Deck 5: Sensation and Perception

Question 1

Three steps that are basic to all sensory systems include the ________ of information to the brain.

A)adaptation,stimulation,and detection
B)receiving,transforming,and delivering
C)priming,tracking,and categorizing
D)activation,transduction,and sensory adaptation

Answer 1

receiving,transforming,and delivering

Question 2

Which of the following represents the first of three steps basic to all sensory systems?

A)forming perceptual sets
B)delivering neural information to the brain
C)receiving sensory stimulation
D)transforming stimulus energies into neural impulses

Answer 2

receiving sensory stimulation

Question 3

Information processing guided by higher-level mental processes is called

A)prosopagnosia.
B)sensory adaptation.
C)top-down processing.
D)transduction.

Answer 3

top-down processing.

Question 4

The process by which our sensory systems transform stimulus energies into neural impulses is called

A)priming.
B)sensory adaptation.
C)transduction.
D)top-down processing.

Question 5

Hearing a sequence of sounds of different pitches is to ________ as recognizing the sound sequence as a familiar melody is to ________.

A)absolute threshold;difference threshold
B)sensory adaptation;priming
C)perceptual set;sensory adaptation
D)sensation;perception

Question 6

A subliminal stimulus is one that is

A)below one's absolute threshold for conscious awareness.
B)unconsciously persuasive.
C)presented with very soft background music.
D)repetitious.

Question 7

Recognizing an odor as the familiar smell of apple blossoms is an example of

A)perception.
B)prosopagnosia.
C)sensory adaptation.
D)subliminal stimulation.

Question 8

Berdine has developed cataracts in both eyes,preventing her from being able to see her mother's face.Berdine most clearly is deficient in

A)priming.
B)perceptual set.
C)bottom-up processing.
D)sensory adaptation.

Question 9

Pain receptors trigger neural impulses in response to a sprain or a burn.This illustrates

A)priming.
B)transduction.
C)subliminal stimulation.
D)sensory adaptation.

Question 10

If a partially deaf person's hearing ability ________,his or her absolute threshold for sound ________.

A)improves;remains unchanged
B)worsens;decreases
C)worsens;remains unchanged
D)improves;decreases

Question 11

Bottom-up processing involves analysis that begins with the

A)hypothalamus.
B)sensory receptors.
C)cerebral cortex.
D)absolute threshold.

Question 12

Perception is the process by which

A)stimulus energies are detected.
B)stimulus energies are transformed into neural activity.
C)sensory input is organized and interpreted.
D)nerve cells respond to specific features of a stimulus.

Question 13

The conversion of a fresh coffee aroma into neural impulses by sensory receptor cells best illustrates

A)top-down processing.
B)transduction.
C)sensory adaptation.
D)priming.

Question 14

Jake's excellent peripheral vision enabled him to detect a brief flash of light far to his left,even though he couldn't recognize what he had seen.His experience best illustrates

A)top-down processing.
B)prosopagnosia.
C)sensation.
D)priming.

Question 15

Normal visual sensation in the absence of complete visual perception is best illustrated by

A)prosopagnosia.
B)priming.
C)the difference threshold.
D)sensory adaptation.

Question 16

Patients who expect that their surgery will not have a good outcome may experience increased postoperative pain.This best illustrates the importance of

A)subliminal stimulation.
B)sensory adaptation.
C)difference thresholds.
D)top-down processing.

Question 17

During a hearing test,many sounds were presented at such a low level of intensity that Mr.Antall could not detect them.These sounds were below Mr.Antall's

A)perceptual set.
B)absolute threshold.
C)prosopagnosia.
D)difference threshold.

Question 18

Sensation is to ________ as perception is to ________.

A)encoding;detection
B)detection;interpretation
C)interpretation;organization
D)organization;transduction

Question 19

The process of detecting and encoding stimulus energies by the sensory receptors and the nervous system is called

A)priming.
B)sensory adaptation.
C)top-down processing.
D)sensation.

Question 20

The minimum amount of stimulation a person needs to detect a stimulus 50 percent of the time is called the

A)sensory midpoint.
B)just noticeable difference.
C)perceptual set.
D)absolute threshold.

Question 21

After gazing at an angry face,you immediately turn to look at a morphed blend of an angry and a scared face.The face appears scared to you.This best illustrates the impact of

A)Weber's law.
B)sensory adaptation.
C)subliminal sensation.
D)prosopagnosia.

Question 22

A perceptual set refers to

A)an unnoticed image that activates certain associated memories.
B)an inability to recognize familiar faces or voices.
C)a diminished sensitivity to an unchanging stimulus.
D)a mental predisposition that influences what we perceive.

Question 23

After learning that her new college roommate had experienced several depressive episodes during her high school years,Erin incorrectly perceived her roommate's laughter as artificial and phony.This best illustrates the impact of

A)difference thresholds.
B)perceptual set.
C)subliminal persuasion.
D)sensory adaptation.

Question 24

Sensory adaptation refers to

A)the process by which stimulus energies are changed into neural impulses.
B)diminished sensitivity to an unchanging stimulus.
C)the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information.
D)the effect of our expectations on perception.

Question 25

Priming refers to the activation of certain

A)conscious motives.
B)difference thresholds.
C)nerve cells.
D)associations.

Question 26

After hearing rumors about the outbreak of an infectious disease,Alyosha began to perceive his normal aches and pains as disease-related symptoms.His reaction best illustrates the impact of

A)difference thresholds.
B)sensory adaptation.
C)subliminal stimulation.
D)perceptual set.

Question 27

The principle that two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum proportion for their difference to be perceived is known as

A)the opponent-process theory.
B)Weber's law.
C)feature detection.
D)sensory adaptation.

Question 28

Tyler formed a positive first impression of a new teacher because her facial expressions triggered memories of his favorite aunt.This best illustrates the impact of

A)priming.
B)prosopagnosia.
C)sensory adaptation.
D)Weber's law.

Question 29

Under certain conditions,people are affected by stimuli so weak that they fail to consciously notice them.This is best illustrated by experiments involving

A)sensory adaptation.
B)subliminal priming.
C)perceptual set.
D)prosopagnosia.

Question 30

In an experiment,researchers expose participants to subliminal recordings designed to boost their self-esteem.Based on existing research,you would be correct in predicting that the recordings will

A)interfere with the participants' capacity for sensory adaptation.
B)have no more impact on participants' self-esteem than a placebo.
C)improve participants' capacity for auditory transduction.
D)have a positive and long-lasting impact on participants' mood states.

Question 31

Jennifer can tune her guitar more effectively than Maria because Jennifer is better at detecting whether specific strings are playing too sharp or too flat.With respect to tone sensitivity,Maria apparently has a ________ threshold than does Jennifer.

A)lower absolute
B)higher absolute
C)smaller difference
D)larger difference

Question 32

The tendency to perceive a moving light in the night sky as belonging to an airplane rather than a meteor best illustrates the impact of

A)subliminal stimulation.
B)sensory adaptation.
C)perceptual set.
D)bottom-up processing.

Question 33

The minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time is called

A)retinal disparity.
B)the absolute threshold.
C)perceptual set.
D)the just noticeable difference.

Question 34

The constant quivering movements of our eyes enable us to

A)focus the light on the back of our eyes.
B)adjust the amount of light entering our eyes.
C)minimize sensory adaptation.
D)do all of these things.

Question 35

People's response to subliminal priming indicates that

A)they are capable of processing information without any conscious awareness of doing so.
B)their unconscious mind is incapable of resisting subliminally presented suggestions.
C)they are more sensitive to subliminal sounds than to subliminal sights.
D)they experience a sense of discomfort whenever they are exposed to subliminal stimuli.

Question 36

When researchers added a few drops of vinegar to a brand-name beer,the beer tasters disliked it only if they had been told they were drinking vinegar-laced beer.This best illustrates the impact of

A)sensory adaptation.
B)prosopagnosia.
C)perceptual set.
D)subliminal stimulation.

Question 37

Giulio's bag of marbles is twice as heavy as Jim's.If it takes five extra marbles to make Jim's bag feel heavier,it will take 10 extra marbles to make Giulio's bag feel heavier.This best illustrates

A)bottom-up processing.
B)perceptual set.
C)sensory adaptation.
D)Weber's law.

Question 38

Which of the following strategies best illustrates the use of subliminal stimulation?

A)A store plays a musical soundtrack in which a faint and imperceptible verbal warning against shoplifting is repeated frequently.
B)The laughter of a studio audience is dubbed into the soundtrack of a televised situation comedy.
C)A radio advertiser repeatedly smacks her lips before biting into a candy bar.
D)An unseen television narrator repeatedly suggests that you are thirsty while a cold drink is visually displayed on the screen.

Question 39

Photographs of people are rated more positively if they are presented immediately after a subliminally flashed image of kittens.This best illustrates the impact of

A)sensory adaptation.
B)the just noticeable difference.
C)priming.
D)prosopagnosia.

Question 40

After listening to your high-volume car stereo for 15 minutes,you fail to realize how loudly the music is blasting.This best illustrates

A)Weber's law.
B)subliminal stimulation.
C)sensory adaptation.
D)prosopagnosia.

Question 41

The colored muscle that constricts when you feel disgust or enter a dark room is the

A)cornea.
B)iris.
C)retina.
D)fovea.

Question 42

For her birthday,Amy received flowers that had a dull red appearance.Compared with the entire range of visible light waves,the flowers reflected relatively ________ frequency and ________ amplitude light waves.

A)high;small
B)high;great
C)low;small
D)low;great

Question 43

Although Sue Yen sees her chemistry professor several times a week,she didn't recognize the professor when she saw her in the grocery store.This best illustrates the importance of

A)bottom-up processing.
B)context effects.
C)subliminal priming.
D)sensory adaptation.

Question 44

Light first enters the eye through the front surface structure known as the

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

Question 45

A softball may appear smaller to batters who are discouraged by their poor performance than to batters who are hitting well.This best illustrates the importance of

A)Weber's law.
B)top-down processing.
C)sensory adaptation.
D)absolute thresholds.

Question 46

While listening to sad rather than happy music,people are more likely to perceive a spoken word as mourning rather than morning.This best illustrates that perception is influenced by

A)sensory adaptation.
B)subliminal stimuli.
C)Weber's law.
D)top-down processing.

Question 47

The wavelength of visible light determines its

A)interposition.
B)amplitude.
C)difference threshold.
D)hue.

Question 48

We may perceive a bottle of fruit juice as less expensive when we are most thirsty.This best illustrates that perceptions are influenced by

A)subliminal stimulation.
B)Weber's law.
C)sensory adaptation.
D)motivation.

Question 49

Paul is feeling romantic toward his wife.She is most likely to detect his interest in her by changes in the appearance of his eyes caused by

A)curvature changes in the lens.
B)dilation of the iris.
C)decreased retinal disparity.
D)disappearance of the blind spot.

Question 50

Scary-sounding music accompanied a movie scene in which mountain climbers scaled a steep slope.The fact that the music made the climbing appear more dangerous to viewers illustrates that perceptions are influenced by

A)emotion.
B)sensory adaptation.
C)prosopagnosia.
D)subliminal stimulation.

Question 51

Brightness is to intensity as hue is to

A)amplitude.
B)color.
C)pitch.
D)wavelength.

Question 52

The amount of light entering the eye is regulated by the

A)iris.
B)retina.
C)optic nerve.
D)feature detectors.

Question 53

Humans experience the longest visible electromagnetic waves as the color ________ and the shortest visible waves as ________.

A)blue-violet;red
B)red;green
C)red;blue-violet
D)black;white

Question 54

The influence of schemas on our interpretations of unfamiliar information best illustrates

A)context effects.
B)top-down processing.
C)bottom-up processing.
D)sensory adaptation.

Question 55

When Rick learned that many students had received a failing grade on the midterm exam,he was no longer disappointed by his C grade.His experience best illustrates the importance of

A)sensory adaptation.
B)subliminal sensation.
C)context effects.
D)Weber's law.

Question 56

The pupil is the

A)adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters.
B)transparent structure that focuses light rays in a process called accommodation.
C)light-sensitive inner surface of the eye,containing both rods and cones.
D)central focal point in the retina,around which the eye's cones cluster.

Question 57

In one study,a pictured woman was perceived by some as balancing a box on her head and by others as sitting under a window.The study best illustrated that perceptions are influenced by

A)sensory adaptation.
B)Weber's law.
C)context effects.
D)subliminal sensation.

Question 58

A concept that helps us to interpret new stimuli is called a

A)sensory adaptation.
B)schema.
C)feature detector.
D)gestalt.

Question 59

Visual perceptions of objects often change when the objects are viewed in different surroundings.This best illustrates

A)prosopagnosia.
B)Weber's law.
C)context effects.
D)subliminal stimulation.

Question 60

The perceived brightness of visible light waves is determined by their

A)relative motion.
B)difference threshold.
C)amplitude.
D)frequency.

Question 61

The blind spot is located in the area of the retina

A)called the fovea.
B)that contains rods but no cones.
C)where the optic nerve leaves the eye.
D)where bipolar cells connect with ganglion cells.

Question 62

The fovea refers to

A)the outer protective surface of the eye.
B)a colored muscle that adjusts light intake.
C)an area of the thalamus that receives information from the optic nerve.
D)the central focal point in the retina.

Question 63

Which of the following is the correct order in which the retina's neural layers process visual stimulation?

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

Question 64

Which process allows more light to reach the retina?

A)sensory adaptation of the optic nerve
B)transduction of the blind spot
C)dilation of the pupil
D)perceptual adaptation of feature detectors

Question 65

Rods are

A)more light-sensitive and more color-sensitive than are cones.
B)less light-sensitive and less color-sensitive than are cones.
C)more light-sensitive and less color-sensitive than are cones.
D)less light-sensitive and more color-sensitive than are cones.

Question 66

Which cells for visual processing are located closest to the back of the retina?

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

Question 67

When we are exposed to the narrow band of wavelengths visible to the human eye,we see a red object as red because it rejects waves of

A)blue-violet light.
B)red light.
C)green light.
D)yellow light.

Question 68

Which receptor cells most directly enable us to distinguish different wavelengths of light?

A)rods
B)cones
C)bipolar cells
D)feature detectors

Question 69

A genetically sex-linked characteristic accounts for the greater incidence of

A)retinal disparity among females than among males.
B)visual afterimages among males than among females.
C)blind spots among females than among males.
D)color-deficient vision among males than among females.

Question 70

Neural impulses are transmitted to bipolar cells when light energy triggers ________ in the rods and cones.

A)top-down processing
B)constriction
C)afterimages
D)chemical changes

Question 71

Objects are brought into focus on the retina by changes in the curve and thickness of the

A)rods and cones.
B)lens.
C)bipolar cells.
D)optic nerve.

Question 72

The encoding and analysis of visual information begin within the neural layers of the

A)lens.
B)optic nerve.
C)retina.
D)thalamus.

Question 73

The direct link between a single cone and a single ________ preserves the fine details in the cone's message.

A)rod
B)ganglion cell
C)blind spot
D)bipolar cell

Question 74

Damage to the fovea would probably have the LEAST effect on visual sensitivity to ________ stimuli.

A)brilliantly colored
B)finely detailed
C)dimly illuminated
D)highly familiar

Question 75

Objects to your ________ would be most likely to fall into your right eye's blind spot because the blind spot is located on the side of each retina that is ________ to the nose.

A)right;closest
B)left;closest
C)right;farthest
D)left;farthest

Question 76

According to the Young-Helmholtz theory,when both red-sensitive and green-sensitive cones are stimulated simultaneously,a person should see

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

Question 77

People with color-deficient vision for red and green may still see yellow.This is most easily explained by

A)the Young-Helmholtz theory.
B)Weber's law.
C)dissociation theory.
D)the opponent-process theory.

Question 78

The axons of ganglion cells converge to form

A)the lens.
B)bipolar cells.
C)the cornea.
D)the optic nerve.

Question 79

Who first hypothesized that the eye must have three different types of color receptors,with each especially sensitive to one of the three primary colors?

A)Eleanor Gibson and Richard Walk
B)David Hubel and Torsten Weisel
C)Thomas Young and Hermann von Helmholtz
D)John Locke and Immanuel Kant

Question 80

Evidence that some cones are especially sensitive to red light,others to green light,and still others to blue light is most directly supportive of the Young-Helmholtz

A)feature detection theory.
B)trichromatic theory.
C)dissociation theory.
D)opponent-process theory.