Deck 5: Sensation and Perception

Question 1

While shopping,you see a toy dog you have never seen before.Without even touching it,you automatically think,"That dog is so fluffy." Seeing the dog as fluffy is an example of:

A) illusion.
B) adaptation.
C) sensation.
D) perception.

Answer 1

perception.

Question 2

We are aware of the outside world and the internal world of our own bodies because which of the following are able to receive stimuli?

A) perceptual organs
B) sensory organs
C) transductor organs
D) organs of Corti

Answer 2

sensory organs

Question 3

Any aspect of the outside world that directly influences our behavior or conscious experience is:

A) a neural impulse.
B) neural transduction.
C) a stimulus.
D) perception.

Answer 3

a stimulus.

Question 4

The process of receiving information from the outside world,translating the information,and transmitting it to the brain is called:

A) sensation.
B) adaptation.
C) perception.
D) transmission.

Question 5

To determine both the absolute threshold and the difference threshold,psychologists put a 50% limit on stimulus detection because:

A) people differ in their sensitivity to weak stimuli over time.
B) sometimes our senses just don't work.
C) we must give a stimulus our complete attention in order to detect it.
D) stimuli vary so much that our senses must learn how to detect them.

Question 6

The process of interpreting sensory information and forming images of the world is called:

A) sensation.
B) transduction.
C) translation.
D) perception.

Question 7

Which of the following would be an example of the determination of a person's difference threshold for weight?

A) Klinger can always detect the difference in weight between 20 pounds and 22 pounds.
B) Ephi can detect the difference in weight between 10 pounds and 12 pounds 50% of the time.
C) Trisha cannot detect the difference between 18 pounds and 20 pounds.
D) The minimum weight on his back Madhu can detect 50% of the time is 2 pounds.

Question 8

Your parents just installed new carpeting in their living room.When you first entered the house,the new carpet smell was overwhelming.An hour later,you hardly noticed the smell.Which concept explains this phenomenon?

A) the difference threshold
B) sensory adaptation
C) Weber's law
D) the absolute threshold

Question 9

A sensory receptor cell responds to:

A) heat and vibrations only.
B) heat and light only.
C) voice vibrations only.
D) many types of outside forms of energy.

Question 10

You are pregnant.Your obstetrician looks at the fuzzy image on the sonogram and says,"There are your baby's legs,and there's his penis.He's a boy." You look at the image and can't determine where the legs are and which part is the penis.Your obstetrician is able to interpret what she sees to a greater extent than you are able,demonstrating her well-developed:

A) visual sense.
B) sensory receptor cells.
C) perceptual ability.
D) associative ability.

Question 11

When the ear takes the physical vibrations of air and changes them to neural codes,the process is called:

A) translation.
B) transmission.
C) transduction.
D) transformation.

Question 12

The process of changing one form of energy into another is called:

A) transformation.
B) transduction.
C) translation.
D) transmission.

Question 13

Your psychology instructor asked you to taste a number of solutions.In the experiment,you were able to detect a sixteenth of a teaspoon of sugar dissolved in 8 ounces of water 50% of the time (as compared to plain water).You have just determined your ____________ for the taste of sweet.

A) difference threshold
B) absolute threshold
C) adaptive threshold
D) adaptation rate

Question 14

Transduction is accomplished in the sense organ,with the action of:

A) the spinal cord.
B) the cerebral cortex.
C) sensory receptor cells.
D) interneurons.

Question 15

Of the following,which is the BEST example of perception?

A) hearing a loud noise
B) tasting a bitter flavor
C) kicking your leg when tapped on the knee
D) recognizing a familiar voice on the phone

Question 16

Why are humans unable to see radio waves?

A) We do not have sensory receptors to transduce this type of stimuli.
B) Our eyes are not strong enough.
C) The energy of radio waves is not focused sufficiently.
D) Radio eaves are colorless.

Question 17

Your psychology instructor divides the class into partners.You are blindfolded and your partner places decreasing weights on the back of your hand until you can only detect the smallest weight half the time. You have just determined your ____________ for touch.

A) adaptive threshold
B) adaptation rate
C) absolute threshold
D) difference threshold

Question 18

In the definition of the absolute threshold,you should be able to detect a minimum stimulus:

A) 100% of the time.
B) 75% of the time.
C) 50% of the time.
D) 25% of the time.

Question 19

Of the following,which is the BEST example of sensation?

A) judging the distance it would take to jump over a puddle
B) seeing the color blue
C) recognizing your friend's face
D) determining that a floor is wet

Question 20

What is the relationship between sensation and perception?

A) Sensation and perception both refer to basically the same thing.
B) Perception is a component of sensation.
C) Perception provides neural codes,which are interpreted by sensation.
D) Perception enables us to create meaningful information from raw sensory information.

Question 21

The difference between the colors blue and red is largely a matter of:

A) differences in light wavelengths.
B) differences in light intensity.
C) differences in the number of wavelengths.
D) both differences in light intensity and light wavelengths.

Question 22

Light is a small part of the form of energy known as:

A) radiation.
B) radioactive energy.
C) electromagnetic radiation.
D) electrochemical radiation.

Question 23

Weber's law suggests which of the following?

A) A person can detect a 5-watt light on some days but not on other days.
B) A person can detect a 10-watt light better than a 5-watt light.
C) A person can detect a change from a 5-watt light to a 10-watt light better than a change from a 15-watt light to a 20-watt light.
D) A person can detect a change from a 15-watt light to a 20-watt light better than a change from a 5-watt light to a 10-watt light.

Question 24

In the eye,the ciliary muscle controls the:

A) thickness of the lens.
B) the firing rate of cones in the retina.
C) shape of the cornea.
D) diameter of the pupil.

Question 25

A waitperson can detect the addition of one 8-ounce glass of water on a tray already holding four 8-ounce glasses of water.If the waitperson has eight 8-ounce glasses of water on the tray,how many glasses would need to be added before the additional weight was noticed?

A) one
B) two
C) four
D) eight

Question 26

If you want to increase the amount of light entering the eye,you must change the size of the:

A) lens.
B) fovea.
C) pupil.
D) retina.

Question 27

The clear part of the eye that light first passes through is the:

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

Question 28

The iris is primarily responsible for:

A) focusing the visual image.
B) color vision.
C) regulating the amount of light.
D) refracting light.

Question 29

Single wavelength is to multiple wavelengths as:

A) dim light is to bright light.
B) saturated is to unsaturated.
C) bright light is to dim light.
D) unsaturated is to saturated.

Question 30

Weber's law suggests that as the intensity of stimuli increases,the:

A) observer adapts to the stimulation.
B) absolute threshold is reached.
C) intensity of the sensation increases proportionally.
D) difference threshold increases.

Question 31

You offer your friends a ride home after class.As you start the engine,everyone jumps and covers their ears because your car stereo is so loud.You are convinced that someone was in your car and changed the volume because you never listen to your stereo at that volume.What likely happened when you played your stereo that morning?

A) sensory adaptation
B) Weber's law
C) transduction
D) the absolute threshold

Question 32

Weber's law states that:

A) stimuli repeated at short intervals require less sensory energy.
B) difference thresholds increase as stimulus intensity increases.
C) complex sensations are broken down into more primary sensations.
D) the absolute threshold decreases as stimulus intensity increases.

Question 33

When a stimulus is presented to a sense organ continuously or in short intervals,the sense organ:

A) becomes more sensitive to the stimulus.
B) becomes more adept at transduction.
C) still detects the stimulus,but transduction is slower.
D) becomes less sensitive to the stimulus.

Question 34

The wavelength of light determines the psychological characteristic of:

A) brightness.
B) intensity.
C) color.
D) clarity.

Question 35

Light is one part of a form of energy that also consists of:

A) air molecules compressing and refracting.
B) electricity conducted through the air.
C) radio waves and X rays.
D) X rays and gamma rays.

Question 36

You were enrolled in a psychology doctorate program.As you began to explore possible topics for your doctoral thesis,you found yourself enthralled with human touch and its relationship to immune system functioning and overall mental health.You decided to embark on research to determine the types of touch that are most beneficial and the ways in which specific touches are sensed by the skin.The work you've chosen is most closely related to the field of:

A) developmental psychology.
B) psychophysics.
C) personality psychology.
D) psychometrics.

Question 37

This morning when you got in the shower,the water seemed so hot that you danced in and out of the spray for the first few minutes.Without adjusting the temperature dials,10 minutes into the shower,you sense that the water now feels a little on the lukewarm side.Which concept explains this phenomenon?

A) sensory adaptation
B) the absolute threshold
C) the difference threshold
D) Weber's law

Question 38

____________ are psychologists who study the relationship between the properties of physical stimuli and the psychological sensations.

A) Sensory physiologists
B) Perceptionists
C) Psychophysicists
D) Developmentalists

Question 39

The intensity of the light wave largely determines:

A) color.
B) saturation.
C) brightness.
D) acuity.

Question 40

The size of the pupil is regulated by the:

A) rods.
B) cornea.
C) iris.
D) ciliary muscle.

Question 41

Which statement would be accurate if you had no rods in your eyes?

A) You would not be able to perceive color.
B) You would have difficulty with visual details or clear images.
C) You would be completely blind.
D) You would have severe night blindness.

Question 42

Based on your knowledge of the anatomy of the eye,which of the following demonstrates the order of light passage entering the eye?

A) pupil,cornea,lens,retina
B) pupil,lens,cornea,retina
C) cornea,pupil,lens,retina
D) lens,cornea,pupil,retina

Question 43

When the shape of the lens is changing,the eye is:

A) adjusting in order to protect the eye from too much light.
B) allowing light in because it is dark.
C) attempting to discern various hues.
D) focusing on objects at various distances.

Question 44

The ____________ is the area where information from the right visual field is sent to the left hemisphere.

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

Question 45

You have a far-away image focused on your retina.In order to accomplish this,your ciliary muscle ____________,and your lens became ____________.

A) contracted;thinner.
B) relaxed;thinner.
C) contracted;thicker.
D) relaxed;thicker.

Question 46

Cones are concentrated in the:

A) optic nerve.
B) periphery of the retina.
C) blind spot.
D) fovea.

Question 47

The human eye possesses significantly more _________ than ___________.

A) rods;cones.
B) cones;rods.
C) optic nerves;auditory nerves.
D) auditory nerves;optic nerves.

Question 48

The opening in the center of the iris is called the:

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

Question 49

In one type of congenital eye disease,the retina begins to degenerate in the center.From what you know about the eye,how would you expect the disease to affect vision?

A) Visual acuity would be lost,but color vision and peripheral vision would remain intact.
B) Visual acuity and color vision would be lost,but peripheral vision would remain intact.
C) Color vision would be lost,but visual acuity and peripheral vision would remain intact.
D) Peripheral vision and visual acuity would be lost,but color vision would remain intact.

Question 50

The fovea is:

A) the area where the optic nerve leaves the eye;there are no receptor cells at this point.
B) in the periphery of the retina and is most concerned with color vision.
C) located near the periphery of the retina and is concerned with peripheral vision.
D) in the center of the retina and is concerned with color and visual acuity.

Question 51

The blind spot is the area of the retina:

A) where the cones are heavily concentrated.
B) in which no rods or cones exist.
C) where the rods are heavily concentrated.
D) where the fovea is located.

Question 52

The image of an apple is in your left visual field.This image will be processed in the _______________ of the brain.

A) left visual cortex
B) left optic chiasm
C) right visual cortex
D) right optic chiasm

Question 53

Which of the following statements is true?

A) Cones are responsible for visual acuity.
B) Rods are responsible for color vision.
C) Cones are responsible for peripheral vision.
D) Cones are responsible for vision under low light conditions.

Question 54

As it gets dark,your ability to see color deteriorates.This is because the ___________ do not receive enough light to permit them to fire.

A) rods
B) cells of the optic nerve
C) cones
D) bipolar cells

Question 55

The image of an apple is in your left visual field.This image will fall __________________ of the retina.

A) in the center
B) on the right side
C) on the left side
D) in front

Question 56

Which structure in the eye helps focus the image?

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

Question 57

The "blind spot" is the name given to the area that contains:

A) no rods or cones.
B) rods but not cones.
C) cones but not rods.
D) too many rods and cones.

Question 58

Rods function well in low light and cones do not because:

A) the axons of many rods converge before reaching the optic nerve.
B) rods send their messages on single nerve fibers to the optic nerve.
C) the axons of cones converge before reaching the optic nerve.
D) cones are in the center of the retina and rods are near the periphery.

Question 59

If you dissected a human eye,where would you find the lens?

A) immediately behind the retina
B) immediately behind the iris
C) immediately in front of the iris
D) in the fovea

Question 60

How long does it take for the cones in your eyes to adapt to the dark?

A) 5 minutes
B) 15 minutes
C) 30 minutes
D) 60 minutes

Question 61

Which of the following concepts is MOST relevant to the opponent-process theory of color vision?

A) complementary colors
B) primary colors
C) secondary colors
D) equivalent colors

Question 62

According to the text,color blindness affects about ______ of females and ______ of males.

A) 1%;8%
B) 8%;1%
C) 12%;25%
D) 25%;12%

Question 63

In the most common type of color blindness,individuals have difficulty distinguishing

A) red from yellow.
B) red from green.
C) blue from green.
D) blue from yellow.

Question 64

You enter a completely dark room.At first you see nothing,but as time passes,you can see well enough to avoid bumping into objects and people.This improvement is referred to as:

A) light adaptation.
B) dark adaptation.
C) night blindness.
D) color blindness.

Question 65

Which of the following supports the opponent-process theory of color vision?

A) There are three types of cones that each respond to different wavelengths of light.
B) A red surface will produce a green afterimage.
C) We can mix light to produce a bluish-yellow color.
D) By combining three primary colors,all colors can be produced.

Question 66

When you are in a moderately lit or dark room and walk into the bright sunshine outside,your eyes "hurt." What causes this phenomenon?

A) The rods begin making extra chemicals.
B) Rods and cones abruptly stop firing.
C) Rods and cones are highly sensitive and "overloading" the visual circuits.
D) Rods and cones lack sensitivity.

Question 67

What needs to happen in order for your eyes to adapt to bright light after having been in a dark room?

A) The rods must make larger supplies of chemicals.
B) The rods and cones must rest momentarily.
C) The cones must make larger supplies of chemicals.
D) The light must reduce the sensitivity of the receptors.

Question 68

Which of the following statements best summarizes current research findings regarding color vision?

A) Only the trichromatic theory of color vision is valid.
B) Only the opponent-process theory of color vision is valid.
C) Neither the opponent-process nor the trichromatic theories of color vision is valid.
D) Both the opponent-process and the trichromatic theories of color vision are valid.

Question 69

Approximately how long does it take for the rods in your eyes to adapt to the dark?

A) 20 seconds
B) 5 minutes
C) 12 minutes
D) 30 minutes

Question 70

Which fact MOST strongly supports the trichromatic theory of color vision?

A) A red light plus a green light does not look reddish-green.
B) If you stare at a yellow square for a minute and then look away,you will see a blue afterimage.
C) Some color-blind individuals can distinguish blue and green but not red and green.
D) Some cones in the retina respond primarily to red light,while others respond primarily to blue light.

Question 71

In the dark,the retina increases its sensitivity to light by a factor of:

A) 10.
B) 100.
C) 10,000.
D) 100,000.

Question 72

The contributions of both the trichromatic and opponent-process theories can be summarized best by the following statement:

A) Trichromatic theory describes neuron activity occurring at all levels of the visual system.
B) Trichromatic theory describes neuron activity outside of the first level of the visual system.
C) Opponent-process theory describes neuron activity occurring outside of the first level of the visual system.
D) Opponent-process theory describes neuron activity occurring at all levels of the visual system

Question 73

Which fact MOST strongly supports the opponent-process theory of color vision?

A) If you mix blue paint with green paint,you get bluish-green paint.
B) Some neurons in the higher visual system are excited by green light,but inhibited from firing by red light.
C) The retina has three types of cells that respond to the colors red,green,and blue.
D) Rods do not contribute to color vision.

Question 74

If you stare at a blue dot and then look at a white sheet of paper,what color will you see on the paper?

A) red
B) yellow
C) blue
D) green

Question 75

You enter a completely dark room.At first you see nothing,but as time passes,you can see well enough to avoid bumping into objects and people.You are seeing:

A) with a lot of cones,but very few rods.
B) with your cones only.
C) with a lot of rods and very few cones.
D) equally with rods and cones.

Question 76

The retina has three types of cones,each type responding to wavelengths in the:

A) blue,yellow,and red spectrums.
B) yellow,blue,and green spectrums.
C) blue,red,and green spectrums.
D) blue,yellow,and green spectrums.

Question 77

If you stare at the blue sky for a while and then look down at the sidewalk,the sidewalk may appear yellow.This phenomenon fits the:

A) color blindness theory.
B) opponent-process theory.
C) trichromatic theory.
D) color constancy theory.

Question 78

The __________ theory hypothesizes that all sensations of colors result from different levels of stimulation of the red,green,and blue receptors in the retina.

A) telekinetic
B) trichromatic
C) dichromatic
D) opponent-process

Question 79

Of the color vision theories,which theory best describes color vision in the cortex?

A) additive color mixing
B) reductive color mixing
C) opponent-process theory
D) trichromatic theory

Question 80

Which color LEAST associated with the trichromatic theory of color vision?

A) green
B) blue
C) yellow
D) red