Deck 4: Sensation and Perception

Question 1

Which of the following sensory processes is most activated when a person is listening to a song?

A)Thermoreception
B)Chemoreception
C)Mechanoreception
D)Photoreception

Answer 1

Mechanoreception

Question 2

_____ are the openings through which the brain and nervous system experience the world.

A)Sensory receptors
B)Stem cells
C)Sensory effectors
D)Barrier cells

Answer 2

Sensory receptors

Question 3

Four-year-old Jimmy is reading for the first time.He is paying no attention to the meaning of the words because he is busy trying to say the words out loud by placing the letters together.In this scenario,Jimmy is primarily using _____ processing.

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

Answer 3

bottom-up

Question 4

Mrs.Robinson shows her students different fruits every day.At the end of the month,she tests the children by showing them pictures of the same fruits to see if the children are able to recognize them.The children are able to accurately recall the names of all the fruits.Which of the following processes is specifically involved in the children's successful recall?

A)Forward processing
B)Top-down processing
C)Backward processing
D)Bottom-up processing

Question 5

Jack sees a sleek object with four wheels and four doors on the street and recognizes that it is a car.This process of interpreting what he sees as a car is called _____.

A)perception
B)sensation
C)transduction
D)inhibition

Question 6

Which of the following receptors is most activated when a person is watching a silent movie?

A)Thermoreceptors
B)Chemoreceptors
C)Mechanoreceptors
D)Photoreceptors

Question 7

_____ is a very subjective interpretation of information received from the sense organs.

A)Perception
B)Amplitude
C)Sensation
D)Transduction

Question 8

Every day,one sees,hears,smells,tastes,and feels stimuli from the outside world.The process of collecting this data about the world is referred to as _____.

A)perception
B)inoculation
C)sensation
D)transduction

Question 9

Which of the following scenarios illustrates top-down processing in sensation and perception?

A)As Jack is walking down the street, he sees people around him running indoors for shelter and runs indoors because it is raining.
B)Tim listens to a song and realizes that he enjoys it.
C)Josh eats a cheeseburger and realizes that he does not like the taste of beef.
D)As Tom is swimming in the ocean, he suddenly experiences extreme pain on his feet and realizes that he has been stung by a jellyfish.

Question 10

In the context of perception,bottom-up processing involves analysis that begins with:

A)perceptual sets.
B)sensory receptors.
C)the brain.
D)the heart.

Question 11

Lionel steps on a jellyfish as he walks barefoot on the beach.At the moment of contact,the physical pain he experiences most accurately exemplifies _____.

A)sensation
B)perception
C)incubation
D)photoreception

Question 12

In psychology,the process of organizing and interpreting incoming sensory information is called _____.

A)perception
B)sensation
C)awareness
D)arousal

Question 13

A teacher uses pictures of animals to help her students identify those animals.The children look at each picture and then say the name of the animal in the picture out loud.This method of learning is most reflective of _____ processing.

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

Question 14

Rachel is walking in the woods and feels a sudden pain in the back of her neck.Due to the nature of the pain she recognizes that she has been stung by a bee.In this scenario,which of the following processes has most likely helped her identify the source of her pain?

A)Photoreception
B)Perception
C)Incubation
D)Transduction

Question 15

In the context of perception,_____ processing involves starting with a sense of what is happening and then applying that framework to incoming information from the world.

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

Question 16

In the context of sensation and perception,specialized cells that detect stimulus information and transmit it to afferent nerves and the brain are called _____.

A)ganglion cells
B)sensory receptors
C)sensory effectors
D)barrier cells

Question 17

In the context of sensory receptors,the intensity of the stimulus is communicated to the brain by varying the _____ of the action potential sent to the brain.

A)strength
B)frequency
C)intensity
D)lucidity

Question 18

Which of the following correctly differentiates between top-down processing and bottom-up processing?

A)Top-down processing starts with cognitive processing; bottom-up processing starts with the external environment.
B)Top-down processes begin with sensory receptors; bottom-up processes begin with the interpretation of information.
C)Bottom-up expectations are not always accurate; top-down expectations are always accurate.
D)Bottom-up processing can happen in the absence of a stimulus; top-down processing cannot happen in the absence of a stimulus.

Question 19

The process of receiving stimulus energy from the environment and transforming it into neural energy is called _____.

A)sensation
B)consciousness
C)perception
D)cognition

Question 20

In the context of sensation and perception,the detection of pressure by sensory receptors is called _____.

A)thermoreception
B)chemoreception
C)mechanoreception
D)photoreception

Question 21

In the context of sensation,which of the following receptors is most activated when a person is tickled?

A)Thermoreceptors
B)Chemoreceptors
C)Mechanoreceptors
D)Photoreceptors

Question 22

In the context of the difference threshold,_____ is the principle that two stimuli must differ by a constant proportion to be perceived as different.

A)Stroop effect
B)Weber's law
C)the law of effect
D)the Ponzo illusion

Question 23

In the context of sensation and perception,_____ is the minimum amount of stimulus energy that a person can detect.

A)noise
B)amplitude
C)perceptual set
D)absolute threshold

Question 24

In the context of sensory receptors and the brain,a person's ability to sense future events is known as _____.

A)magic
B)levitation
C)precognition
D)telepathy

Question 25

If a person hears two sounds that fluctuate in intensity,the point at which he or she can detect the contrast in the sounds is referred to as the _____.

A)difference threshold
B)amplitude
C)absolute threshold
D)saturation

Question 26

Jenny detects a change in brightness when a 25W light bulb is replaced with a 100W light bulb but not when it is replaced with a 50W light bulb.However,she detects a change if the same 50W light bulb is replaced with a 200W light bulb.The differences in Jenny's ability to perceive these changes can be explained by _____.

A)the Stroop effect
B)Thorndike's law
C)the Ponzo illusion
D)Weber's law

Question 27

An architect is designing an apartment for his client,who wants to soundproof the interiors so that she cannot hear noises from the outside.In order for the client to be satisfied,the architect should ensure that the walls are thick enough to keep external noises out.In other words,the architect will work to increase his client's _____.

A)absolute threshold
B)perceptual set
C)saturation
D)amplitude

Question 28

Subliminally presented stimuli:

A)can sometimes be subconsciously perceived.
B)are not recognized by the brain.
C)increase the absolute thresholds for visual images.
D)occur above the level of the absolute threshold.

Question 29

Which of the following examples best illustrates extrasensory perception (ESP)?

A)George performs a magic trick.
B)Tony runs faster than the others in a race.
C)Jeff reads another person's mind.
D)Richard levitates in front of an audience.

Question 30

Rachel is at home awaiting her son's arrival;she has not seen him for three months.She does not hear his car until it is in her driveway,at which point she runs to the door to greet him.The point at which she can detect the sound of the car 50 percent of the time is her _____.

A)absolute threshold
B)frequency
C)amplitude
D)perceptual set

Question 31

Daniel conducts an experiment to see whether he can taste a quarter teaspoon of sugar dissolved in a glass of water.The same quantity of water is used for ten trials.Five out of ten times,Daniel does detect the taste of the sugar in the water.His taste of the sugar five out of ten times represents his _____.

A)taste aversion
B)extrasensory perception
C)synaesthesia
D)absolute threshold

Question 32

John is appalled when he is charged $50 for a cake instead of its usual price of $25.When he is charged $50 instead of $40,he barely notices the difference.In the context of Weber's law,which of the following price increases for a cake would most likely be equally appalling to John?

A)$100 instead of $80
B)$100 instead of $50
C)$60 instead of $50
D)$60 instead of $80

Question 33

The _____ theory of perception states that detection of sensory stimuli depends on a variety of factors besides the physical intensity of the stimulus and the sensory abilities of the observer.

A)opponent process
B)trichromatic
C)signal detection
D)activation-synthesis

Question 34

Gary is watching a movie.He can hear the dialogue at all times except when the actors are whispering in a scene.This is because the actors' whispers are too soft for Gary to hear.In other words,the whispers are most likely below the level of Gary's _____.

A)expectation
B)arbitrary value
C)absolute threshold
D)upper limit

Question 35

In the context of sensory receptors,chemoreception occurs when:

A)a person punches a wall.
B)a person stares at bright light.
C)a person listens to the radio.
D)a person smells a rose.

Question 36

In the context of sensory receptors and the brain,a person's ability to read another person's mind is known as _____.

A)magic
B)levitation
C)precognition
D)telepathy

Question 37

Thomas,a war veteran,still experiences occasional aches in the arm that was amputated when he was injured in a war.In the context of sensory receptors and the brain,Thomas's condition best illustrates the phenomenon of _____.

A)extra sensory perception
B)synaesthesia
C)phantom limb pain
D)incubation

Question 38

When a person is paid $5 instead of $10,he or she feels cheated.When the same person is paid $90 instead of $100,it does not seem like a big difference to him or her.However,if the person is paid 90$ instead of $180,he or she feels cheated again.This scenario can be best explained by _____.

A)the Ponzo illusion
B)the Stroop effect
C)Weber's law
D)Thorndike's law

Question 39

Teresa,a young woman,is an object of interest for psychological researchers because her senses work differently from other people.She hears her favorite song when she eats meatballs and she smells fish when she touches a rose.In the context of sensory receptors and the brain,Teresa's experiences best illustrate the phenomenon of _____.

A)extra sensory perception
B)synaesthesia
C)phantom limb pain
D)incubation

Question 40

Mary requests her neighbor to turn down the volume of his television so that Mary does not hear it.The volume at which Mary cannot hear the television most of the time is:

A)below her absolute threshold.
B)above her difference threshold.
C)above the level of noise.
D)below her expected level of noise.

Question 41

In the visual system,_____ are the receptors in the retina of the eye that are sensitive to light but are not very useful for color vision.

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

Question 42

The wavelength of light determines its _____,and the amplitude of light determines its _____.

A)hue; brightness
B)brightness; hue
C)hue; saturation
D)saturation; hue

Question 43

Although the volume of the television is low,Katherine does not hear her phone ring when she is watching a movie that she likes.In this scenario,Katherine is demonstrating _____.

A)color blindness
B)inattentional blindness
C)subliminal perception
D)correct rejection

Question 44

In the visual system,the opening in the center of the iris is known as the _____.

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

Question 45

In the visual system,the _____ is the white,outer part of the eye that helps to maintain the shape of the eye and to protect it from injury.

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

Question 46

Peter who lives in the United States has been offered a job in India.Before he makes his decision,he reads books on India and likes what he reads.He believes that according to his personal criteria,India will suit him very well.A few months after his move to India,Peter realizes that he cannot adapt to the weather or the culture in India and regrets his decision.According to the signal detection theory,this outcome can best be labeled as a _____.

A)hit
B)miss
C)false alarm
D)correct rejection

Question 47

In the visual system,the clear membrane just in front of the eye is the _____.

A)retina
B)lens
C)cornea
D)rod

Question 48

Nathan is being tutored by one his classmates,Sarah.Nathan wants to ask Sarah to the prom but does not know whether she is interested in him.He looks out for signals of encouragement from her and realizes that she does not have a date for the prom.He also notes that she often calls him on the telephone just to talk,and joins him for lunch on most days.This encourages Nathan to ask Sarah out and when he does,she says yes.According to the signal detection theory,this outcome can best be labeled as a _____.

A)hit
B)miss
C)false alarm
D)correct rejection

Question 49

Jenna is unable to fall asleep because the neighbor's dog is barking.After fifteen minutes,Jenna stops noticing the dog barking and falls asleep.This scenario best illustrates the process of _____.

A)perceptual constancy
B)saturation
C)amplification
D)sensory adaptation

Question 50

In the visual system,the major purpose of the iris of the eye is to:

A)protect the eye from injury.
B)control the pupil size.
C)focus light on the retina.
D)transform light energy.

Question 51

As Peter drives down the interstate,he misses his exit because his attention is diverted by the accident site in front of him.In this scenario,Peter is illustrating the phenomenon of _____.

A)emotion-induced blindness
B)color blindness
C)subliminal perception
D)correct rejection

Question 52

When Carlos first arrives at his friend's party,the music is so loud that he covers his ears.After a few hours,even though the music is still at the same volume,it stops bothering him.This change in his reaction to the volume of the music illustrates:

A)perceptual constancy.
B)sensory adaptation.
C)transduction.
D)saturation.

Question 53

A person's predisposition or readiness to perceive something in a particular way is known as _____.

A)subliminal perception
B)an optic illusion
C)sensory adaptation
D)a perceptual set

Question 54

Lauren is at the airport waiting to board her flight.She initiates a friendly conversation with another passenger.Despite the noise at the airport and multiple announcements being made at the same time,Lauren is able to focus on what the passenger is saying.This scenario best demonstrates the occurrence of the _____.

A)cocktail party effect
B)Stroop effect
C)volley principle
D)sound shadow

Question 55

George is looking at the colors on a paint swatch card to select the right shade of red for his wall.He is able to differentiate between the various shades of red on the card and makes a quick decision.His perception of the differences in the shades can be attributed to the _____ of light reflecting from the shades.

A)gradients
B)timbres
C)frequencies
D)wavelengths

Question 56

_____ refers to the failure of a person to detect unexpected events when he or she is focused on another task.

A)Emotion-induced blindness
B)Inattentional blindness
C)Sensory adaptation
D)Perpetual set

Question 57

Donna is a marathon runner.When she runs a race,she does not see or hear the spectators because she is completely focused on the finish line.In this scenario,Donna is clearly demonstrating the phenomenon of _____.

A)saturation
B)selective attention
C)inoculation
D)sensory adaptation

Question 58

Josh,a teenager,is attending his first party.He wants to ask a girl,Fiona,to dance but does not know whether she will say yes.He notices that Fiona is pretty,a little shy,and wants to dance.He also sees that she is not surrounded by friends.Which component of the signal detection theory is Josh illustrating by gathering these details about Fiona?

A)Information acquisition
B)Criterion
C)False alarm
D)Sensory failure

Question 59

The _____ of the wavelengths of a visual stimulus determines the perceived saturation,or richness,of the stimulus.

A)height
B)width
C)purity
D)strength

Question 60

In the visual system,the _____ of the eye is filled with a gelatinous material that helps focus light.

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

Question 61

Which of the following statements is true of the cones of the eye's retina?

A)Cones are used for color perception.
B)Cones are not light-sensitive.
C)Cones are not found in the fovea.
D)Cones operate best in the dark.

Question 62

Which of the following statements is true of the structure of the eye?

A)The curved surface of the cornea does most of the bending of the light.
B)The light reaching the eye from objects that are far is more scattered.
C)The rods are the receptors that are used for color perception.
D)The cones are the receptors that are hard at work at night.

Question 63

Which of the followings statements is true of the rods in the eye's retina?

A)Rods are very useful for color vision.
B)Rods are not hard at work at night.
C)Rods are found everywhere except in the fovea.
D)Rods do not function well under low illumination.

Question 64

The blind spot is the area on the retina that contains:

A)only rods.
B)neither rods nor cones.
C)only cones.
D)both rods and cones.

Question 65

In the context of visual processing in the brain,the purpose of parallel processing is to:

A)see and process all information about sensory qualities at once.
B)ensure that the bending power of the cornea is sufficient to keep things in focus.
C)prevent the misinterpretation of colors.
D)use binocular and monocular cues to perceive depth.

Question 66

Timothy's vision is a focus of interest for many ophthalmologists.He is able to see well when there is low illumination but not so well when there is a lot of light,for instance,if he is outdoors during the day.He is also unable to detect most colors during the day.Which poorly-functioning structure of the eye is most likely causing Timothy's unusual vision?

A)Rods
B)Cones
C)Optic nerve
D)Sclera

Question 67

In the visual system,which of the following statements is true of parallel processing?

A)It is the transfer of information across a single neural pathway.
B)It is a system that processes information about sensory qualities serially.
C)It is the simultaneous distribution of information across different neural pathways.
D)It first processes the shapes of stimuli and then the color and movement.

Question 68

In the context of the structure of the eye,the axons of the ganglion cells make up the _____.

A)optic chiasm
B)rods
C)cones
D)optic nerve

Question 69

_____ are individual neurons or groups of neurons in the brain's visual system that respond to particular characteristics of a stimulus.

A)Rods
B)Blind spots
C)Bipolar cells
D)Feature detectors

Question 70

In the context of the structure of the eye,the area toward the center of the retina that contains only cones is called the:

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

Question 71

The _____ is the place on the retina where the optic nerve leaves the eye on its way to the brain.

A)fovea
B)blind spot
C)cornea
D)bipolar cell

Question 72

The crossover point in the eye,where the visual information originating in the right halves of the two retinas is transmitted to the right side of the occipital lobe is called the:

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

Question 73

In the visual system,the main function of rods and cones is to:

A)stretch and bend light entering the eye.
B)direct the optic nerve to the brain.
C)adjust sensory thresholds.
D)convert light into electrochemical impulses.

Question 74

In the context of the visual system,which of the following scenarios best illustrates the need for the functioning of rods in the retina?

A)Shelby is window-shopping on her favorite street during the day.
B)Ray is reading under a bright light in the library.
C)Marcus is trying to find his seat in the dark in a movie theater.
D)Andrew is watching football on the television in his living room.

Question 75

The _____,located in the occipital lobe at the back of the brain,is the part of the cerebral cortex involved in sight.

A)cerebellum
B)visual cortex
C)medulla
D)reticular formation

Question 76

In the context of visual processing in the brain,the simultaneous distribution of sensory information across different neural pathways is referred to as:

A)amplification.
B)bottom-up processing.
C)transduction.
D)parallel processing.

Question 77

Jane was in a car accident,which caused severe damage to her head.As a result,Jane's vision was affected.Although her eyes are able to detect visual stimuli and form images on her retina,her brain is not receiving the visual information.This problem with Jane's vision is most likely due to improper functioning of the _____.

A)optic nerve
B)lens
C)sclera
D)blind spot

Question 78

Which of the following statements is true of the retina in the eye?

A)The fovea is a tiny area at the center of the retina where there is no vision.
B)The cones are present everywhere in the retina except at the fovea.
C)The bipolar cells carry the visual information directly to the brain.
D)The blind spot contains neither rods nor cones.

Question 79

The place on the retina that contains neither rods nor cones is where the:

A)lens becomes cloudy.
B)retina degenerates.
C)optic nerve leaves the eye.
D)ciliary muscle is located.

Question 80

The multilayered light-sensitive surface in the eye that records electromagnetic energy and converts it into neural impulses for processing in the brain is known as the _____.

A)retina
B)cornea
C)blind spot
D)optic chiasm