Deck 4: Sensation and Perception

Question 1

Which of the following most closely mimics the process of transduction?

A)Betty mixes eggs,flour,and sugar together to make a cake.
B)While painting,Stan combines the colors red and blue to make purple.
C)Gas companies convert crude oil into a fuel that car engines can run on.
D)Nike changes its logo from a "swoosh" to a "panther."

Answer 1

Gas companies convert crude oil into a fuel that car engines can run on.

Question 2

Which statement best reflects the concept of an absolute threshold?

A)Jerry is listening to his iPod and smells pizza burning in the oven.
B)Delilah is lying in her bed trying to fall asleep.As she is about to drift off,she is not certain but thinks she hears a car door close outside.
C)Deanna can't tell if the new paint she used is different from the original color.
D)As Jenny gets used to the buzzing of the engines,flying on a plane doesn't seem as scary.

Answer 2

Delilah is lying in her bed trying to fall asleep.As she is about to drift off,she is not certain but thinks she hears a car door close outside.

Question 3

Stephanie is just waking up at her cabin in the mountains and barely catches a whiff of fresh coffee brewing downstairs.The initial whiff of coffee might represent a crude measure of which concept?

A)Absolute threshold
B)Difference threshold
C)Sensory adaptation
D)Perceptual boundary

Answer 3

Absolute threshold

Question 4

The process of converting an external energy or substance into neural activity is called

A)sensation.
B)perception.
C)transduction.
D)sensory adaptation.

Question 5

The sensitivity of our sensory abilities and systems is demonstrated in our ________ thresholds.

A)absolute
B)difference
C)pain
D)psychophysical

Question 6

__________ involves the detection of energy by sense organs,whereas __________ involves interpretating sensory inputs.

A)Perception; sensation
B)Transduction; perception
C)Sensation; perception
D)Sensation; transduction

Question 7

Dr.Retina is giving a lecture about the way lightwaves are converted into a neural signal that the brain can then interpret.What is most likely the topic of her lecture?

A)Conversion
B)Transduction
C)Parallel processing
D)Perception

Question 8

Cason is initially blinded as he walks out of a daytime movie.However,very rapidly his eyes begin to adjust to the bright light.What is the best explanation for his rapid recovery?

A)Perceptual adjustments
B)Sensory deprivation
C)Oversensitivity of his rods and cones
D)Sensory adaptation

Question 9

Computer programmers often use binary codes (strings of 1s and 0s)to write programs for computers.These codes are then changed into patterns that the computer recognizes as words,pictures,sounds,and so forth.Which process does this most resemble in humans and other animals?

A)Transduction
B)Bottom-up processing
C)Top-down processing
D)Conversion

Question 10

If you close your eyes and touch a sharp object,your initial contact with the object involves which process(es)?

A)Perception
B)Sensation
C)Both sensation and perception
D)Parallel processing

Question 11

Zach and David decide to go exploring the forest behind their farm on a cold December day.The fact that they felt much colder when they initially went outdoors than they do 5 minutes later,despite having not done anything to warm themselves,is known as

A)sensory adaptation.
B)sensory illusion.
C)sensory interaction.
D)transduction.

Question 12

Cole was distressed to learn that he had a blind spot.In fact,he learned that everyone has a blind spot.Cole's inability to notice his own blind spot is most likely the result of which perceptual process?

A)Illusion
B)Distorted reality
C)Retinal confusion
D)Filling-in

Question 13

The lowest level of a stimulus needed for the nervous system to detect a change half the time is called

A)sense receptor.
B)just noticeable difference.
C)sensory adaptation.
D)absolute threshold.

Question 14

By presenting research participants with incomplete objects,psychologists have been able to see how the participants come to determine what they are viewing.This research suggests that our daily experiences are the result of

A)both reality and illusions.
B)only illusions.
C)only reality.
D)only sensory information.

Question 15

The conversion of external energy into something that the nervous system can understand is known as

A)accommodation.
B)perception.
C)sensation.
D)transduction.

Question 16

Roger feels something land on his hand but has yet to determine its nature.At this point in time,Roger has experienced which process(es)?

A)Sensation
B)Perception
C)Both sensation and perception
D)Parallel processing

Question 17

__________ is a specialized cell responsible for converting external stimuli into neural activity for a specific sensory system.

A)Sense receptor
B)Sensory adaptation
C)Selective attention
D)Cell sensor

Question 18

The ability to detect physical energy through our visual or touch systems is known as

A)accommodation.
B)perception.
C)sensation.
D)transduction.

Question 19

The organization and interpretation of olfactory information is one example of

A)accommodation.
B)perception.
C)sensation.
D)transduction.

Question 20

Juanita walks into work and complains about how hot it is.The temperature did not change; however,30 minutes later,Juanita is quite comfortable.This could be an example of

A)absolute threshold.
B)sensory adaptation.
C)perception.
D)transduction.

Question 21

Juanita is holding her pet cat,Belle.The fact that she is getting information about Belle's weight as she sits on Juanita's lap,the sound of Belle's purrs,and the sight of Belle's eye movements all at the same time is an example of

A)bottom-up processing.
B)parallel processing.
C)subliminal processing.
D)top-down processing.

Question 22

Learning a foreign language requires many students to focus intently on each letter of a word to read it.These students are relying most heavily on __________ processing.

A)top-down
B)bottom-down
C)bottom-up
D)top-up

Question 23

Dr.Balkin is heating up a liquid he just created in the lab.He has recruited students to observe his experiments and pinpoint the exact moment the liquid begins to change color.Dr.Balkin is concerned with the

A)signal-to-noise ratio.
B)just noticeable difference.
C)perceptual accuracy.
D)absolute threshold.

Question 24

Clay has played professional soccer for seven years and is easily able to tune out the sound of the crowd and all other irrelevant sensory information during the game.Bruce is a rookie and is often distracted by what his opponents are saying and the mood of the crowd.Clay and Bruce are showing differing levels of

A)selective attention.
B)parallel processing.
C)absolute thresholds.
D)top-down processing.

Question 25

Which of the following is the best example of the signal-to-noise ratio?

A)Lisa has to listen very carefully to hear her friend talking in the car.
B)Bobby is shouting at the neighbor's dog that is digging up his yard.
C)While listening to the television,Kate is also reading her textbook.
D)Robyn has to shout over the boisterous crowd at the football game to be heard.

Question 26

Sun-Hi is a pianist who reports that she hears musical tones as colors.This is one example of

A)binocular cues.
B)the Ganzfield technique.
C)the Ponzo illusion.
D)synesthesia.

Question 27

Ramone and Sam are going to a concert.As they walk to the concert,they talk to one another in normal tones.But after they enter the arena,they discover that they practically have to yell at each other to continue their conversation.This example represents a change in

A)signal detection capabilities.
B)listener-to-audience ratio.
C)signal-to-noise ratio.
D)auditory transduction interference.

Question 28

In __________ processing,we construct a whole stimulus from its parts.

A)parallel
B)bottom-up
C)perceptual set
D)top-down

Question 29

Professor Monk is showing students a series of "inkblots" from a well-known personality test.Although the pictures are ambiguous,he discovers that if he says the word "mother" before revealing each picture,his students are more likely to report seeing images of family members.What is the best explanation for this observation?

A)Students are relying heavily on bottom-up processing.
B)Professor Monk is engaging in experimenter bias.
C)Students are using cross-talk to experience the images.
D)Top-down and bottom-up processes are working together.

Question 30

As the number of people talking in a room increases,the stimulus intensity needed to detect a change in the number of people talking becomes

A)finer.
B)larger.
C)no different.
D)smaller.

Question 31

In __________ our beliefs and expectations often influence our sensory experiences.

A)bottom-up processing
B)parallel processing
C)subliminal processing
D)top-down processing

Question 32

__________ processing is conceptually driven and influenced by our beliefs and expectations.

A)Bottom-up
B)Parallel
C)Top-down
D)Sensory

Question 33

Contestants on the television show "Wheel of Fortune" are given category labels before each new puzzle.Providing these labels is intended to activate __________ processing.

A)bottom-down
B)top-down
C)bottom-up
D)top-up

Question 34

The process of selecting one sensory channel and ignoring or minimizing others is called

A)selective perception.
B)selective attention.
C)perceptual set.
D)selective processing.

Question 35

Attending to many modalities simultaneously is a phenomenon called

A)bottom-up processing.
B)top-down processing.
C)parallel processing.
D)selective attention.

Question 36

A soldier stationed at a base in northern Alaska is dressed in his all-white camouflage.He wants to know the exact distance another person can perceive him as NOT part of the snowbank he is hiding in.The soldier is concerned with the

A)just noticeable difference.
B)absolute threshold.
C)visual processing boundary.
D)limits of perceptual ability.

Question 37

Alicia is talking on her cell phone to her friend Maya.If Maya is in a crowded subway terminal,Alicia finds that she has to nearly shout for Maya to be able to hear her.However,when Maya is in a meadow on her grandparents' farm,she can easily tell what Alicia is watching on TV as they talk.This is one illustration of

A)absolute threshold.
B)the just noticeable difference.
C)signal-to-noise ratio.
D)transduction.

Question 38

__________ says that there is a constant proportional relationship between the just noticeable difference (JND)and the original stimulus intensity.

A)Weber's law
B)Signal detection theory
C)Signal-to-noise ratio
D)Sensory adaptation

Question 39

You just ordered a pizza from your favorite restaurant and can't wait for it to get here.As time passes,everything you hear sounds like a car driving by.What accounts for your "heightened" sense of hearing?

A)Signal-to-noise ratio
B)Just noticeable difference
C)Signal detection theory
D)The quiet environment you are waiting in

Question 40

Stanton is taking chemistry with Ms.Neville and has heard many negative stories about her class from his friends.The fact that his beliefs about Ms.Neville affect his interpretation of his interactions with her during the school year is an example of

A)bottom-up processing.
B)parallel processing.
C)subliminal processing.
D)top-down processing.

Question 41

The intensity of the reflected light that reaches our eyes is known as

A)hue.
B)contrast.
C)brightness.
D)saturation.

Question 42

The part(s)of the eye containing transparent cells that focus light on the retina is/are the

A)rods.
B)fovea.
C)cornea.
D)cones.

Question 43

Which of the following individuals is engaging in selective attention?

A)Carlos ignored his neighbor's talking during his psychology professor's lecture.
B)Susie is listening to her iPod while doing her homework.
C)Bart is riding his bike and talking with his friend Jake on the phone.
D)Maria is trying to read her favorite novel while listening to a movie at the same time.

Question 44

Professor Benson is conducting experiments on visual perception.He is currently reflecting light off several patches of cloth and recording his findings.The professor is most concerned with which aspect of visual perception?

A)The visible spectrum
B)Brightness
C)Hue
D)Color mixing

Question 45

The color of light is called

A)brightness.
B)hue.
C)saturation.
D)complexity.

Question 46

The central portion of the retina is the

A)fovea.
B)lens.
C)cornea.
D)cones.

Question 47

The first part of the eye that light passes through is the

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

Question 48

According to Donald Broadbent's research,selective attention acts as a

A)filter.
B)key.
C)safety net.
D)trapdoor.

Question 49

When light enters the eye,it first passes through what structure?

A)Cornea
B)Lens
C)Pupil
D)Sclera

Question 50

Lucy has been in love with Charlie for a very long time.Everytime they are together,she whispers the word "love" over and over again at a level that is barely audible.Although Charlie never remembers hearing the message,Lucy is convinced that she is getting through to him.Should Lucy be so optimistic?

A)No; although Charlie may be "hearing" the message subliminally,it is not likely to persuade him one way or the other.
B)Yes; subliminal perception is real and there is little doubt that it can alter behavior.
C)Maybe; if Lucy breaks through to a deeper level of consciousness,she can convince Charlie to fall in love.
D)No; subliminal persuasion has been shown to be highly effective,but only when one is hungry or thirsty.

Question 51

Tommy is a professional basketball player and has years of experience tuning out the crowd noise as he prepares to shoot his free throws.Tommy is engaging in

A)intense concentration.
B)selective attention.
C)dichotic listening.
D)parallel processing.

Question 52

The color of light is what psychologists call

A)brightness.
B)hue.
C)synesthesia.
D)timbre.

Question 53

Matt is considering the purchase of subliminal self-help tapes to aid him in losing weight.His wife,Marge,is skeptical about this plan and asks your advice.Based on available evidence,what would you say about the effectiveness of subliminal self-help tapes?

A)They are effective.
B)They are highly effective,but only if you believe they'll be effective.
C)They are ineffective.
D)More research is needed to assess their effectiveness or ineffectiveness.

Question 54

The white of the eye is the

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

Question 55

Light,a central player in our visual perception of the world,is a form of

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

Question 56

Amanda notices a tree is brown,has a rough texture,and is solid.Although individually these characteristics do not define a tree,when combined,they do.Which perceptual process allows her to identify the object as a tree?

A)Selective attention
B)Top-down processing
C)Binding
D)Multi-tasking

Question 57

The most heavily studied sense is

A)hearing.
B)sight.
C)taste.
D)touch.

Question 58

Our visual sensory receptor cells are located in the

A)cornea.
B)fovea.
C)optic nerve.
D)retina.

Question 59

The processing of sensory information that occurs below the level of conscious awareness is called

A)selective attention.
B)top-down processing.
C)subliminal perception.
D)bottom-up processing.

Question 60

Subliminal self-help tapes have a __________ success rate.

A)very high
B)moderate to high
C)low to moderate
D)very low

Question 61

Jan can see objects well up close,but they appear blurry from afar.She is probably

A)color blind.
B)nearsighted.
C)farsighted.
D)developing a cataract.

Question 62

Changing the shape of the lens to focus on objects near or far is called

A)focusing.
B)accommodation.
C)constriction.
D)dilation.

Question 63

Julio is playing paintball with his friends.He is wearing his new camouflage suit,hoping that it will interfere with which Gestalt principle?

A)Proximity
B)Similarity
C)Closure
D)Figure-ground

Question 64

At a junior high dance,Mr.Holland tends to view boys and girls sitting together as "couples," regardless of whether they are actually dating.This illustrates the Gestalt principle of

A)closure.
B)proximity.
C)similarity.
D)symmetry.

Question 65

The __________ is the illusory perception of movement produced by the successive flashing of images.

A)trichromatic theory
B)monocular cue
C)phi phenomenon
D)binocular cue

Question 66

When Stewart wakes up at night and has to walk from his bedroom to the bathroom in the dark,he is most directly aided in this process by his

A)cones.
B)corneas.
C)irises.
D)rods.

Question 67

When taking a picture,photographers attempt to draw people's attention toward a particular image.This is one example of the Gestalt principle of

A)closure.
B)figure-ground.
C)proximity.
D)symmetry.

Question 68

Carol is at the football game and watching the half-time show.Which Gestalt principle best explains her ability to "recognize" her school's letters as the band members spell them out on the field?

A)Proximity
B)Similarity
C)Symmetry
D)Closure

Question 69

A blind spot is a part of the visual field we can't see,where the __________ connects to the __________.

A)retina; pupil
B)cornea; iris
C)optic nerve; retina
D)optic nerve; sclera

Question 70

If these lines,_____ ______ _______ ,were seen as one long line,this would be an example of the Gestalt principle of

A)proximity.
B)closure.
C)continuity.
D)symmetry.

Question 71

What structure changes its shape to focus light at the back of the eye?

A)Cone
B)Fovea
C)Lens
D)Retina

Question 72

Dr.Samuels is using his students in a live demonstration of the visual system.He has placed several students in a line and has asked each student to jump and down ONLY when a specific hand motion is given.He then assigns independent hand signals to each student.What aspect of the visual system might Dr.Samuels be demonstrating?

A)Feature detection
B)Transduction
C)Priming of the visual cortex
D)Pattern recognition

Question 73

As we listen to music on the radio or on our iPods,we more often are aware of the arrangement of tones into melodies rather than just focusing on the individual notes.This auditory perception is compatible with the principles established by

A)behavioral psychologists.
B)Gestalt psychologists.
C)humanistic psychologists.
D)psychodynamic psychologists.

Question 74

Bryan finds his girlfriend Christina far more attractive as she leaves the darkened movie theater than before they entered.What might account for Bryan's reaction?

A)Research suggests that attractiveness is affected by eye color.
B)Research suggests that the lighting in theaters affects our visual perception.
C)Research suggests that most people find enlarged pupils more attractive.
D)Research suggests that perceived attractiveness increases as the pupil becomes smaller.

Question 75

All of the following are Gestalt principles of perception EXCEPT

A)proximity.
B)similarity.
C)complexity.
D)continuity.

Question 76

What psychological school first identified that visual perception occurs in terms of whole objects rather than individual component parts?

A)Behaviorism
B)Gestalt
C)Humanistic
D)Psychoanalytic

Question 77

Camden is performing an in-class demonstration directed by his professor.Camden is asked to close one eye and focus on his pencil with the other.Then he is asked to slowly move the pencil closer to his open eye.To Camden's amazement,for a brief instant the pencil seems to disappear.What has likely occurred?

A)Camden temporarily looked away from the pencil.
B)His professor briefly covered the pencil up when Camden was distracted.
C)The pencil temporarily passed through Camden's blind spot.
D)Camden experienced temporary color blindness.

Question 78

In which of these vision properties do rods NOT play a part?

A)night vision
B)color vision
C)low-level light
D)peripheral vision

Question 79

The ________ carries sensory information from the retina to the brain areas where visual perception will occur.

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

Question 80

Our ability to see action,rather than a series of static pictures,in movies is the result of

A)closure.
B)good continuation.
C)the phi phenomenon.
D)symmetry.