Deck 3: Sensation and Perception

Question 1

If Holly exceeds Weber's Constant for pitch, her singing teacher would think

A)she has perfect pitch.
B)her singing lessons are working.
C)she should apply for American Idol.
D)she is tone deaf.

Answer 1

she is tone deaf.

Question 2

Visible light is

A)electromagnetic energy.
B)chemical energy.
C)biochemical energy.
D)pressure/vacuum energy.

Answer 2

electromagnetic energy.

Question 3

Signal detection theory incorporates all of the following except the

A)activation of feature detectors.
B)perceiver's motivation, expectations, and learning.
C)contrast between signal and background noise.
D)attention to signals deemed important.

Answer 3

activation of feature detectors.

Question 4

Which sensory system is dominant for most individuals?

A)Sound
B)Scent
C)Sight
D)Touch

Question 5

_______________ is to mechanical stimulation as perception is to mental representation.

A)Adaptation
B)Organization
C)Sensation
D)Cognition

Question 6

What are feature detectors?

A)Mechanical processes that involve the stimulation of sensory receptors.
B)Neurons that fire in response to specific features of sensed stimuli.
C)Visible light that triggers visual sensations.
D)The lowest intensity at which a stimulus can be detected.

Question 7

Research has shown that subliminal stimulation can bring up ________ responses in human subjects.

A)emotional
B)angry
C)physical
D)financial

Question 8

The ability of a person to spot a traffic light while driving on a noisy, tree-lined street is a topic of people who study

A)ESP.
B)perceptual constancies.
C)signal detection theory.
D)just noticeable difference theory.

Question 9

Which of the following colors is longest in wavelength?

A)Red
B)Yellow
C)Violet
D)Green

Question 10

Gustav Fechner used the term _______________ to refer to the weakest amount of a stimulus that a person can distinguish from no stimulus at all.

A)difference threshold
B)psychophysical difference
C)absolute threshold
D)subliminal perception

Question 11

After being in a dark room for a while, you can see much better than you could when you walked in. This is known as

A)desensitization.
B)sensitization.
C)virtual stabilization.
D)motion imaging.

Question 12

The process by which sensations are organized to form inner representations of the world is called

A)psychophysical.
B)sensation.
C)acupuncture.
D)perception.

Question 13

Which of the following statements is not true?

A)There are individual differences in absolute thresholds.
B)Our ears are particularly sensitive to sounds that are very low in pitch.
C)The measure of the absolute threshold for taste is the equivalent of about 1 teaspoon of sugar dissolved in 2 gallons of water.
D)The police officer caught the just-speeding car on his radar because he was motivated to reduce the number of speeders on his patrol, which illustrates the signal detection theory.

Question 14

When we become less aware of a woman's perfume because of the constant stimulation to our senses, it is called

A)anosomatization.
B)desensitization .
C)positive adaptation.
D)sensitization.

Question 15

Wallace lives near a major railroad changing station. He is desensitized to the noise of the roaring trains. What has taken place?

A)Positive adaptation
B)Negative adaptation
C)Signal detection
D)Sensory adaptation

Question 16

Difference threshold for various sensory systems are expressed as

A)Webster's constant.
B)Fechner's constant.
C)Weber's constant.
D)sensory constant.

Question 17

What is psychophysics?

A)The way in which we translate physical events into psychological experiences.
B)The relationship between the intensity of a stimulus and a physical event.
C)A constant ratio between the stimulus threshold and reference stimulus.
D)The process by which sensations are organized and interpreted to form an inner representation of the world.

Question 18

In which of the following occupations would signal detection theory be most appropriate?

A)Airplane mechanic
B)Air traffic controller
C)Airplane salesperson
D)Flight attendant

Question 19

Spencer is taking a shower. He wants the water hotter. He turns the water temperature knob one half inch to the right, but the water temperature does not seem to change. Apparently, the temperature did not exceed his

A)absolute threshold.
B)psychophysical threshold.
C)difference threshold.
D)subliminal threshold.

Question 20

__________ respond to a person's environmental context, such as edges, contours, motion, and depth of objects.

A)Feature detectors
B)Signal detectors
C)Depth-of-field monitors
D)Sensory receptors

Question 21

Jim sees only in white and black. After careful examination of his retina, the ophthalmologist concludes that Jim's ___________ have degenerated.

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

Question 22

You have been at the beach all day and forgot your sunglasses. What part of the eye is most likely damaged?

A)Peripheral area
B)Blind spot
C)Optic nerve
D)Fovea

Question 23

Which of the following statements is correct concerning the rods and cones?

A)We have many more rods than cones.
B)We have many more cones than rods.
C)We have about the same number of rods and cones.
D)As we get older, cones begin to outnumber the rods.

Question 24

What is a photoreceptor?

A)The part of the spectrum that stimulates the eye and produces visual sensations
B)Cells that respond to light
C)Neurons whose axons form the optic nerve
D)Neurons that conduct neural impulses from rods and cones to ganglion cells

Question 25

The film in a camera is like the ________ in the eye.

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

Question 26

As your environment gets brighter, your pupil should

A)dilate.
B)constrict.
C)not change.
D)constrict then dilate.

Question 27

You are going to try out for a play. The character is icy, cool, and distant. What color should your outfit be?

A)Red
B)Yellow
C)Violet
D)Blue

Question 28

Maleek just went to the optometrist for a procedure in which the doctor put a chemical into his eyes to dilate the pupils. Right after the procedure, Maleek will

A)be blind for about an hour.
B)be able to see very well in bright sunlight but not in dark rooms.
C)be very sensitive to light.
D)show no visual differences than before the procedure.

Question 29

The axons of the __________ make up the optic nerve, which exits the eye at the __________.

A)bipolar cells; fovea
B)ganglion cells; blind spot
C)bipolar cell; blind spot
D)horizontal cells; fovea

Question 30

Your good friend Agnes has difficulty reading road signs when she drives. What condition does she likely exhibit?

A)Her eyeballs are too short.
B)She has presbyopia.
C)She is farsighted.
D)She is nearsighted.

Question 31

Colors across from each other on the color wheel are labeled

A)complementary.
B)analogous.
C)primary.
D)trichromatic.

Question 32

Carmalita noticed that when objects are far away, they are not as clear as they used to be. Carmalita is becoming

A)nearsighted.
B)farsighted.
C)colorblind.
D)presbyopic.

Question 33

What are complementary colors?

A)Colors that are beside each other on the color wheel.
B)Colors that are across from each other on the color wheel.
C)Colors that are mixed together and dissolve into light yellow.
D)Colors that reflect very little light.

Question 34

The axons of the million or so ganglion cells in our retina converge to form the

A)fovea.
B)sclera.
C)optic nerve.
D)rods and cones.

Question 35

The mixture of lights is a(n) _____ process. The mixture of pigments is a(n) _____ process.

A)additive; subtractive
B)subtractive; additive
C)additive; additive
D)subtractive; subtractive

Question 36

The colored part of the eye is called the

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

Question 37

When light enters the eye, it first must pass through the

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

Question 38

Your 45-year-old father was just told by his eye doctor that he needs reading glasses. This could be

A)macular degeneration.
B)retinitis pigmentosis.
C)presbyopia.
D)nearsightedness.

Question 39

Wavelength of light determines its

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

Question 40

As you leave a darkly lit movie theater and enter the parking lot on a bright sunny day, the ______ in your eyes adjust so you are not blinded by the increase in light.

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

Question 41

Thomas Young projected three different colored lights onto a screen so they partially overlapped. He found that he could produce ______________________ of the lights.

A)analogous colors by varying the duration
B)any color by varying the saturation
C)afterimages by varying the intensities
D)any color by varying the intensities

Question 42

The gestalt rule describing the perceptual tendency to see objects that are near each other as belonging to a set is termed ________; the tendency to see like objects as belonging together is termed ________.

A)proximity; continuity
B)closure; constancy
C)continuity; similarity
D)proximity; similarity

Question 43

When we go to the market, we see the lettuce, carrots, and cucumbers as separate and distinct groups because of the gestalt law of

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

Question 44

The perceptual tendency to separate objects from the surroundings is called

A)figure-ground perception.
B)closure.
C)gestalt rules of perception.
D)trichromatic theory.

Question 45

Hermann von Helmholz suggested that we see color because of

A)varying sensitivities to light by cones.
B)varying sensitivities to light by rods.
C)opponent processes of cones.
D)consistency of photoreceptivity.

Question 46

If Chad can discriminate between red and green but not blue and yellow. He is known as a

A)trichromat.
B)colorblind male.
C)monochromat.
D)dichromat.

Question 47

When we see a group moving together, we tend to impose a perception of unified purpose to the group. This is the Gestalt law of

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

Question 48

If you mix blue and yellow, you get green. This is true only when you are mixing

A)light.
B)pigments.
C)afterimages.
D)wavelengths.

Question 49

Your professor has just called you a trichromat. What does this mean?

A)You can only perceive three colors.
B)You have normal color vision.
C)You have damaged cones in your retina.
D)You have damaged rods in your retina.

Question 50

The Necker cube illustrates a dramatic perceptual shift in

A)figure-ground.
B)autokinetic effect.
C)closure.
D)stroboscopic motion.

Question 51

The Young-Helmholtz theory of color vision is also known as the

A)varying sensitivities theory.
B)monochromatic theory.
C)opponent-processes theory.
D)trichromatic theory.

Question 52

The opponents-process theory of color vision is based on the idea that the retina contains

A)three types of simple receptors sensitive to red, green, and blue.
B)three types of receptors, two sensitive to color and one to differences in brightness.
C)three sets of cells responsive to brightness.
D)three types of receptors responsive to primary colors.

Question 53

Why does grass appear green?

A)The pigment in chlorophyll absorbs most of the red, blue, and violet wavelengths of light, and the green is reflected.
B)The pigment in chlorophyll reflects most of the red, blue, and violet wavelengths of light, and the green is absorbed.
C)The red pigment reflects all the wavelengths of light, leaving only various shades of green.
D)The blue pigment absorbs all the wavelengths of light, and various amounts of green are absorbed.

Question 54

If you are putting a puzzle together while looking at a picture of the completed project, this would illustrate

A)bottom-up processing.
B)top-down processing.
C)rule of continuity.
D)law of closure.

Question 55

Gestalt psychologists have noted the rules in the way humans integrate bits and pieces of sensory stimulation into meaningful whole experiences. The rules are referred to as the laws of

A)bottom-up processing.
B)figure-ground perception.
C)perceptual organization.
D)opponent-process theory.

Question 56

George is partially colorblind, his sister is not, but her sons are partially colorblind. These family traits are best described by which of the following statements?

A)Partial colorblindness occurs only in men.
B)The gene responsible for partial colorblindness has nothing to do with gender.
C)George's and his sister's eye color chromosomes are different.
D)Partial colorblindness is a sex-linked trait that affects mostly males.

Question 57

__________ are the persistent sensations of color followed by the perception of the complementary color when the first color is removed.

A)Analogous hues
B)Complementary colors
C)Afterimages
D)Sensory impressions

Question 58

If a man of normal color vision looks at a green paper for about 30 seconds and then shifts his gaze to a sheet of white paper, that paper will appear

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

Question 59

Ewald Hering proposed the opponent-process theory of color vision, which claims

A)three types of color receptors are responsible for afterimages.
B)the four types of color receptors are sensitive to red, green, blue, and the brightness of the light.
C)a red-green cone can transmit messages for red and green at the same time.
D)staring at a green, black, and yellow flag for 30 seconds will not disturb the perception of color.

Question 60

If Dennis is a monochromat, he

A)has excellent vision.
B)partially colorblind.
C)is totally colorblind.
D)has normal color vision.

Question 61

From a chair lift high above the slopes, we perceive the skiers below as normal size even though their images formed on our retinas are extremely small. This occurs because of

A)shape constancy.
B)size constancy.
C)illusory constancy.
D)binocular cues.

Question 62

The "bottom" in bottom-up processing is generally thought to be

A)the assembly of information process.
B)the problem-solving process.
C)the brain.
D)the big picture.

Question 63

The tendency to perceive an object as being just as bright in varying amounts of light is called

A)an illusion.
B)a monocular cue.
C)brightness constancy.
D)color constancy.

Question 64

The tendency to perceive a stationary point of light as moving in a dark room is called the

A)phi phenomenon.
B)framing effect.
C)stroboscopic motion.
D)autokinetic effect

Question 65

At the movies, it appears to you that the actors and objects on the screen are actually moving. This experience is based on

A)stroboscopic motion.
B)motion parallax.
C)the Mueller-Lyer illusion.
D)the autokinetic effect.

Question 66

If Kimberly tells you that she was surprised the shredded picture that she pieced together turned out to be an image of herself, you may assume that she had used mostly __________ processing.

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

Question 67

When looking at a wall-mount telephone straight on, a rectangular image forms on Kirby's retinas; looking at the same phone at an angle from the side, a trapezoidal shape forms in each eye. Yet the phone retains the same appearance despite the changing images. This is best explained by

A)size constancy.
B)lateral vision.
C)shape constancy.
D)illusory contours.

Question 68

Nine-year-old Dennis enjoyed crossing his eyes for his friends. He was using the same eye muscles that are used in

A)accommodation.
B)retinal disparity.
C)convergence.
D)motion parallax.

Question 69

The "top" in top-down processing is generally thought to be

A)the receptors.
B)the first neuron in a chain.
C)the brain.
D)the last neuron in a chain.

Question 70

When we drive along a dark road at night, the moon may appear to move along with us. This perceptual experience is an example of

A)the autokinetic effect.
B)the phi phenomenon.
C)binocular depth cues.
D)motion parallax.

Question 71

If Kiobe, an African pygmy who grew up and lived all his life in a thick forest, told an anthropologist that the distant buffalo on the open plain were insects, one might conclude that he

A)suffered from presbyopia.
B)lacked brightness constancy.
C)lacked shape constancy for great distance.
D)lacked size constancy for great distance.

Question 72

Both stroboscopic motion and the phi phenomenon are examples of __________ and both appear to occur because of the Gestalt law of __________.

A)real movement; closure
B)apparent motion; closure
C)illusory motion; continuity
D)apparent motion; continuity

Question 73

Brad hurt his left eye in football practice and was given an eyepatch to wear. Brad discovered that his depth perception was not as good as usual, especially when driving on unlit roads at night. This is because he could make use of only

A)binocular cues.
B)monocular cues.
C)perspective.
D)shadows.

Question 74

In a painting that you are observing, one object is perceived as a two-dimensional circle and another appears to be a three-dimensional sphere. What monocular cue can account for this effect?

A)Convergence
B)Relative size
C)Shadowing
D)Shape constancy

Question 75

If you bring your finger toward your nose, at some point you will see two fingers. This is due to

A)motion parallax.
B)constancy.
C)retinal disparity.
D)shadowing.

Question 76

The real movement of a deer running through the woods is

A)termed the autokinetic effect.
B)mainly based on stroboscopic motion of the deer glimpsed through the trees.
C)mainly based on the deer's change of position relative to the trees.
D)termed phi phenomenon.

Question 77

The image of a cat from 20 feet away occupies about the same amount of space on your retina as an inch-long piece of candy in your hand. Yet you still perceive the cat as larger than the piece of candy because of

A)shape constancy.
B)retinal disparity.
C)size constancy.
D)brightness constancy.

Question 78

Far-off objects appear to be smaller than equivalent distances between nearby objects. This is the reason for

A)perspective.
B)interposition.
C)clearness.
D)phi phenomenon.

Question 79

When a closet door is closed, its shape is perceived as rectangular. When the same door is opened, the retinal image is trapezoidal, but we realize the shape of the door has not changed due to

A)size constancy.
B)interposition.
C)shape constancy.
D)convergence.

Question 80

When a person gets up close to an object, __________ is used to see it.

A)motion parallax
B)retinal disparity
C)texture gradient
D)continuity