Deck 5: Sensation and Perception

Question 1

The final stage in the process of sensing and perceiving information occurs when:

A) several stimulus "pieces" are organized into a neural representation.
B) sensory receptors translate incoming stimuli into nerve impulses.
C) sensory stimuli activate specialized receptors.
D) matching process results in recognition and interpretation of stimulus.

Answer 1

matching process results in recognition and interpretation of stimulus.

Question 2

The active process of organizing a stimulus and giving it meaning is called _________.

A) sensation
B) perception
C) synesthesia
D) kinesthesis

Answer 2

perception

Question 3

In a signal detection experiment,a researcher decides to punish incorrect detections or mistakes but does not reward correct detections.The researcher's manipulations would most likely illustrate how:

A) decision criteria can influence participant factors.
B) participant factors can influence situational factors.
C) situational factors can influence decision criteria.
D) participant factors can influence decision criteria.

Answer 3

situational factors can influence decision criteria.

Question 4

According to psychologists,the stimulus-detection process in which sensory receptors translate external stimuli into nerve impulses is called _______________.

A) "perception"
B) "sensation"
C) "top-down processing"
D) "kinesthesis"

Question 5

The psychological term "perception" specifically refers to the process in which the:

A) sense organs respond to external stimuli.
B) organization and meaning are given to incoming stimuli.
C) transduction takes place.
D) sense organs translate stimuli into nerve impulses.

Question 6

A research study finds that humans can detect a teaspoon of sugar in 7.5 litres of water greater than 50% of the time.This result is a measure of ____.

A) adaptation.
B) absolute threshold.
C) top-down processing.
D) false alarm.

Question 7

You are riding in a car with a friend who is driving a few miles an hour over the speed limit and he is watching intently for police cars.Your friend got a ticket last week,so every time he sees a car that looks remotely like a police car,he slows down.Because of his over-vigilance,he has slowed down several times for what turned out not to be police cars.Your friend's attempts to notice police cars would have the most relevance to which of the following?

A) Gestalt psychology
B) bottom-up processing
C) signal detection theory
D) sensation

Question 8

This term means quite literally,"mixing of the senses":

A) Sensation
B) Perception
C) Synesthesia
D) Aphasia

Question 9

You are looking at a very blurry photograph.At first,all you can see is a vague white circle but after studying the picture for a few minutes,you finally see that it is a baseball.You have just moved from:

A) perception to sensation.
B) sensation to perception.
C) perception to adaptation.
D) sensation to synesthesia.

Question 10

The smallest difference between two stimuli that can be detected is called the _______________ threshold.

A) difference
B) absolute
C) change
D) relative

Question 11

You know a pair of identical twins that are so similar to each other that you can correctly identify each twin only about 50% of the time.Your ability to distinguish the twins is most analogous to:

A) the absolute threshold.
B) a perceptual constancy.
C) the difference threshold.
D) top-down processing.

Question 12

With regard to specific meanings of the terms "sensation" and "perception," studies of subliminal stimuli have revealed that subliminal stimuli are:

A) both sensed and perceived.
B) neither sensed nor perceived.
C) perceived but not sensed.
D) sensed but not perceived.

Question 13

The area of scientific study that is concerned with people's abilities to detect differences or changes in stimuli is called:

A) psychophysics.
B) psychobiology.
C) neuropsychology.
D) physical psychology.

Question 14

What is the first stage in the sensory processing of information?

A) Specialized neurons break down and analyze the features of nerve impulses.
B) A neural representation is compared with previously stored information.
C) Sensory stimuli activate specialized receptors.
D) Several stimulus "pieces" are organized into a neural representation.

Question 15

A participant in a signal detection study has the tendency to be bold in her decisions regarding the presence of a target stimulus.As a result,she has more hits,but she also has more false alarms.This example demonstrates how:

A) situational factors can affect participant characteristics.
B) situational factors can affect decision criterion.
C) participant characteristics can affect situational factors.
D) participant characteristics can affect decision criterion.

Question 16

Which of the following examples best illustrates the process of perception?

A) recognizing the voice of your best friend
B) detecting a faint sound during a hearing test
C) a sensory neuron in the eye responds to a light hitting it
D) a drop of sugar hitting the taste buds on your tongue

Question 17

Adam and Marcus are hunting when they suddenly see a vague shape in the underbrush."There's a deer," whispers Marcus,raising his rifle to fire."Don't shoot," whispers Adam."I'm not sure it is." From a signal detection standpoint,Adam has a more ______________ decision criterion and wants to avoid a ______________.

A) conservative;false alarm
B) liberal;hit
C) optimistic;miss
D) conservative;hit

Question 18

In the late 1950s,James Vicary,a public-relations executive,arranged to have subliminal messages flashed on a theatre screen during a movie.The messages urged the audience to "drink Coca-Cola" and "eat popcorn." Vicary's report that the subliminal messages increased popcorn sales by 50 percent and soft-drink sales by 18 percent was:

A) subsequently replicated by researchers.
B) the stimulus for more stringent truth in advertising laws.
C) the basis for new mind control and brainwashing techniques.
D) later revealed to be a fraud when Vicary confessed he had made it all up.

Question 19

Which of the following is TRUE about subliminal stimuli,they can?

A) control consumer behaviour.
B) not affect a person's perceptions,judgements,and attitudes.
C) be registered by the nervous system and they can influence attitudes.
D) be used for brainwashing and mind control.

Question 20

Todorov & Bargh (2002)demonstrated that subliminal presentations of aggressively toned words cause people to judge the ambiguous behaviours of others:

A) no differently than the condition with no subliminal presentations.
B) as more aggressive and to increase their own tendency to behave more aggressively.
C) as more fearful and anxious and to increase their own fear responses.
D) as defensive and irrational.

Question 21

Sensory adaptation is often referred to as:

A) consolidation.
B) selectivity bias.
C) habituation.
D) signal detection.

Question 22

The iris:

A) detects black and white light.
B) detects colour light.
C) focuses light on the retina.
D) is a muscle.

Question 23

Absolute threshold is to difference threshold as:

A) perception is to transduction.
B) smallest amount is to smallest change.
C) bottom-up processing is to top-down processing.
D) adaptation is to habituation.

Question 24

Weber's law suggests that the just noticeable difference (jnd)is related to the _____________ of the comparison stimulus.

A) intensity
B) duration
C) number of presentations
D) adaptation

Question 25

While conducting research in Africa,a scientist discovers a new species that is only active at night.We would expect this animal's light receptors to consist mostly of:

A) rods.
B) cones.
C) both rods and cones.
D) bars.

Question 26

It is easy to tell the difference between one pound of sand and five pounds of sand.It is more difficult to tell the differences between 500 pounds of sand and 505 pounds of sand.This comparison is consistent with ___________ law.

A) Bayes'
B) Wundt's
C) physical
D) Weber's

Question 27

When attempting to locate a constellation in the night sky,Sally notices that she can see the stars better if she doesn't look directly at them.In doing this,the light from the star she wishes to see falls away from the fovea to the part of the retina that has a higher concentration of ____________,which are better adapted to seeing at night.

A) cones
B) bars
C) pins
D) rods

Question 28

Whether you are nearsighted or farsighted is largely dependent on the functioning of your:

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

Question 29

The process of sensory adaptation implies that the human nervous system is most sensitive to ____________ stimuli.

A) constant
B) changing
C) subliminal
D) threatening

Question 30

Vision is based on the eye's interpretation of:

A) electromagnetic energy.
B) air waves.
C) airborne chemicals.
D) infrared radiation.

Question 31

In the eyes,the following are the colour receptors and function best in bright illumination:

A) pins
B) rods
C) cones
D) bars

Question 32

Sensory adaptation is the:

A) diminishing sensitivity to unchanging stimuli.
B) increasing sensitivity to decreasing stimuli.
C) diminishing sensitivity to decreasing stimuli.
D) increasing sensitivity to unchanging stimuli.

Question 33

Which of the following would be a benefit of sensory adaptation?

A) adapting to changing and unfamiliar stimuli
B) reducing one's overall sensitivity
C) eliminating mundane stimuli and identifying important changes in the environment
D) reducing awareness and differences in stimuli

Question 34

In the human eye,light is focused on the back of the retina by the:

A) iris.
B) pupil.
C) lens.
D) cornea.

Question 35

The visual receptors in the eyes function best in dim lighting and are primarily black-and-white brightness receptors.These are called ________________.

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

Question 36

The difference threshold is often referred to as:

A) absolute threshold.
B) apparent difference.
C) just noticeable difference.
D) boundary threshold.

Question 37

The size of the __________ regulates the amount of light that enters the eye.

A) sclera
B) retina
C) pupil
D) optic nerve

Question 38

One of the primary advantages of Weber fractions is that they:

A) provide a good estimate of the absolute threshold.
B) minimize the problems associated with false alarms.
C) permit the easy manipulation of decision criteria.
D) allow for sensitivity comparisons between the different senses.

Question 39

Weber's law states that the difference threshold is directly proportional to the ____________ of the stimulus with which a comparison is being made.

A) magnitude
B) absolute threshold
C) perception
D) adaptation

Question 40

Based on the principles of sensory adaptation,which of the following would you expect to experience after being in a (somewhat)cold pool for several minutes?

A) It will feel colder and colder.
B) It will feel warmer and warmer.
C) You will notice the temperature less and less.
D) You will become more sensitive to other stimuli.

Question 41

Once a light stimulus has been detected by the rods or cones,it is passed first to the bipolar cells,and then onto _____________ cells whose axons form the optic nerve.

A) ganglion
B) bipolar
C) hair
D) cornea

Question 42

The dual-process theory of colour combines the elements of the _____________ theory and the ______________ theory to account for the colour transduction process.

A) trichromatic;Young-Helmholtz
B) trichromatic;opponent-process
C) additive colour mixture;trichromatic
D) afterimage;colour blindness

Question 43

A person with a deficiency in only one of the colour systems,such as red-green,would be considered a ___________,whereas someone who is colour-blind in both of the colour systems is labelled a _____________.

A) monochromat;dichromat
B) dichromat;monochromat
C) monochromat;trichromat
D) dichromat;trichromat

Question 44

Within the primary visual cortex there are feature detectors for responding to:

A) form (i.e. ,lines).
B) motion.
C) colour.
D) All of these choices are correct.

Question 45

Recent research on colour transduction has indicated that the opponent-process theory of colour was inaccurate because opponent processes are actually determined NOT by the cones but by the:

A) rods.
B) ganglion cells.
C) bipolar cells.
D) neurons in the occipital lobe.

Question 46

The current theory on colour transduction explains the behaviour of the cones in colour vision as the _____________ theory.

A) reconstruction
B) dual-process
C) opponent-process
D) trichromatic

Question 47

A person with normal colour vision is referred to as a:

A) trichromat.
B) dichromat.
C) bichromat.
D) monochromat.

Question 48

The Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theory of colour vision is LEAST able to explain which of the following human ability?

A) to see an afterimage
B) to see the colour red
C) to detect a subliminal image
D) to see the colour blue

Question 49

The initial stage of dark adaptation curve (e.g. ,the first 5 minutes)is controlled by the _____________,whereas the second or later part of the darkness adaptation curve (e.g. ,after 5 minutes)is determined specifically by the functioning of the _____________.

A) pupil;rods
B) rods;cones
C) cones;rods
D) ganglion cells;cones

Question 50

Afterimages are NOT adequately explained by the trichromatic theory of colour;they can be readily explained by ____________ theory.

A) single detection
B) transduction
C) opponent-process
D) dual-process

Question 51

According to the opponent-process theory of colour,if you stare steadily at a green stimulus,and then you close your eyes,the afterimage will be:

A) blue.
B) white.
C) red.
D) green.

Question 52

Cones have less brightness sensitivity than rods in all areas of the colour spectrum EXCEPT the __________ end,where rods are relatively insensitive.

A) blue
B) green
C) red
D) yellow

Question 53

Once a light stimulus has been detected by the rods or cones,it is passed first to ____________ cells.

A) optic
B) bipolar
C) ganglion
D) hair

Question 54

One interesting feature of the retina is that:

A) there are many more cones than rods.
B) the transduction of light actually occurs after the nerve impulses have left the retina.
C) there are roughly equal numbers of rods and ganglion cells.
D) the photoreceptors actually point away from the direction of light entering the eye.

Question 55

Which of the following is true about the blind spot,it is?

A) caused by bipolar cells exiting through the back of the eye.
B) usually "filled-in" by photopigments.
C) caused by ganglion cells exiting the eye not far from the fovea,and it is usually "filled-in" by perceptual processes.
D) not experienced by individuals with great visual acuity.

Question 56

Once light stimulates receptor cells in the retina,nerve impulses are sent to the sensory switchboard known as the _______________.

A) inferior colliculus
B) hypothalamus
C) thalamus
D) pons

Question 57

The theory that emphasizes the role of ganglion cells in afterimages and explains certain types of colour blindness is a modified version of the _______________ theory.

A) additive colour mixture
B) trichromatic
C) opponent-process
D) dual-process

Question 58

A friend holds up an object in front of you and you immediately identify it as a cellular telephone.Which of the following is most responsible for your ability to do this?

A) photoreceptors
B) primary visual cortex
C) visual association cortex
D) ganglion cells

Question 59

Hearing is based on:

A) electromagnetic energy.
B) mechanical energy.
C) chemical energy.
D) dark energy.

Question 60

The theory that assumes there are three types of colour receptors in the retina and that individual cones are most sensitive to one of three wavelengths of light is called:

A) Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theory.
B) Opponent-process theory.
C) Hering's theory.
D) Transduction theory.

Question 61

The two senses that are so associated with one another that they have sometimes been referred to as the "common chemical sense" are:

A) kinesthesis and vision.
B) gustation and olfaction.
C) vision and hearing.
D) hearing and olfaction.

Question 62

Two important physical characteristics of sound waves are:

A) amplitude and decibels.
B) frequency and pitch.
C) amplitude and frequency.
D) frequency and hertz.

Question 63

Which of the following happens when hair cells bend?

A) Neurotransmitters are released.
B) They cause fluid in cochlea to make waves.
C) They amplify sound more than 30 times.
D) They alert the brain to the presence of feature-detector neurons.

Question 64

The tactile information regarding pressure,pain,and warmth are sent to and processed in the:

A) motor cortex.
B) frontal lobe.
C) somatosensory cortex.
D) occipital lobe.

Question 65

Bob suffered some nerve damage to his inner ear because he attended too many loud concerts without ear protection.In particular,a small collection of hair cells that are farthest from the oval window has died.Given what you know about the nature of hearing,which of the following is most likely to happen? Bob will:

A) have great difficulty hearing high frequency sounds but he will have no problem with other frequencies.
B) have great difficulty hearing low frequency sounds but he will have no problem with other frequencies.
C) have great difficulty hearing both low and high frequency sounds.
D) be completely deaf.

Question 66

Which of these is measured in cycles per second and translates into the auditory quality of pitch?

A) Amplitude
B) Loudness
C) Decibels
D) Frequency

Question 67

The chemical receptors concentrated along the edges and back surface of the tongue are called __________________.

A) mandular epithelia
B) olfactory epithelia
C) taste buds
D) microscopic ossicles

Question 68

The typical neuron can't fire faster than 1,000 cycles per second.This fact is most relevant to the limitations of which of the following?

A) the frequency theory of pitch perception
B) sound localization
C) sensory adaptation
D) the opponent-process theory

Question 69

In the processing of sound,hair cells on organ of Corti are important because:

A) they perform the complex interpretation and analysis of sound waves.
B) their motion serves to amplify the strength of the sound waves.
C) they act as feature detectors,and respond to the different aspects of sound.
D) their motion results in the transduction of sound waves.

Question 70

Which of the following is the first structure in the auditory system that is hit by sound waves?

A) Ossicles
B) Oval window
C) Cochlea
D) Eardrum

Question 71

Research suggests that menstrual synchrony is likely caused by:

A) pheromones.
B) emotional reactions.
C) a placebo effect.
D) physical exhaustion.

Question 72

Underscoring the adaptive importance of gustation,nutrients are to ___________ as toxins are to _____________.

A) bitterness;sweetness
B) sweetness;bitterness
C) smoothness;roughness
D) roughness;smoothness

Question 73

In general,men's voice should contain sound waves with ___________ frequency as/than women's voice.

A) a higher
B) a lower
C) the same
D) shorter consistent

Question 74

Frequency determines the _____________ of a sound,whereas amplitude determines the _____________ of a sound.

A) loudness;pitch
B) loudness;decibels
C) pitch;loudness
D) hertz;pitch

Question 75

One hertz (Hz)is equivalent to ________ cycle(s)per second.

A) 1
B) 10
C) 100
D) 1000

Question 76

When olfactory receptors are triggered by the presence of a chemical,they send signals first to the:

A) olfactory bulb.
B) pons.
C) basal ganglia.
D) occipital lobe.

Question 77

The theory of pitch perception that argues that the nerve impulses triggered by a given auditory stimulus should match the pitch of that stimulus is called __________ theory.

A) opponent-process
B) trichromatic
C) place
D) frequency

Question 78

The middle ear-consisting of the hammer,anvil,and stirrup-is responsible for which of the following?

A) striking the eardrum
B) sending impulses via an auditory relay station in the thalamus
C) muffling loud sounds
D) amplifying sounds

Question 79

Compared to sensory receptors in the eyes and ears,the senses of gustation and olfaction are somewhat unique in that their receptors are sensitive to ____________ rather than to ___________.

A) some form of energy;chemical molecules
B) sounds;some form of energy
C) chemical molecules;some form of energy
D) light;sounds

Question 80

Pain receptors are found throughout:

A) every structure in the body.
B) most structures in the body,but not the brain
C) the skin,but not other organs.
D) the brain