Question 69

Research suggests that women have twice as many pain receptors in their facial skin as men.

Question 70

Some people experience hallucinations before or during migraines or epileptic seizures. What are these hallucinations called? Which sensory system(s) do they involve?

A) These hallucinations are called auras and usually involve vision.
B) These hallucinations are called auras and may involve any sensory system.
C) These hallucinations are called ageusias and usually involve taste or smell.
D) These hallucinations are called ageusias and may involve any sensory system.

Question 71

Some people are incapable of detecting pain.

Question 72

Studies of pain thresholds suggest that which group of individuals have a lower threshold for detecting pain?

A) Caucasian women
B) Japanese women
C) Caucasian men
D) Japanese men
Bad question. On page 163 the book says that "Japanese people have a lower pain threshold than Caucasians." and also states "women have a lower threshold for detecting pain than do men." Can't make the case that Caucasian women are the ones with lowest pain thresholds on the basis of this paragraph.

Question 73

Different parts of your body have differing levels of sensitivity.

Question 74

The fast pathway for pain uses __________ neurons so we can respond quickly to pain.

Question 75

Describe the pathway whereby touch receptors send information to the brain.

Question 76

Tactile information is sent from touch receptors in the skin to the somatosensory cortex.

Question 77

What term describes how tactile information on one side of the body is processed on the opposite side of the brain?

Question 78

The inability to taste is called ________.

A) agnosia
B) ageusia
C) anosmia
D) aphasia

Question 79

The chemicals produced by our bodies that have pain relieving properties are called __________.

Question 80

Describe the gate control theory.