Deck 4: A: Sensation and Perception

Question 1

Jamal was having his hearing tested,and a number of the tones that were presented were so faint he was not able to detect them.What can you say about the faint sounds

A) They are below Jamal's absolute threshold for sound. 
B) They cannot create a just noticeable difference. 
C) They cause weak action potentials. 
D) They fall below Jamal's adaptation level for sound.

Answer 1

 They are below Jamal's absolute threshold for sound. 

Question 2

Light has entered Jeff's eye and has stimulated receptors there.Which term best describes this process

A) detection 
B) perception 
C) proximal stimulation 
D) sensation

Answer 2

 sensation

Question 3

In a recent case study,a 45-year-old Canadian man reportedly experienced strong feelings of disgust when words were written in certain colours.Which term refers to his condition

A) emotional colour blindness 
B) grapheme-colour synesthesia 
C) distal myopia 
D) emotional synesthesia

Answer 3

 emotional synesthesia

Question 4

Which statement reflects a distinction between the process of sensation and the process of perception

A) Sensation is not necessary for perception, but perception is necessary for sensation. 
B) Sensation occurs at the level of the brain, while perception occurs at the level of the mind. 
C) Sensation reflects the proximal stimulus, while perception reflects the distal stimulus. 
D) Sensation occurs at the level of the sense organs, while perception occurs at the level of the brain.

Question 5

A neural signal from Mary's taste bud has travelled to her cortex,and she experiences enjoyment of a sweet flavour.Which term best describes this process

A) sensation 
B) distal stimulation 
C) detection 
D) perception

Question 6

Which term refers to the neurological condition in which words,letters,or digits are associated reliably with specific colours

A) dyslexia 
B) grapheme-colour synesthesia 
C) dyscoloraphia 
D) emotional synesthesia

Question 7

If a 100 Hz tone had to be increased to 101 Hz for a subject to just notice the difference,what would you change a 1000 Hz tone to in order for that subject to notice the difference

A) 1010 Hz 
B) 1050 Hz 
C) 1100 Hz 
D) 1200 Hz

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT indicative of an absolute threshold

A) the tick of a watch under quiet conditions at 6 metres 
B) one drop of perfume diffused into the entire volume of a six-room apartment 
C) the wing of a fly falling on your cheek from a distance of 1 centimetre 
D) 15 millilitres (1 tbsp) of sugar in 7.5 litres of water

Question 9

Which term refers to the study of how physical stimuli are translated into psychological experience

A) sensation 
B) signal detection research 
C) physics 
D) psychophysics

Question 10

You have a lamp with a three-way light bulb.You can use the light at 50 watts,100 watts,or 150 watts.When you change between settings,which change will be perceived as a larger increase in brightness

A) from off to 50 watts 
B) from 50 to 100 watts 
C) from 100 to 150 watts 
D) Each change will be perceived as an equivalent difference.

Question 11

In the signal-detection method,what do we call it when a subject detects a stimulus when no stimulus is actually present

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

Question 12

What is being measured if a subject is presented with a series of light bulb pairs of different wattages and is asked whether the members of each pair differ in brightness

A) subject's visual acuity 
B) subject's absolute threshold for brightness 
C) subject's just noticeable difference for brightness 
D) physical intensity difference between the two lights

Question 13

Giovanni was watching the night sky on a clear evening in November.He noticed that sometimes when he looked directly overhead he could detect a very faint star.A few minutes later,it seemed that the star had disappeared and then it "appeared" again.How would you describe the light from the star in this case

A) It produces a just noticeable difference. 
B) It produces a distal stimulus. 
C) It falls just below Giovanni's level for perceptual invariance. 
D) It is just at Giovanni's absolute threshold for light.

Question 14

Evelyn turned up the thermostat from 68 degrees to 70 degrees; however,she doesn't think it feels any warmer and she wants to turn it up even higher.Her roommate thinks that it is now too hot,and she wants to turn the thermostat back down.How does Evelyn's just noticeable difference compare to her roommate's

A) Evelyn's is smaller. 
B) Evelyn's is lower. 
C) Evelyn's is larger. 
D) Evelyn's is higher.

Question 15

Juanita was drinking some warm punch,and she thought she could just detect a faint taste of nutmeg in the punch.When she took another sip,the taste wasn't there.On the third sip,she could just make out the taste of nutmeg again.What could you say about the taste of nutmeg in this situation

A) It falls just below her taste constancy level. 
B) It produces a proximal rather than distal stimulus. 
C) It is just at her absolute threshold for taste. 
D) It produces a just noticeable difference.

Question 16

When Celeste was playing her stereo at 40 decibels and she turned it up to 42 decibels,she could notice that it was louder.If Celeste's stereo were playing at 80 decibels,what should her just noticeable difference be

A) 1 decibel, half as much as it was at 40 decibels 
B) 2 decibels, the same as it was at 40 decibels 
C) 3 decibels, 50 percent more than it was at 40 decibels 
D) 4 decibels, twice as much as it was at 40 decibels

Question 17

If instead of hearing music,Isaiah sees colours when he listens to Mozart.What is Isaiah probably experiencing

A) sensation 
B) distal stimulation 
C) myopia 
D) synesthesia

Question 18

What is your absolute threshold

A) the point at which you detect any portion of a stimulus 
B) the point at which you detect a stimulus that registers on sensory memory 
C) the point at which you detect any stimulus set point 
D) the point at which you detect a stimulus about half of the time

Question 19

Raul is making potato soup.His roommate tastes it and tells Raul it is great,but Raul thinks it needs more salt.He adds just a little salt but doesn't think that he has added enough because he doesn't detect a difference.However,his roommate tastes it again and tells Raul that the soup is now perfect,with just the right amount of salt.Which statement best describes this situation

A) Raul's roommate has a higher absolute threshold than does Raul. 
B) Raul has more taste cells on the back of his tongue than does his roommate. 
C) Raul is a nontaster. 
D) Raul's roommate can detect a smaller just noticeable difference than Raul can.

Question 20

Which German scientist was particularly interested in just how much of a sensory stimulus is required in order for sensation and perception to occur

A) Ernst Gestalt 
B) Simon Weiner 
C) Gustav Fechner 
D) Oliver Sachs

Question 21

Which type of signal-detection error becomes more likely when someone is not expecting the stimulus

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

Question 22

In signal detection,which type of error is more likely if you are expecting the stimulus to occur

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

Question 23

On New Year's Day,thousands of Canadians celebrate with a "polar bear" swim.They jump into an ice-cold body of water at a lake or seaside.Needless to say,most people jump back out again within seconds as the water is shockingly cold at this time of year.Some peole elect to stay in the water longer,and notice that while the water remains cold,it feels less cold with the passage of time.What is this a result of

A) adjusting just noticeable differences 
B) sensory adaptation 
C) perceptual assimilation 
D) perceptual invariance

Question 24

Yaniv has been working for the past two hours,and the hum of his laptop computer that he found so annoying when he started no longer bothers him.Which process is illustrated by the change in Yaniv's sensitivity to the laptop noise

A) adjusting just noticeable differences 
B) sensory adaptation 
C) perceptual assimilation 
D) perceptual invariance

Question 25

Joan was sitting talking with some friends when she suddenly left the room to check on her baby.She was sure she heard little Emily cry out,but when she checked,Emily was sleeping peacefully.What would you call Joan's response based on signal-detection theory

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

Question 26

What aspect of perception is affected by the wavelength of light

A) saturation 
B) light purity 
C) brightness 
D) colour

Question 27

What will eventually occur if you stare at an unchanging image for a long time

A) You will experience sensory adaptation. 
B) You will have a higher absolute threshold. 
C) You will perceive a just noticeable difference. 
D) You will experience sensory overload.

Question 28

Which of the following is NOT explained by sensory adaptation

A) feeling comfortable in a cold swimming pool after being in for a few minutes 
B) getting used to the smell of the perfume you are wearing 
C) getting used to the touch of your clothes on your skin 
D) feeling no sensation in a foot that has lost circulation

Question 29

Jerry,a nuclear operator,must monitor 50 different gauges that keep track of various aspects of the nuclear reactor.Which theory provides the most specific predictions for Jerry's likelihood of detecting any changes or problems

A) signal-detection 
B) Fechner's law 
C) Pragnanz 
D) Weber's law

Question 30

Sonja put on a new watch this morning and found it uncomfortable because it was so much heavier than her old watch.However,by noon,Sonja has forgotten that she is even wearing the watch.Which process is illustrated by the change in Sonja's sensitivity to the pressure of the watch

A) perceptual assimilation 
B) signal detection 
C) adjusting just noticeable differences 
D) sensory adaptation

Question 31

Your criterion for "hearing" mysterious noises at night may change after a rash of burglaries in your neighbourhood.Which of the following best explains this change

A) Fechner's law 
B) signal-detection theory 
C) Weber's law 
D) sensory adaptation

Question 32

Dalton was sitting in the hallway outside his chemistry class.Some students said they thought they could smell smoke,but Dalton didn't smell anything.When they all checked the lab to see if there were any problems,everything was fine and nothing was burning.What would you call Dalton's response based on signal-detection theory

A) false alarm 
B) low threshold 
C) high threshold 
D) correct rejection

Question 33

You enter a room and notice a distinctive new odour.After a bit of time,you no longer notice the odour.What phenomenon does this illustrate

A) sensory adaptation 
B) Pragnanz 
C) progressive desensitization 
D) false alarm

Question 34

Which statement best describes subliminal perception

A) Subliminal perception is possible only if sensory adaptation has taken place. 
B) Although subliminal perception was once dismissed by scientists as preposterous, recent laboratory evidence suggests it has some effects on behaviour. 
C) Scientists have conclusively demonstrated that perception simply cannot take place without conscious awareness. 
D) Recent research suggests that subliminal messages can be quite persuasive in convincing us to buy products we don't want.

Question 35

Which term refers to the eye structure which focuses the light rays falling on the retina

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

Question 36

What have researchers typically found when they have attempted to demonstrate subliminal perception effects in the real world

A) Such effects are substantial and a potential cause for public concern. 
B) People are much more likely to be influenced by "positive" subliminal stimuli (e.g., self-help tapes) than "negative" ones (e.g., subliminal advertising). 
C) People are much more likely to be influenced by "negative" subliminal stimuli than "positive" ones. 
D) Such effects are so weak as to be of little, if any, practical importance.

Question 37

What is sensory adaptation

A) a cause of false alarms in signal detection 
B) increase in sensitivity after prolonged stimulation 
C) decline in sensitivity after prolonged stimulation 
D) weakening of a neurotransmitter

Question 38

What affects our perception of the brightness of a colour

A) saturation of light waves 
B) purity of light waves 
C) amplitude of light waves 
D) wavelength of light waves

Question 39

What does "subliminal" mean

A) deceptive 
B) below threshold 
C) barely perceptible 
D) superimposed

Question 40

Jose is wearing a blue shirt,and Evan is wearing a red shirt.What is the difference between the two shirts,in terms of light waves

A) Jose's reflects higher amplitude light waves than Evan's. 
B) Jose's reflects shorter light waves than Evan's. 
C) Jose's reflects longer light waves than Evan's. 
D) Jose's reflects lower amplitude light waves than Evan's.

Question 41

Which aspect of visual perception is responsive to differences in the amplitude of light waves

A) colour 
B) purity 
C) saturation 
D) brightness

Question 42

Which two structures regulate the amount of light passing into the rear chamber of the eye

A) muscles which adjust the lens; retina 
B) iris; lens 
C) iris; pupil 
D) pupil; cornea

Question 43

Which term refers to the opening in the centre of the iris through which light passes

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

Question 44

Which aspect of visual perception will change if you change the purity of the light waves

A) saturation 
B) colour constancies 
C) hue 
D) brightness

Question 45

As people age,the lens of the eye loses its ability to accommodate,and it tends to remain flat instead of becoming fat and round.What does this suggest about the effects of aging on vision

A) We become less likely to detect differences in light purity. 
B) We become more likely to detect differences in brightness and hue. 
C) We lose the ability to focus on objects that are close. 
D) We lose the ability to focus on objects in the distance.

Question 46

What is the blind spot in the eye

A) where the optic nerve exits the back of the eye 
B) the point at which ganglion cells synapse with bipolar cells 
C) the area where only cones are present 
D) where photoreceptor cells do not "bleach"

Question 47

What happens to the pupil of the eye in bright sunlight

A) It constricts. 
B) It flattens. 
C) It dilates. 
D) It closes.

Question 48

Imagine that biologists have discovered an animal that has eyes very similar to human eyes,but that the only receptor cells in the retina are cones; there are no rods.What would you expect about this animal's vision,based on what is known about human vision

A) It would have poor peripheral vision. 
B) It would have poor visual acuity. 
C) It would have excellent vision in dim light. 
D) It could not see in colour.

Question 49

What is the structure that controls the size of the pupil

A) lens 
B) vitreous humour 
C) cornea 
D) iris

Question 50

Imagine that biologists have discovered an animal that has eyes very similar to human eyes,but that the only receptor cells in the retina are rods; there are no cones.What would you expect about this animal's vision,based on what is known about human vision

A) It would be able to detect extremely fine details. 
B) It would have poor peripheral vision. 
C) It would have poor vision in low illumination. 
D) It would have no colour vision.

Question 51

Devin has contracted a very rare eye disease that has caused damage to his rods,but for the most part,his cones have not been affected.Which aspect of Devin's vision is likely to be deficient

A) vision in bright illumination 
B) peripheral vision 
C) colour vision 
D) detecting differences in wavelengths of light

Question 52

What is the physical stimulus for vision

A) colour 
B) sight 
C) light 
D) sound

Question 53

What happens to the pupil of the eye in dim light

A) It is dilated, producing a sharper image. 
B) It is dilated, producing an image that is not as sharp. 
C) It is constricted, producing an image that is not as sharp. 
D) It is constricted, producing a sharper image.

Question 54

The "window" of the eye is that transparent part of the eye through which light enters.Which term refers to this part of the eye

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

Question 55

Petra has vision problems because of a syndrome that causes her cones to be faulty.Her rods function normally.Which aspect of Petra's vision is likely to be deficient

A) colour vision 
B) depth perception 
C) vision in low illumination 
D) peripheral vision

Question 56

Which process compensates for sensory adaptation

A) transduction 
B) saccades 
C) dilation 
D) lens accommodation

Question 57

Where is the optic disk

A) where the visual fields from both eyes merge 
B) where the optic nerve exits the retina 
C) immediately in front of the lens 
D) where most of the rod and cones are located

Question 58

If your lens is very round,which of the following will you see best

A) close objects 
B) distant objects 
C) moving objects 
D) brightly coloured objects

Question 59

Isaiah is having his eyes checked.The doctor has put drops in Isaiah's eyes that will cause the pupils to open wide.What will happen to Isaiah's vision as the drops begin to work

A) His vision will start to become quite blurry. 
B) He will lose some of his colour vision. 
C) His vision will become extremely sharp and clear. 
D) Colours will appear to be "super" saturated.

Question 60

Which term refers to tiny eye movements essential to vision

A) retinal fixations 
B) dilations 
C) constrictions 
D) saccades

Question 61

What is the optic chiasm

A) the portion of the lateral geniculate nucleus that is responsible for coordination of sensory input 
B) the point at which the optic nerves cross over one another before projecting to the occipital lobe 
C) the portion of the visual cortex responsible for feature detection 
D) the gap between the right occipital lobe and the left occipital lobe

Question 62

What is most likely to occur when light hits the centre of a receptive field but does not hit the centre-surround

A) The associated visual cell will fire. 
B) The associated visual cell will be inhibited. 
C) The nearby visual cells will be stimulated. 
D) The optic nerve will be inhibited.

Question 63

Where does the ventral stream project to after leaving the primary visual cortex

A) basal forebrain 
B) cerebellum 
C) temporal lobes 
D) parietal lobes

Question 64

While finger painting,Imran mixed yellow paint and blue paint and ended up with green.Which mixing method did Imran use

A) subtractive colour mixing 
B) trichromatic mixing 
C) additive colour mixing 
D) multiplicative colour mixing

Question 65

Deanne can see and recognize objects,but she seems to be unable to reach out and grasp them appropriately.She often knocks over cups and drops pencils because she doesn't orient her hand to grip them.If this problem is related to brain damage to the perceptual system,which area is most likely to be damaged

A) ventral stream 
B) dorsal stream 
C) primary visual cortex 
D) superior colliculus

Question 66

Charley has visual agnosia and is unable to recognize common,everyday objects.Damage to which component of the visual system does this condition most likely result from

A) ventral stream 
B) feature detectors 
C) superior colliculus 
D) lateral geniculate nucleus

Question 67

Which technique would allow you to maximize visual acuity at night

A) Close one eye. 
B) Blink your eyes several times to hasten dark adaptation. 
C) Look slightly above or below the object you wish to see. 
D) Look directly at the object you wish to see.

Question 68

In which lobe would you find that brain damage leads to visual agnosia

A) frontal 
B) occipital 
C) temporal 
D) parietal

Question 69

What does the receptive field of a visual cell refer to

A) the portion of visual cortex that receives information from that cell 
B) a cell's degree of sensitivity or receptivity 
C) a range of wavelengths of light the cell reacts to 
D) an area of rods and cones that cause the visual cell to fire

Question 70

What is stimulated when light hits the centre-surround of a receptive field

A) the inhibitory synapse to the visual cell 
B) the excitatory synapse to the visual cell 
C) the optic nerve 
D) the optic disc

Question 71

After visual input has been processed in the primary visual cortex,signals are processed further along a number of pathways.Where is information about object recognition processed

A) temporal lobes 
B) occipital lobes 
C) frontal lobes 
D) parietal lobes

Question 72

Through which brain area do visual signals travel just before reaching primary visual cortex

A) frontal lobes 
B) optic disc 
C) thalamus 
D) superior colliculus

Question 73

You see a delicious-looking doughnut sitting on the counter in front of you,and you guide your hand toward the doughnut and pop it into your mouth.What do we call the second visual process for guiding your hand

A) Hubel vision 
B) conscious vision 
C) subcortical vision 
D) vision for action

Question 74

In which lobe would you find the primary visual cortex

A) frontal 
B) occipital 
C) temporal 
D) parietal

Question 75

What would you be unable to recognize if you had a condition known as agnosia

A) lines with a 45-degree orientation 
B) faces 
C) movement 
D) common objects

Question 76

After visual input has been processed in the primary visual cortex,signals are processed further along a number of pathways.Which type of visual information would be processed in the temporal lobe,along the ventral stream

A) movement 
B) where the stimulus is located 
C) what the stimulus is based on form and colour 
D) depth perception

Question 77

Which activity would be difficult for you to do if you sustained damage to your dorsal stream

A) say the name of an item that you see 
B) choose colours that match 
C) recognize your best friend 
D) reach out to pick up a cup

Question 78

Which cells in the visual cortex respond selectively to specific details of complex stimuli

A) ventral cells 
B) centre-surround detectors 
C) feature detectors 
D) ganglion cells

Question 79

In the case study of "DF," a woman experienced brain damage as a result of carbon-monoxide poisoning and she lost the ability to recognize the forms of objects.What type of deficit did "DF" have

A) amnesia 
B) failure of vision for action 
C) dorsal stream damage 
D) agnosia

Question 80

What is most likely to occur when light hits the centre-surround of a receptive field but does not hit the centre

A) The associated visual cell will fire. 
B) The associated visual cell will be inhibited. 
C) The nearby visual cells will be inhibited. 
D) The optic nerve will fire.