Deck 3: Sensation and Perception

Question 1

Odors trigger firing of receptor neurons in the olfactory membrane high in each nostril.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Retinal disparity causes feelings of tension in the eye muscles and provides a binocular cue for depth.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Kinesthesis is about motion and perception. In kinesthesis, sensory information is fed back to the brain from sensory organs in the joints, tendons, and muscles.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

The organ of Corti is a membrane that lies coiled within the cochlea.

Question 5

Humans can detect the odor of 1 one-millionth of a milligram of vanilla in a liter of air.

Question 6

Joy and her family moved to a subdivision near a train track. At first, every night at midnight and every afternoon at 5 p.m., Joy could hear the train go by. She thought it would drive her crazy. But after a few weeks, she didn't notice it at all. Joy had become desensitized to the stimulation of the sound of the train.

Question 7

Researchers historically agreed on four primary taste qualities: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter.

Question 8

Cochlear implants contain microphones that sense sounds and electronic equipment that transmits sounds past damaged hair cells to stimulate the auditory nerve.

Question 9

Cones allow us to see in black and white, while rods provide color vision. Cones are more sensitive to dim light than rods are.

Question 10

Pitch and loudness are two psychological dimensions of sound. The pitch of a sound is determined by its frequency, or the number of cycles per second as expressed in the unit hertz (Hz). The loudness of a sound is expressed in decibels (dB).

Question 11

When we think of the eye as the camera to the world, the photosensitive surface is called the lens, which contains photoreceptors called rods and cones.

Question 12

The difference between sensation and perception is that sensation, or the stimulation of our senses, is an automated process resulting from sources of energy (light and sound) or the presence of chemicals (as in taste and smell), while perception is an active process in which sensations are organized and interpreted to form an inner representation of the world.

Question 13

Melzack's view that neurons in the spine can simultaneously transmit only a limited amount of information, so that stimulation of neurons from many regions can limit the perception of pain in one region is called gate theory of pain.

Question 14

The part of the electro-magnetic spectrum that stimulates the eye and produces visual sensations is called visible light.

Question 15

Early in the 20th century, Gestalt psychologists noted certain consistencies in the way we integrate bits and pieces of sensory stimulation into meaningful wholes. This group of rules is referred to as the laws of similarity.

Question 16

Genetic components do not contribute to an individual's sensitivity to basic tastes.

Question 17

The Hering-Helmholtz illusion is a visual illusion.

Question 18

Active touching means continuously moving your hand along the surface of an object so that you continue to receive sensory input from the object.

Question 19

Psychophysicist Ernst Weber discovered through laboratory research that the threshold for perceiving differences in the intensity of light. His research became known as the difference threshold.

Question 20

Your friends had to tell what the painting meant because all you could see was a bunch of random dots on the canvas. You are most likely using Bottom-up processing.

Question 21

Which of the following statements is true of the absolute threshold?

A)It is determined by exposing individuals to progressively stronger stimuli until the minimum stimuli the person can detect is found.
B)It is used to represent the minimum difference in the magnitude of two stimuli required to tell them apart.
C)It is used to measure the intensity of sensory input by using the sensory adaptation process.
D)It is determined by measuring the rate at which a person becomes less sensitive to stimuli of low magnitude and more sensitive to stimuli that remain the same.

Question 22

Which of the following statements is true of depth perception?

A)The clearness of an object cannot suggest its distance.
B)Shadows and highlights give information about an object's two-dimensional shape.
C)Closer objects are perceived as having smoother textures than distant objects.
D)Distant objects stimulate smaller areas on the retina than nearby ones.

Question 23

Which of the following statements is true of the signal-detection theory?

A)The signal received from an unidentified source cannot be perceived without having prior knowledge about the source.
B)A stimulus appears to be in constant flux due to the inability of human senses to perceive the full spectrum of any sensory input.
C)The relationship between a physical stimulus and a sensory response is fully mechanical.
D)The intensity of a signal is one factor that determines whether people will perceive sensory stimuli or a difference between signals.

Question 24

In the context of pain, which of the following statements is true?

A)Pain is usually sharpest where nerve endings are densely packed.
B)Headaches originate through nerve endings present in the brain.
C)Pain does not reverberate throughout the nervous system.
D)Modern research shows that acupuncture works by balancing the body's flow of energy.

Question 25

At the start of the exam Bobbi did not notice any distracting sounds. As time passed she became more and more aware of the ticking clock on the wall. What is this an example of?

A)Sensory adaptation
B)Just noticeable difference
C)Absolute threshold
D)Subliminal stimulation

Question 26

Which of the following best describes psychokinesis?

A)It refers to the perception of objects that do not stimulate the known sensory organs.
B)It refers to the direct transmission of thoughts or ideas from one person to another.
C)It refers to the ability to mentally manipulate or move objects.
D)It refers to the transfer of information through an irregular or unusual process.

Question 27

__________refers to the tendency to perceive a broken figure as being complete or whole.

A)The principle of closure
B)The law of common fate
C)The principle of perceptual organization
D)The law of continuity

Question 28

_____ is the tendency to perceive an object as being just as luminous even though lighting conditions change its intensity.

A)Shape constancy
B)Brightness constancy
C)Color constancy
D)Size constancy

Question 29

According to the law of__________, there is a tendency to perceive a series of points or lines as having unity.

A)continuity
B)proximity
C)common fate
D)similarity

Question 30

If you were having trouble with balance, it would most likely be a problem with your ______________ system.

A)auditory
B)olfactory
C)vestibular
D)kinesthesis

Question 31

The loudness of a sound is expressed in _____.

A)hertz (Hz)
B)decibels (dB)
C)watts (W)
D)volt (V)

Question 32

_____ is a monocular cue for depth based on the coming together of parallel lines as they recede into the distance.

A)Motion parallax
B)Texture gradient
C)Perspective
D)Constancy

Question 33

Which of the following is true of Weber's constant?

A)Weber's constant for pitch is 1/444.
B)Weber discovered that the threshold for perceiving differences in the intensity of light is about 8 percent.
C)Weber's constant is not valid for noticing differences in lifted weight.
D)Weber's constant for light is inaccurate when extremely bright or dull lights are compared.

Question 34

When Kendall picked up her puppy, she did not realize that he'd gained a pound since the last time she picked him up. This small increase in weight is not big enough to be a

A)difference threshold.
B)just noticeable difference.
C)signal-detection theory.
D)correct rejection.

Question 35

The __________ conducts sensory input to the brain, where it is relayed to the visual area of the occipital lobe.

A)optic nerve
B)cornea
C)lens
D)sclera

Question 36

On a bright, sunny day, Manny leaves a dimly-lit movie theater and goes out into the street. The _____ in his eyes adjust to the sudden increase in light.

A)ganglion cells
B)fovea
C)pupils
D)optic nerves

Question 37

How many rods does each eye contain?

A)3.3 million
B)200,000
C)125 million
D)15 million

Question 38

Which of the following is true of feature detectors?

A)They are external stimuli that have a high pitch.
B)They refer to neurons that fire in response to specific features of sensory stimuli.
C)They refer to visible light that triggers visual sensations.
D)They refer to hormones that are triggered in response to visual stimuli.

Question 39

When you first wake up in the morning and turn your lights on, the _______________ changes shape to keep out some of the light so it does not damage the eye.

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

Question 40

Your friend Samantha tells you that she is red-green color blind. This means that she sees things in

A)all grey tones.
B)only shades of red and green.
C)all colors except both red and green.
D)all colors except either red or green.

Question 41

Which of the following theories proposed that there are three types of color receptors, but they are not sensitive only to red, green, and blue?

A)The opponent-process theory.
B)The signal-detection theory.
C)The trichromatic theory.
D)The place theory.

Question 42

Lisa is a fabric specialist. Recently, she was invited to an exhibition of Persian silks. Being an expert on fabrics, Lisa continuously moved her hand along the surfaces of different pieces of fabric to get the feel of them. This action is referred to as _____.

A)subliminal stimulation
B)active touching
C)light adaptation
D)sensory adaptation

Question 43

The pain message is relayed from the spinal cord to the__________and then projected to the cerebral cortex, making us aware of the location and intensity of the damage.

A)cerebrum
B)medulla
C)ganglions
D)thalamus

Question 44

Two identical model cars are parked at the far end of a parking lot. You are able to determine that one of the cars is closer to you than the other because it appears to be slightly larger, even though you know it is the same as the other. This is an example of which perceptual cue?

A)Linear parallax
B)Texture gradient
C)Size constancy
D)Overlap

Question 45

Which of the following monocular cues is based on the perception that closer objects appear to have rougher surfaces?

A)Clearness
B)Proximity
C)Motion parallax
D)Texture gradient

Question 46

The frequency theory notes that for us to perceive lower pitches, _____.

A)we need to match the frequency of the sound waves with our neural impulses
B)the frequency of our neural impulses should exceed that of the sound waves
C)we need to match the wavelength of the sound waves with our neural impulses
D)the frequency of our neural impulses should be lower than that of the sound waves

Question 47

_____ is the tendency to perceive an object as being the same hue even though lighting conditions change its appearance.

A)Size consistency
B)Color consistency
C)Shape consistency
D)Brightness consistency

Question 48

Jeff observed a quick succession of cars moving together on the road. His first thought was that they were all a part of a convoy of some sort. Which law of perceptual organization best explains Jeff's assumption?

A)The law of unity.
B)The law of similarity.
C)The law of continuity.
D)The law of common fate.

Question 49

The colors across from one another on the color wheel are labeled__________.

A)complementary colors
B)supplementary colors
C)auxiliary colors
D)secondary colors

Question 50

In _____, people tend to be more responsive to some pitches than others.

A)conductive deafness
B)sensorineural deafness
C)selective deafness
D)mixed deafness

Question 51

While looking at a painting in an art gallery, many of Jinan's brain cells fire in response to lines presented at various angles, while others fire in response to specific colors. These brain cells are termed _____.

A)pitch detectors
B)feature detectors
C)sensory adaptors
D)olfactory nerves

Question 52

_____ is the fraction of the intensity by which a source of physical energy must be increased or decreased so that a difference in intensity will be perceived.

A)Subliminal stimulation
B)The absolute threshold
C)Weber's constant
D)Newton's constant

Question 53

Which of the following statements is true of hue?

A)It can be used to treat color blindness.
B)It is present above the visible spectrum of light.
C)It is invariably the same as the saturation level of color.
D)It is determined by the wavelength of visible light.

Question 54

Exposure to very loud sounds can lead to damage of the auditory nerve or hair cells, resulting in__________.

A)conductive deafness
B)sensorineural deafness
C)tympanosclerosis
D)perichondritis

Question 55

The blind spot:

A)increases in size with age.
B)is caused by nearsightedness.
C)is insensitive to visual stimulation.
D)can be cured with laser surgery.

Question 56

The audience was very impressed by the singer's ability to hit the high and low notes. This most closely refers to __________.

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

Question 57

The__________adjusts or accommodates to an image by changing its thickness.

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

Question 58

If you look at a painting on the other side of the room with first your right and then your left eye, the images look virtually identical. However, if you place your index finger in front of your nose one eye at a time, the two images look very different from one another. The phenomenon is an example of which distance cue?

A)Monocular cues
B)Positive cues
C)Binocular cues
D)Negative cues

Question 59

Dr. Mickie studies the perception of sensory stimuli by utilizing signal-detection theory. This theory involves the interaction of physical, _______ and ______ factors.

A)biological; social
B)cognitive; developmental
C)biological; psychological
D)developmental; psychological

Question 60

Visual acuity is highest when images are focused on the fovea because of the high concentration of ____ in the region.

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

Question 61

Brad was surprised to learn that Ameer did not belong to the National Honor Society because he always seemed to hang out with other members of that organization. This is best explained by the principle of the law of__________.

A)effect
B)proximity
C)common fate
D)continuity

Question 62

In the context of the eye, changes in thickness of the lens permit:

A)a clear image of an object to be projected onto the retina.
B)the pupil to automatically adjust to the amount of light present.
C)the fovea to stimulate the blind spot to negate visual stimulation.
D)an object to intensify the wavelength of its hue for better perception.

Question 63

The perception of objects or events through means other than the recognized sensory organs is termed__________.

A)subliminal perception
B)psychokinesis
C)kinesthesis
D)extrasensory perception

Question 64

Which of the following fractions is known as Weber's constant for light?

A)1/60^th
B)1/53^rd
C)1/333^rd
D)1/10^th

Question 65

Visual stimuli can be flashed too briefly, below our absolute threshold for conscious perception, to enable us to process them. This is an example of__________.

A)subliminal stimulation
B)the difference threshold
C)light adaptation
D)dark adaptation

Question 66

The term__________is derived from the ancient Greek words for "motion" and "perception".

A)kinesthesis
B)psychokinesis
C)clairvoyance
D)telepathy

Question 67

Amy and George were practicing a song for a cultural program. Their music teacher insisted that Amy sing the verses in a high pitch. Which of the following could be a reason for the music teacher's decision to select Amy for the high pitch sounds and not George?

A)A woman's vocal cords are usually shorter and vibrate at a greater frequency.
B)The pitch of a man's voice is usually too high to resonate.
C)A man's vocal cords are shorter and therefore vibrate at a lower frequency.
D)The pitch of women's voices is usually lower than that of men's voices.

Question 68

Which of the following is not a principle of Gestalt psychology?

A)Similarity.
B)Closure.
C)Proximity.
D)Weight.

Question 69

What structure of the ear directly transmits information to the 'stirrup'?

A)Eardrum
B)Oval window
C)Anvil
D)Basilar membrane

Question 70

In which of the following conditions do receptors for warmth fire?

A)When skin temperature increases.
B)When body temperature decreases.
C)When nociceptors in the skin are depressed.
D)When phantom limb pain is aroused.

Question 71

Nearsightedness can result when the eyeball is elongated such that the images of:

A)nearby objects are focused behind the retina.
B)distant objects are focused in front of the retina.
C)nearby objects are magnified to twice their original size.
D)distant objects are shrunk to less than their original size.

Question 72

Amy accidentally hit her elbow against the edge of a wall. Amy's mother rushed to her and rubbed the affected elbow. Amy's pain subsided. Which theory would best explain this incident?

A)The signal-detection theory.
B)The place theory.
C)The gate theory.
D)The opponent-process theory.

Question 73

The__________states that in response to sound waves of frequencies between a few hundred and 4,000 cycles per second, groups of neurons take turns firing to transmit sensory information about pitches.

A)frequency theory
B)closure principle
C)volley principle
D)place theory

Question 74

_____ is the process by which we organize or make sense of the sensory impressions caused by the light that strikes our eyes.

A)Visual perception
B)Subliminal stimulation
C)Subliminal perception
D)Auditory stimulation

Question 75

Which of the following is a function of the middle ear?

A)To stimulate the basilar membrane.
B)To decrease the pressure of the air that is expelled from the body.
C)To funnel sound waves to the eardrum.
D)To increase the pressure of the air entering the ear.

Question 76

In the context of auditory perception, which of the following statements is true?

A)The frequency theory holds that the pitch of a sound is sensed according to the place along the basilar membrane that vibrates in response to it.
B)The place theory notes that for us to perceive lower pitches, we need to match the frequency of the sound waves with our neural impulses.
C)Neurons that carry auditory signals cannot fire more than 100 times per second due to the uneven lengths of the axons.
D)The frequency theory appears to account only for pitch perception between 20 and a few hundred cycles per second.

Question 77

Which of the following senses is dominant in human beings?

A)Hearing
B)Smell
C)Vision
D)Touch

Question 78

__________usually stems from damage to the structures of the inner ear, most often the loss of hair cells. People with this condition tend to be more sensitive to some pitches than others.

A)Sensorineural deafness
B)Selective hearing
C)Conductive deafness
D)Discriminatory perception

Question 79

_____ refers to the perception of objects that do not stimulate the known sensory organs.

A)The vestibular sense
B)Clairvoyance
C)The kinesthetic sense
D)Psychokinesis

Question 80

Pain results when neurons called__________in the skin are stimulated.

A)cerebellum stellate cells
B)ganglions
C)nociceptors
D)unipolar neurons