Deck 6: Sensation and Perception

Question 1

The saturation (colorfulness) of a visual stimulus is related to the _______________ of the light.

A) intensity
B) complexity
C) amplitude
D) wavelength

Answer 1

complexity

Question 2

_______________ allows a researcher to distinguish between a person's response bias and his or her actual sensory capacity.

A) Threshold theory
B) Signal-detection theory
C) Weber's law
D) Sensory adaptation

Answer 2

Signal-detection theory

Question 3

The doctrine of specific nerve energies states that:

A) each type of sensory receptor releases a different type of energy.
B) different sensory nerves release different neurotransmitters.
C) each sensory neuron can respond to all sensory modalities.
D) what a person experiences depends on which nerve was stimulated.

Answer 3

what a person experiences depends on which nerve was stimulated.

Question 4

What is the difference between sensation and perception?

A) Sensation is the detection of sensory stimuli and perception is the interpretation of sensory information.
B) Sensation is the interpretation of sensory information and perception is the detection of sensory stimuli.
C) Perception refers to what goes on in the sensory organs and sensation is what happens in the brain.
D) Nothing. They are the same thing.

Question 5

The color or hue that we perceive is related to the _______________.

A) intensity of light
B) complexity of light
C) amplitude of light
D) wavelength of light

Question 6

The amplitude of a sound wave is related to our perception of _______________.

A) pitch
B) timbre
C) loudness
D) tonal quality

Question 7

Hubel and Wiesel discovered feature detector cells in the visual cortex that respond selectively to:

A) spots of light in different locations.
B) different colors of stimuli.
C) faces.
D) lines at different orientations.

Question 8

The Gestalt psychologists were especially interested in research about _______________.

A) color vision
B) form perception
C) sensory receptors
D) distance perception

Question 9

The tendency to perceive what you expect is called _______________.

A) a perceptual set
B) the expectancy effect
C) misperception
D) the Müller-Lyer effect

Question 10

One difference between rods and cones is that:

A) rods are sensitive to color and cones are not.
B) rods are less numerous than cones.
C) rods are more sensitive to light than cones.
D) rods are located in the center of the retina and cones in the periphery.

Question 11

Which of the following is a true statement?

A) Much of our perception occurs without our conscious awareness.
B) Behavior cannot be affected by subliminal stimuli.
C) Subliminal perception is easy to demonstrate and replicate.
D) There is concrete evidence that subliminal persuasion is effective.

Question 12

The gate-control theory helps to explain the perception of _______________.

A) touch
B) smell
C) pain
D) pressure

Question 13

The actual "detectors" for taste are called _______________.

A) papillae
B) olfactory cells
C) taste buds
D) taste receptor cells

Question 14

Sarah says that certain colors make her experience different smells. For example, she says that the color purple smells like a rose to her. Sarah is displaying the symptoms of:

A) parapsychology.
B) synesthesia.
C) sensation pruning.
D) functional sensation.

Question 15

The trichromatic theory states that:

A) the visual system treats triads of color as antagonistic to each other.
B) three types of color feature detectors in the visual cortex are responsible for color perception.
C) three types of cones exist, each sensitive to a certain range of wavelengths.
D) species that detect ultraviolet light perceive three colors that are outside of the range of humans.

Question 16

The auditory receptors are located in the _______________.

A) cochlea
B) middle ear
C) eardrum
D) oval window

Question 17

_______________ can cause the perception of an odor that is constant and unchanging to disappear.

A) Sensory deprivation
B) Sensory overload
C) Sensory adaptation
D) Sensory constancy

Question 18

The _______________ protects the eye and bends incoming light rays toward a lens located behind it.

A) pupil
B) iris
C) cornea
D) retina

Question 19

The research about kittens raised in horizontal or vertical environments demonstrates the concept of _______________.

A) sensory adaptation
B) depth perception
C) a perceptual set
D) critical periods

Question 20

_______________ is a measure of the smallest amount of energy a person can reliably detect.

A) Absolute threshold
B) Difference threshold
C) Just noticeable difference (jnd)
D) Sensory sensitivity

Question 21

What is the difference between sensation and perception?

A) Sensation is the detection of sensory stimuli and perception is the interpretation of sensory information.
B) Sensation is the interpretation of sensory information and perception is the detection of sensory stimuli.
C) Perception refers to what goes on in the sensory organs and sensation is what happens in the brain.
D) Nothing. They are the same thing.

Question 22

Our sense of hearing brings us the sound of a C, an E, and a G played simultaneously on the piano, but we interpret the sound as a C-major chord due to the process of _______________.

A) perception
B) sensation
C) specific nerve energy
D) functional encoding

Question 23

Sarah says that certain colors make her experience different smells. For example, she says that the color purple smells like a rose to her. Sarah is displaying the symptoms of:

A) parapsychology.
B) synesthesia.
C) sensation pruning.
D) functional sensation.

Question 24

The detection of physical energy emitted or reflected by physical objects is called _______________.

A) perception
B) sensation
C) specific nerve energy
D) functional encoding

Question 25

Our sense of vision produces a two-dimensional image on the back of the eye, but we interpret the world in three dimensions due to the process of _______________.

A) perception
B) sensation
C) specific nerve energy
D) functional encoding

Question 26

________________ studies the relationship between physical energies and psychological experiences.

A) Physiology
B) Psychophysics
C) Psychometrics
D) Psychopathology

Question 27

_______________ is a set of mental operations that organize sensory impulses into meaningful patterns.

A) Sensation
B) Perception
C) Synesthesia
D) Signal detection

Question 28

Sense receptors convert the energy of the stimulus to:

A) mechanical signals.
B) visual signals.
C) electrical impulses.
D) vibrations.

Question 29

It has been found that humans:

A) are sensitive to almost the entire range of electromagnetic energy.
B) can hear sounds that are two octaves beyond the range of bats.
C) are one of the few species that can see ultraviolet light.
D) can see a candle flame on a clear, dark night from 30 miles away.

Question 30

Neil is seated in a dark room and asked to look at a screen. He watches as flashes of light, varying in brightness, are shown on the screen one at a time. Whenever he notices a flash, he informs the researchers. What are the researchers measuring?

A) Neil's anatomical encoding of brightness
B) Neil's absolute threshold for brightness
C) Neil's functional encoding of brightness
D) Neil's difference threshold for brightness

Question 31

Sense receptors for smell, pressure, pain, and temperature are:

A) extensions of sensory neurons.
B) specialized cells separated from sensory neurons by synapses.
C) modified glands.
D) modified skin cells connected to sensory neurons.

Question 32

Receptors that account for our sense of balance are found in the _______________.

A) eyes
B) ears
C) nose
D) skin

Question 33

Although the human senses are very sensitive:

A) they do not allow us to easily detect differences in intensity.
B) they respond only to a narrow band of physical energy.
C) they are very slow to respond to changes in a stimulus.
D) their just noticeable difference (jnd) is low.

Question 34

Which of the following forms of coding is described in Müller's doctrine of specific nerve energies?

A) functional
B) anatomical
C) fractional
D) alchemical

Question 35

The ________________ contain receptors responsible for a sense of bodily movement.

A) nose
B) glial cells
C) skeletal muscles
D) eyes

Question 36

_______________ codes rely on the fact that sensory receptors and neurons fire, or are inhibited from firing, only in the presence of specific sorts of stimuli.

A) Temporal
B) Anatomical
C) Functional
D) Utilitarian

Question 37

Sense receptors for vision, hearing, and taste are:

A) extensions of sensory neurons.
B) specialized cells separated from sensory neurons by synapses.
C) modified axons of sensory neurons.
D) modified skin cells connected to sensory neurons.

Question 38

_______________ is a measure of the smallest amount of energy a person can reliably detect.

A) Absolute threshold
B) Difference threshold
C) Just noticeable difference (jnd)
D) Sensory sensitivity

Question 39

_______________ is a sensory crossover condition where stimulation of one sense consistently evokes a sensation in another.

A) Sensation
B) Perception
C) Synesthesia
D) Signal detection

Question 40

The doctrine of specific nerve energies states that:

A) each type of sensory receptor releases a different type of energy.
B) different sensory nerves release different neurotransmitters.
C) each sensory neuron can respond to all sensory modalities.
D) what a person experiences depends on which nerve was stimulated.

Question 41

Signal detection theory assumes that:

A) a person's ability to detect a stimulus depends only on the stimulus.
B) people will always be biased toward thinking the stimulus was not there, even if it was.
C) a person's response depends on the stimulus and on a decision about it.
D) people will always be biased toward thinking the stimulus was there, even if it wasn't.

Question 42

Keegan notices that his favorite 55-cent candy bar seems lighter than usual, and so he checks the label and finds that it is lighter by ½ ounce. He decides to buy a larger candy bar instead and doesn't notice that the 99-cent candy bar also is lighter than it used to be by ½ ounce. Keegan's behavior illustrates the fact that:

A) the just noticeable difference is not a reliable measure of psychophysiological judgment.
B) sensory adaptation may occur in the short time between holding one candy bar and then the other.
C) jnds are unpredictable because sometimes he can and sometimes he can't detect a ½ ounce change.
D) the larger a weight is, the greater the change must be before one can detect a difference.

Question 43

In a signal detection task, the participant doesn't detect a signal but a signal was present. This is called a _______________.

A) hit
B) false alarm
C) miss
D) correct rejection

Question 44

In a signal detection task, the participant reports a signal when no signal was present. This is called a _______________.

A) hit
B) false alarm
C) miss
D) correct rejection

Question 45

In a signal detection task, the participant reports a signal and a signal was present. This is called a _______________.

A) hit
B) false alarm
C) miss
D) correct rejection

Question 46

The difference threshold is:

A) the ability of different species to detect varying aspects of electromagnetic waves, from radio waves to cosmic waves.
B) the smallest difference in stimulation that can be detected by an observer when two stimuli are compared.
C) the difference in absolute thresholds between individuals with normal sensory abilities and those who have limitations in one or more senses.
D) the difference between anatomical codes and functional codes when determining how individuals are able to experience so many different kinds of sensations.

Question 47

After playing tennis, Briana hurries home because her mother always bakes Briana's favorite scones on Saturday afternoons. As Briana opens the front door, she notices the kitchen trashcan smells horribly, but her mother says, "I don't smell anything." The most likely explanation for this is that Briana's mother:

A) experienced a decline in her sense of smell as she reached middle age.
B) has a different absolute threshold for olfaction than does her daughter.
C) adapted to the smell of the trashcan because it is an unchanging stimulus.
D) is a naysayer, while Briana is a yea-sayer.

Question 48

In a signal detection task, Jenny tends to be a "yea-sayer." She will have:

A) more misses than "naysayers."
B) more correct rejections than "naysayers."
C) more false alarms than "naysayers."
D) fewer hits than "naysayers."

Question 49

A decline in sensory responsiveness that occurs when a stimulus is unchanging or repetitive is called _______________.

A) the difference threshold
B) psychophysics
C) sensory adjustment
D) sensory adaptation

Question 50

_______________ allows a researcher to distinguish between a person's response bias and his or her actual sensory capacity.

A) Threshold theory
B) Signal-detection theory
C) Weber's law
D) Sensory adaptation

Question 51

As she studies in the library, Beatrice is not aware of the pressure of her watchband on her wrist. This is likely due to:

A) sensory adaptation.
B) feature detection.
C) saturation.
D) the doctrine of specific energies.

Question 52

At the orientation for first-year students, April felt overwhelmed by the number of people, the multiple conversations, and the forms that needed to be completed. April is experiencing _______________.

A) sensory adaptation
B) selective attention
C) sensory overload
D) perceptual constancy

Question 53

When she goes into her mother's kitchen, Amelia doesn't know how long she will be able to stay in the room because of the overpowering smell of onions. But when her sister comes home an hour later and complains about the smell, Amelia realizes that she no longer smells the onions at all. This is an example of:

A) sensory adaptation.
B) a just noticeable difference.
C) a correct rejection.
D) a miss.

Question 54

The difference threshold is also known as the:

A) just noticeable difference.
B) signal detection difference.
C) absolute threshold.
D) comparison threshold.

Question 55

The capacity for _______________ protects us in daily life from being overwhelmed by all the sensory signals impinging on our receptors.

A) sensory deprivation
B) selective attention
C) signal detection
D) anatomical encoding

Question 56

Which of the following is true about sensory deprivation?

A) It can cause edginess and visual hallucinations.
B) It is always unpleasant.
C) It violates the principles of signal detection theory.
D) It demonstrates that sensory stimuli are not necessary for our brain to function normally.

Question 57

In addition to a subject's sensory capacity, signal detection theory takes into account:

A) the tendency for the subject's performance to worsen over time.
B) the tendency for the subject's performance to improve over time.
C) the subject's response bias.
D) the amount of practice a subject has had.

Question 58

As you take this test, it is unlikely that you are constantly aware that your legs are making contact with the legs of the chair. This is likely due to:

A) sensory adaptation.
B) sensory threshold.
C) a correct rejection.
D) a miss.

Question 59

The absence of normal levels of sensory stimulation is called _______________.

A) sensory neglect
B) sensory deprivation
C) retinal disparity
D) perceptual constancy

Question 60

_______________ can cause the perception of an odor that is constant and unchanging to disappear.

A) Sensory deprivation
B) Sensory overload
C) Sensory adaptation
D) Sensory constancy

Question 61

The saturation (colorfulness) of a visual stimulus is related to the _______________ of the light.

A) intensity
B) complexity
C) amplitude
D) wavelength

Question 62

The amount of light that gets into the eye is controlled by muscles in the _______________.

A) pupil
B) iris
C) cornea
D) retina

Question 63

The complexity of light is related to our perception of _______________.

A) hue
B) brightness
C) saturation
D) threshold

Question 64

The ability to focus on some parts of the environment and block out others is referred to as _______________.

A) sensory deprivation
B) selective attention
C) sensory overload
D) inattentional blindness

Question 65

During a break from his job as a waiter, Bernardo begins to read Hamlet, and is so engrossed in the play that he fails to notice the clattering of dishes all around him. This is an example of _______________.

A) feature detection
B) absolute threshold
C) sensory deprivation
D) selective attention

Question 66

Which of the following physical characteristics of light is related to hue?

A) wavelength
B) complexity
C) purity
D) intensity

Question 67

Which of the following physical characteristics of light is related to saturation?

A) wavelength
B) complexity
C) amount
D) intensity

Question 68

The wavelength of a light wave refers to:

A) the distance between the crests of a wave.
B) the amplitude of a wave.
C) the maximum height of a wave.
D) the variations in saturation.

Question 69

One difference between rods and cones is that:

A) rods are sensitive to color and cones are not.
B) rods are less numerous than cones.
C) rods are more sensitive to light than cones.
D) rods are located in the center of the retina and cones in the periphery.

Question 70

Which of the following physical characteristics of light is related to brightness?

A) purity
B) complexity
C) amount
D) intensity

Question 71

Freddy is looking for his girlfriend in a large crowd of people. Because he is so focused on finding her, he fails to notice when a man in a clown costume walks by, despite looking directly at him. This is an example of:

A) a feature detection failure.
B) sensory overload.
C) sensory adaptation.
D) inattentional blindness.

Question 72

Failure to consciously perceive something you are looking at because you are not attending to it is called:

A) sensory overload.
B) selective attention.
C) inattentional blindness.
D) sensory deprivation.

Question 73

The _______________ protects the eye and bends incoming light rays toward a lens located behind it.

A) pupil
B) iris
C) cornea
D) retina

Question 74

The wavelength of light is related to our perception of _______________.

A) hue
B) brightness
C) saturation
D) threshold

Question 75

The colored part of the eye is called the _______________.

A) pupil
B) iris
C) cornea
D) retina

Question 76

When you enter a dim room, the _______________ widens to let more light into the eye.

A) pupil
B) lens
C) cornea
D) retina

Question 77

The color or hue that we perceive is related to the _______________.

A) intensity of light
B) complexity of light
C) amplitude of light
D) wavelength of light

Question 78

When Brett walks out of the theater into the glare of the sun, his _______________ gets smaller to let less light in.

A) pupil
B) lens
C) cornea
D) retina

Question 79

Which of the following statements is true about white light?

A) It is completely saturated and pure.
B) It is a psychological dimension of vision.
C) It is completely unsaturated.
D) It is produced by shorter light waves.

Question 80

The intensity of light is related to our perception of _______________.

A) hue
B) brightness
C) saturation
D) threshold