Deck 17: Basic Principles of Sensation and Perception

Question 1

The local fire department sounds the 12 o'clock whistle. The process by which your ears transform the sound waves from the siren into neural impulses is an example of

A) top-down processing.
B) parallel processing.
C) transduction.
D) signal detection.

Answer 1

transduction.

Question 2

Weber's law states that

A) the absolute threshold for any stimulus is a constant.
B) the jnd for any stimulus is a constant.
C) the absolute threshold for any stimulus is a constant proportion.
D) the jnd for any stimulus is a constant proportion.

Answer 2

the jnd for any stimulus is a constant proportion.

Question 3

The study of perception is primarily concerned with how we

A) detect sights, sounds, and other stimuli.
B) sense environmental stimuli.
C) develop sensitivity to illusions.
D) interpret sensory stimuli.

Answer 3

interpret sensory stimuli.

Question 4

If you can just notice the difference between 10- and 11-pound weights, which of the following weights could you differentiate from a 100-pound weight?

A) 101-pound weight
B) 105-pound weight
C) 110-pound weight
D) There is no basis for prediction.

Question 5

A subliminal message is one that is presented

A) below one's absolute threshold for awareness.
B) in a manner that is unconsciously persuasive.
C) with very soft background music.
D) repetitiously.

Question 6

A decrease in sensory responsiveness accompanying an unchanging stimulus is called

A) sensory fatigue.
B) bottom-up processing.
C) sensory adaptation.
D) transduction.

Question 7

Which of the following is true?

A) The absolute threshold for any stimulus is a constant.
B) The absolute threshold for any stimulus varies somewhat.
C) The absolute threshold is defined as the minimum amount of stimulation necessary for a stimulus to be detected 75 percent of the time.
D) The absolute threshold is defined as the minimum amount of stimulation necessary for a stimulus to be detected 60 percent of the time.

Question 8

The size of the difference threshold is greater for heavier objects than for lighter ones. This best illustrates

A) sensory interaction.
B) psychophysics.
C) Weber's law.
D) bottom-up processing.

Question 9

Concerning the evidence for subliminal stimulation, which of the following is the best answer?

A) The brain processes some information without our awareness.
B) Stimuli too weak to cross our thresholds for awareness may trigger a response in our sense receptors.
C) Because the absolute threshold is a statistical average, we are able to detect weaker stimuli some of the time.
D) All of these statements are true.

Question 10

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 interaction; signal detection
C) signal detection; sensory interaction
D) sensation; perception

Question 11

Which of the following influences perception?

A) biological maturation
B) the context in which stimuli are perceived
C) expectations
D) all of these factors

Question 12

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) the McGurk effect.
C) sensory adaptation.
D) motivation.

Question 13

If you move your watchband up your wrist an inch or so, you will feel it for only a few moments. This best illustrates

A) parallel processing.
B) accommodation.
C) sensory adaptation.
D) Weber's law.

Question 14

________ processing refers to how the physical characteristics of stimuli influence their interpretation.

A) Top-down
B) Bottom-up
C) Signal detection
D) Psychophysical

Question 15

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 16

The process by which sensory information is converted into neural energy is

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

Question 17

After hearing that Bryce had served a prison sentence, Janet began to perceive his friendly behavior as insincere and manipulative. This best illustrates the impact of

A) interposition.
B) retinal disparity.
C) the phi phenomenon.
D) perceptual set.

Question 18

The fact that fear may increase your sensitivity to an almost imperceptible pain stimulus is of most relevance to

A) frequency theory.
B) Weber's law.
C) sensory adaptation.
D) signal detection theory.

Question 19

Which of the following is an example of sensory adaptation?

A) finding the cold water of a swimming pool warmer after you have been in it for a while
B) developing an increased sensitivity to salt the more you use it in foods
C) becoming very irritated at the continuing sound of a dripping faucet
D) All of these are examples.

Question 20

Interpreting new sensory information within the framework of a past memory illustrates

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

Question 21

Which theory predicts when we will first notice a faint stimulus presented amid competing background stimulation?

A) place theory
B) frequency theory
C) signal-detection theory
D) opponent-process

Question 22

The phenomenon that refers to the ways in which an individual's expectations influence perception is called

A) perceptual set.
B) signal detection.
C) bottom-up processing.
D) psychophysics.

Question 23

Bottom-up processing involves analysis that begins with the

A) optic nerve.
B) sensory receptors.
C) cerebral cortex.
D) feature detectors.

Question 24

During a hearing test, many sounds were presented at such a low level of intensity that Mr. Antall could hardly detect them. These sounds were below Mr. Antall's

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

Question 25

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

A) priming.
B) sensory adaptation.
C) transduction.
D) accommdation.

Question 26

A psychophysicist would be most directly concerned with

A) our psychological reactions to physical stress.
B) the effects of heredity on the endocrine system.
C) the effect of neurotransmitters on depression.
D) the relationship between the wavelength of light and the experience of color.

Question 27

The study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli and our psychological experience of them is called

A) transduction.
B) Gestalt psychology.
C) psychophysics.
D) parapsychology.

Question 28

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

A) tinnitus.
B) transduction.
C) signal detection.
D) sensory adaptation.

Question 29

Given normal sensory ability, a person standing atop a mountain on a dark, clear night can see a candle flame atop a mountain 30 miles away. This is a description of vision's

A) difference threshold.
B) jnd.
C) absolute threshold.
D) feature detection.

Question 30

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

A) critical period.
B) just noticeable difference.
C) perceptual set.
D) absolute threshold.

Question 31

Which of the following represents the very 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

Question 32

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 33

Patients who have negative expectations about the outcome of a surgical procedure may experience increased postoperative pain. This best illustrates the importance of

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

Question 34

Sensation is to ________ as perception is to ________.

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

Question 35

Information processing guided by higher-level mental processes are called

A) prosopagnosia.
B) sensory interaction.
C) top-down processing.
D) synaesthesia.

Question 36

Berdine has developed cataracts in both eyes, preventing her from being able to identify even her mother's face. Berdine most clearly suffers a deficiency in

A) signal detection.
B) accommodation.
C) bottom-up processing.
D) psychophysics.

Question 37

The process of receiving and representing stimulus energies by the nervous system is called

A) priming.
B) adaptation.
C) accommodation.
D) sensation.

Question 38

________ processing refers to how our knowledge and expectations influence perception.

A) Top-down
B) Bottom-up
C) Signal detection
D) Psychophysical

Question 39

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

A) prosopagnosia.
B) the difference threshold.
C) subliminal stimulation.
D) sensory interaction.

Question 40

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

A) adaptation, context, and continuity
B) receiving, transforming, and delivering
C) priming, grouping, and parallel processing
D) signal detection, interposition, and sensory adaptation

Question 41

A subliminal message is one that is presented

A) below one's absolute threshold for conscious awareness.
B) in a manner that is unconsciously persuasive.
C) with very soft background music.
D) repetitiously.

Question 42

Priming refers to the activation of certain

A) thresholds.
B) hair cells.
C) nerve cells.
D) associations.

Question 43

A perceptual set is a

A) tendency to fill in gaps to perceive a complete, whole object.
B) readiness to judge an object as larger than it is.
C) tendency to view objects high in our field of vision as closer than they are.
D) mental predisposition that influences what we perceive.

Question 44

Giulio's bag of marbles is twice as heavy as Jim's. If it takes 5 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) the opponent-process theory.
B) the McGurk effect.
C) sensory adaptation.
D) Weber's law.

Question 45

Which theory emphasizes that personal expectations and motivations influence the level of absolute thresholds?

A) signal detection theory
B) frequency theory
C) opponent-process theory
D) place theory

Question 46

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 47

Subliminally presented stimuli

A) can sometimes be consciously perceived.
B) effectively influence purchases of consumer goods.
C) increase our absolute thresholds for visual images.
D) are usually mentally processed as completely as any other stimuli.

Question 48

Lonely, anxious people at speed-dating events respond with a ________ threshold, and thus tend to be ________ in reaching out to potential dates.

A) low; unselective
B) high; unselective
C) low; overly selective
D) high; overly selective

Question 49

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 50

Experiments evaluating the impact of subliminal self-help recordings for improving memory indicated that they

A) interfere with people's capacity for sensory adaptation.
B) did not help more than a placebo.
C) improve people's capacity for parallel processing.
D) have a positive long-lasting impact on people's health.

Question 51

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) changes in the shape of the lens as it focuses on objects.

Question 52

The constant quivering movements of our eyes enable us to

A) focus the light on our retina.
B) adjust the size of the pupil.
C) minimize sensory adaptation.
D) do all of these things.

Question 53

In experiments, an image is quickly flashed and then replaced by a masking stimulus that inhibits conscious perception of the original image. In these experiments, the researchers are studying the effects of

A) accommodation.
B) tinnitus.
C) priming.
D) blindsight.

Question 54

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) signal detection.
D) sensory interaction.

Question 55

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

A) the context.
B) perceptual set.
C) motivation.
D) signal detection.

Question 56

Which theory would suggest that watching a horror movie late at night could lower your absolute threshold for sound as you subsequently tried to fall asleep?

A) place theory
B) opponent-process theory
C) frequency theory
D) signal detection theory

Question 57

After a photo of nude man or woman was flashed and immediately masked before being perceived, people's attention was unconsciously drawn to images in a way that reflected their

A) perceptual set.
B) absolute threshold.
C) sexual orientation.
D) expectations.

Question 58

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) accommodation.
C) sensory adaptation.
D) the volley principle.

Question 59

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

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

Question 60

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 minds are 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 61

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) perceptual adaptation.
B) linear perspective.
C) context effects.
D) signal detection.

Question 62

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

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

Question 63

A concept that helps us to interpret ambiguous sensations is called a

A) gestalt.
B) schema.
C) signal detector.
D) masking stimulus.

Question 64

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) relative brightness.
B) context effects.
C) bottom-up processing.
D) sensory adaptation.

Question 65

Use your understanding of absolute thresholds, sensory adaptation, and pain control to argue that sensation is often influenced by our motives, expectations, and psychological states of mind.

Question 66

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

A) synaesthesia.
B) accommodation.
C) linear perspective.
D) top-down processing.

Question 67

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) opponent processes.
C) perceptual set.
D) the McGurk effect.

Question 68

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

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

Question 69

If rewards were linked to seeing an old woman rather than a young woman's profile, viewers would tend to perceive an old woman after exposure to an ambiguous drawing. This illustrates the impact of ________ on perception.

A) subliminal stimulation
B) sensory adaptation
C) critical periods
D) motivation

Question 70

The horizon Moon appears to shrink in size if it is viewed through a narrow tube that eliminates the perception of distance cues. This best illustrates the importance of

A) sensory adaptation.
B) psychophysics.
C) context effects.
D) sensory interaction.

Question 71

The influence of schemas on our interpretations of ambiguous sensations best illustrates

A) shape constancy.
B) top-down processing.
C) sensory adaptation.
D) accommodation.

Question 72

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) the McGurk effect.
B) sensory adaptation.
C) motivation.
D) perceptual set.

Question 73

To those throwing a very heavy rather than a light object at a target, the target is likely to be perceived as

A) softer.
B) slower moving.
C) larger.
D) farther away.

Question 74

Stereotypes are mental conceptions that can strongly influence the way we interpret the behaviors of individuals belonging to specific racial or ethnic groups. A stereotype is most similar to a

A) signal detector.
B) perceptual adaptation.
C) perceptual set.
D) difference threshold.