Deck 3: Sensation and Perception

Question 1

It is difficult to distinguish between colors at night because ________.

A) we are seeing primarily with the rods
B) we are seeing primarily with the cones
C) rods do not adapt to the dark
D) we are seeing mostly with the fovea

Answer 1

we are seeing primarily with the rods

Question 2

The minimum intensity of physical stimulation required to produce any sensation at all in a person is the ________ threshold.

A) minimum
B) difference
C) noticeable
D) absolute

Answer 2

absolute

Question 3

The fovea is made up of ________.

A) mostly rods with some cones
B) all rods and no cones
C) all cones and no rods
D) mostly cones with some rods

Answer 3

all cones and no rods

Question 4

According to McBurney and Collings, the average threshold for human vision is a candle flame seen from ________ mile(s) on a dark, clear night.

A) 30
B) 1
C) 15
D) 7.5

Question 5

A young man enters a completely darkened room and lights a candle. Which of the following sequences best represents the path of the candle's light as it enters his eye?

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

Question 6

Independent scientific studies have found that outside the laboratory, subliminal messages have ________ effects on behavior.

A) no significant
B) significant long-term
C) only sporadic short-term
D) significant short-term

Question 7

Light energy stimulating neurons in the retina is an example of ________.

A) cognition
B) sensation
C) a reflex
D) perception

Question 8

Receptor cells in the retina responsible for night vision and the perception of brightness are ________.

A) rods
B) bipolar cells
C) cones
D) ganglion cells

Question 9

A person is hit in the eye and "sees stars" for several seconds. This experience supports ________.

A) Hering's theory
B) Weber's Law
C) the doctrine of specific nerve energies
D) the volley principle

Question 10

The conversion of sensory information into coded neural signals is called ________.

A) transduction
B) refraction
C) transfusion
D) transcendence

Question 11

A specialized cell that responds to a particular form of energy is a ________.

A) transponder cell
B) glial cell
C) feature detector
D) receptor cell

Question 12

The depressed spot in the retina that occupies the center of the visual field in which images are focused most sharply is called the ________.

A) fovea
B) optic nerve
C) iris
D) cornea

Question 13

The process by which our senses adjust to varying levels of stimulation to allow them to operate as sensitively as possible without becoming overloaded is called ________.

A) transformation
B) adaptation
C) transduction
D) transmutation

Question 14

Receptor cells in the retina responsible for color vision are ________.

A) bipolar cells
B) ganglion cells
C) cones
D) rods

Question 15

The minimum stimulus intensity required for detection is the ________.

A) base value
B) absolute threshold
C) detection standard
D) response criterion; sensory constant

Question 16

The amount of light entering the eye is controlled by the ________.

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

Question 17

A technique by which messages can supposedly be sent to consumers, prompting them to buy a product without their ever being aware of receiving such messages is ________.

A) subliminal
B) cognitive restructuring
C) inductive perception
D) selective perception

Question 18

The inner lining on the back of the eyeball containing receptor cells that are sensitive to light is called the ________.

A) retina
B) fovea
C) optic nerve
D) iris

Question 19

There are two kinds of receptors found in the retina. They are ________.

A) rods and ganglion cells
B) bipolar cells and cones
C) rods and cones
D) ganglion and bipolar cells

Question 20

Light first enters the eye through the ________.

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

Question 21

The process of mixing various pigments together to create different reflected colors is called ________.

A) additive color mixing
B) blending
C) trichromatic color mixing
D) subtractive color mixing

Question 22

Nerve fibers from the right half of each eye travel to the right hemisphere of the brain; fibers from the left half of each eye travel to the left hemisphere of the brain. The place where the fibers cross over is the ________.

A) optic chiasm
B) optic nerve
C) occipital lobe
D) blind spot

Question 23

Combining red, green, and blue lights in equal intensities produces ________.

A) gray
B) black
C) brown
D) white

Question 24

Jamie walks from a bright room into a dark room. It will take about ________ minutes for her rods and cones to fully adjust to the dark.

A) 20
B) 40
C) 10
D) 30

Question 25

Peter goes from bright sunlight into a dimly lit theater. At first, he can see little or nothing as he looks for a seat. Over a ten-minute period he is gradually able to see things directly in front of him more clearly. His ability to see things off to the side steadily improves for another twenty minutes. This process is called ________.

A) dark adaptation
B) dark compensation
C) light compensation
D) light adaptation

Question 26

Neurons in the eye that have only one axon and one dendrite and connect neurons from the retina to the ganglion cells are ________.

A) rods
B) bipolar cells
C) cones
D) transducers

Question 27

The theory that we have three pairs of color receptors and that the members of each pair oppose each other is known as the ________ theory.

A) trichromatic
B) complimentary color
C) opponent-process
D) color discrepancy

Question 28

Ashley is doing the lighting for a stage show. One scene requires yellow lighting. She has no yellow lights but decides to make a yellow lighting effect by combining a red light with a green light on the stage. This is known as ________ color mixing.

A) subtractive
B) additive
C) dichromatic
D) nonspectral

Question 29

Afterimages are caused by ________.

A) light hitting the blind spot of the retina
B) light and dark adaptation
C) malfunctions of the optic chiasm
D) involuntary eye movements

Question 30

The ability of the eye to distinguish fine details is called ________.

A) visual dilation
B) adaptation
C) visual acuity
D) visual sensitivity

Question 31

All the basic hues humans can see can be produced by mixing ________ primary colors.

A) nine
B) three
C) five
D) seven

Question 32

Sally walks into a dark room and notices that she can see specific objects in the room better if she looks slightly to one side of the object rather than directly at it. This is because by looking off to the side, the light falls ________.

A) on the fovea, which is loaded with light-sensitive cones
B) next to the fovea and onto light-sensitive cones
C) next to the fovea and onto light-sensitive rods
D) on the fovea, which is loaded with light-sensitive rods

Question 33

The brightness of a color depends on the ________.

A) intensity of nonspectral color
B) strength of the light coming into the eye
C) light from other wavelengths that dilutes its purity
D) McCullough after-effect

Question 34

The process by which rods and cones become less sensitive to light is called ________.

A) light adaptation
B) squinting
C) optic adaptation
D) dark adaptation

Question 35

There is a spot on the retina commonly called the "blind spot." The blind spot exists because ________.

A) you don't see at the fovea
B) there are no ganglion cells there
C) the cones in the optic disk are very insensitive to light
D) there are no receptors where the optic nerve leaves the eye

Question 36

The idea that the eye contains separate receptors for red, green, and blue is known as the ________ theory.

A) opponent-process
B) additive color mixing
C) reductive color mixing
D) trichromatic

Question 37

Regarding the way rods and cones operate, ________.

A) both cones and rods tend to pool their signals on their way to bipolar cells
B) rods, but not cones, tend to pool their signals on their way to bipolar cells
C) cones, but not rods, tend to pool their signals on their way to bipolar cells
D) neither rods nor cones pool their signals on the way to bipolar cells

Question 38

The main destinations for messages from the retina are the ________ of the brain.

A) limbic system
B) parietal lobes
C) motor control areas
D) occipital lobes

Question 39

Most people can distinguish about ________ hues.

A) 50
B) 100
C) 200
D) 150

Question 40

Hue, saturation, and brightness are three separate aspects of our experience of ________.

A) night vision
B) color
C) acuity
D) sensation

Question 41

The belief that pitch is determined by the location on the basilar membrane where the message is the strongest is called ________ theory.

A) place
B) location
C) frequency
D) transduction

Question 42

The psychological experience created by the brain in response to changes in pressure that are perceived in the auditory system is known as ________.

A) harmonics
B) sound
C) amplitude
D) vibration

Question 43

Hertz is a unit of measurement of ________.

A) amplitude
B) frequency
C) loudness
D) overtones

Question 44

The timbre of sound is determined by ________.

A) the amplitude of the sound wave
B) the volley principle
C) perceived loudness
D) overtones

Question 45

The number of cycles per second in a sound wave is known as its ________.

A) frequency
B) saturation
C) timbre
D) amplitude

Question 46

The human ear responds to frequencies from approximately ________ Hz.

A) 10 to 100,000
B) 2 to 200,000
C) 1 to 10,000
D) 20 to 20,000

Question 47

The cochlea is divided lengthwise by the ________.

A) round window
B) oval window
C) basilar membrane
D) organ of Corti

Question 48

Decibels are used to measure ________.

A) loudness
B) overtones
C) timbre
D) frequency

Question 49

The idea that the eye contains three pairs of color receptors (red-green, yellow-blue, and black-white) is known as the ________ theory.

A) opponent-process
B) additive mixing
C) subtractive mixing
D) trichromatic

Question 50

The loudness of a sound seems to depend on ________.

A) how rapidly the neurons in the ear fire when they are activated
B) the frequency of the sound wave
C) the quality of the sound wave
D) how many neurons are activated

Question 51

The trichromatic and opponent-process theories of color vision are not in conflict because each corresponds to ________.

A) a different portion of the spectrum
B) the opposite half of perceivable colors
C) a different stage of visual processing
D) one of the types of color blindness

Question 52

The primary destination of sound messages in the brain is the ________ lobe.

A) parietal
B) temporal
C) occipital
D) frontal

Question 53

Hearing begins when sound waves stimulate the ________.

A) round window
B) eardrum
C) earlobe
D) oval window

Question 54

Frequency determines ________.

A) amplitude
B) timbre
C) overtones
D) pitch

Question 55

The place theory and the frequency theory attempt to explain ________.

A) pitch discrimination
B) how we see timbre
C) how we see color
D) timbre discrimination

Question 56

As hearing takes place, an electrical potential is set up, sending nerve impulses to the brain. What actually causes the electrical potential to be formed?

A) Bending of the hair cells in the organ of Corti by the basilar membrane.
B) Contact between the hammer and the anvil.
C) Friction between the basilar and tectorial membranes.
D) Passage of the cochlear fluid through the oval window.

Question 57

The sense of hearing is ________.

A) bilateral
B) dichromatic
C) trichromatic
D) unilateral

Question 58

Research suggests that ________.

A) only the opponent-process theory of color vision is valid
B) neither the opponent-process nor the trichromatic theory of color vision is valid
C) both the trichromatic and the opponent-process theories of color vision are valid
D) only the trichromatic theory of color vision is valid

Question 59

The hammer, anvil, and stirrup are the ________.

A) three components of the basilar membrane in the cochlea
B) membranes in the oval window
C) three components of the eardrum
D) three tiny bones in the middle ear

Question 60

The membrane across the opening between the middle ear and the inner ear that conducts vibrations to the cochlea is called the ________.

A) oval window
B) organ of Corti
C) eardrum
D) round window

Question 61

Our ________ senses provide specific information about muscle movement, changes in posture, and strain on muscles and joints.

A) kinesthetic
B) vestibular
C) cutaneous
D) olfactory

Question 62

________ theory holds that the interactions of biological, psychological and cultural factors influence the intensity and duration of pain.

A) Sociocultural
B) Biopsychosocial
C) Psychoneuroimmunological
D) Behavior genetics

Question 63

Taste buds are contained in the tongue's ________.

A) hair cells
B) underside
C) saccules
D) papillae

Question 64

Our largest sensory organ is our ________.

A) skin
B) nose
C) ear
D) eye

Question 65

A chemical that communicates information to other organisms through the sense of smell is called ________.

A) a scent
B) a saccule
C) a pheromone
D) odorant protein binding

Question 66

Placebo pills and acupuncture have both been effective in reducing pain. The common element in both of these methods may be their ability to stimulate the ________.

A) production of adrenal hormones
B) arousal of the peripheral nervous system
C) opening of neurological gates in the spine
D) release of endorphins

Question 67

Alfred is unable to enjoy food because, although his taste buds work, he has lost his sense of smell. Alfred has ________.

A) aphasia
B) anosmia
C) cataplexy
D) Korsakoff's syndrome

Question 68

Which of the following events would be most likely to produce a temporary upset of the vestibular senses?

A) Stimulating the basilar membrane.
B) Riding a wild roller coaster.
C) Staring at a bright flashing strobe light.
D) Listening to a loud stereo through earphones.

Question 69

The volley principle was developed to overcome problems with ________ theory.

A) place
B) trichromatic
C) frequency
D) location

Question 70

Our sense of smell is activated by ________.

A) mucous in the sinus cavities
B) the thalamus
C) odorant molecules
D) reactions caused by our sense of taste

Question 71

In 1972, an eleven-year-old member of a tribe that inhabits the Fiji islands walked on white-hot coals. He seemed to experience no pain. The gate-control theory of pain would explain this by maintaining that ________.

A) because of the warm and cold receptors in his feet, he experienced the heat from the coals as paradoxical heat
B) sensory nerves in the spinal cord prevented the impulse from reaching his brain
C) he was able to "will" the sensory neurons in his feet to shut down while he was walking on the coals
D) by consciously focusing on other stimuli, his frontal lobes were able to ignore the pain messages coming up the spinal cord

Question 72

After living all his life in a town that pumps its water from relatively pure underground wells, John moves to a city that gets its water from a local river and must add chlorine to purify it. He totally dislikes the taste of the city water. His friends, who are long-time city residents, cannot understand his problem because they have experienced ________.

A) sensory adaptation
B) sensory inhibition
C) sensory illusion
D) a reaction formation

Question 73

Frequency theory proposes that ________.

A) the frequency of the vibrations of the basilar membrane is translated into an equivalent frequency of nerve impulses
B) pitch is determined by the location on the basilar membrane where the message originated
C) pitch is determined by the quality of the sound wave
D) nerve cells fire in sequence, not individually

Question 74

In most cases, tinnitus is caused by irritation or damage to the ________.

A) hair cells in the inner ear
B) bones of the middle ear
C) auditory nerve
D) oval window

Question 75

The vestibular senses govern our awareness of ________.

A) pain
B) pressure
C) temperature
D) orientation

Question 76

The phenomenon of paradoxical heat explains why ________.

A) some people are more sensitive than others to changes in temperature
B) the hands are more sensitive than the arms
C) we may think we are touching something hot when we are actually touching something warm and something cool
D) encapsulated end organs vary in structure

Question 77

Susceptibility to motion sickness appears to be related to ________.

A) race, but not genetics
B) neither race nor genetics
C) both race and genetics
D) genetics, but not race

Question 78

About ________ million Americans suffer from hearing loss.

A) 1
B) 28
C) 10
D) 14

Question 79

The sense of smell is sharpest ________.

A) between the ages of 20 and 40
B) after the age of 60
C) between the ages of 40 and 60
D) before the age of 20

Question 80

The idea that fibers in the sensory nerves can prevent impulses from reaching the brain - and thus prevent the sensation of pain - is part of the ________ theory of pain.

A) gate-control
B) free nerve ending
C) volley
D) primary process