Deck 3: Sensation and Perception

Question 1

What is the approximate absolute threshold for taste?

A) One teaspoon of sugar dissolved in two cups of water
B) Two teaspoons of salt dissolved in one gallon of water
C) One teaspoon of sugar dissolved in two gallons of water
D) One drop of perfume dissolved in two gallons of water

Answer 1

One teaspoon of sugar dissolved in two gallons of water

Question 2

In the 1950s, James Vicary reported that he had been able to manipulate sales for popcorn and Coca-Cola by flashing subliminal messages during the showing of a movie in a public theatre. What is the current scientific consensus on the effectiveness of subliminal persuasion?

A) When certain criteria are met, subliminal persuasion can occur.
B) Vicary's study was sound and subliminal persuasion is powerfully effective.
C) Vicary's study was flawed and subliminal persuasion is a myth.
D) Subliminal persuasion works with aural but not visual stimuli.

Answer 2

When certain criteria are met, subliminal persuasion can occur.

Question 3

The absolute threshold is defined as the minimum ____.

A) intensity of a stimulus to be detected 50% of the time
B) intensity of a stimulus to be detected 100% of the time
C) change in stimulus intensity to be detected 50% of the time
D) change in stimulus intensity to be detected 100% of the time

Answer 3

intensity of a stimulus to be detected 50% of the time

Question 4

Weber's law says that the amount of change in a stimulus that is necessary to produce a just noticeable difference ______.

A) is constant for all senses
B) varies according to the age of the subject
C) depends on the intensity at which the stimulus was first presented
D) is inversely related to the duration of the stimulus

Question 5

Extrasensory perception is also known as ____.

A) psi
B) jnd
C) absolute threshold
D) subliminal sensation

Question 6

Qamar is participating in a study on ESP in which he is supposed to telepathically receive one of two images that another participant views on a computer screen. If he performs like most other research participants in other studies, about how well will he do at receiving these images?

A) He will likely guess correctly approximately 90% of the time.
B) He will likely guess correctly approximately 75% of the time.
C) He will likely guess correctly approximately 50% of the time.
D) He will likely guess correctly approximately 25% of the time.

Question 7

The Zena perfume company wants to improve their top-selling fragrance, Rosy, by making it smell even rosier. They hire Dr. Franks to determine the minimum amount of rose oil that they will have to add to the formula to ensure that customers will be able to tell a difference in the improved fragrance. The Zena company wants Dr. Franks to find the customer's ____.

A) absolute threshold
B) perceptual inconsistency
C) just noticeable difference
D) subliminal perception

Question 8

Which statement about absolute thresholds is TRUE?

A) Absolute thresholds vary according to the person and the situation.
B) The approximate absolute threshold for vision is a candle seen from 3 miles away on a clear, dark night.
C) The absolute threshold reflects sensation but not perception.
D) Absolute thresholds are extremely unpredictable for any sense other than vision or hearing.

Question 9

Researchers at the Smell Good Company want to make their home air freshener smell even better to customers. What principle will the researchers use to determine the amount of additional fragrance needed for customers to just notice the improvement?

A) Helmholtz's place theory
B) Perceptual inconsistency
C) Weber's law
D) Duplicity theory

Question 10

Dr. Lau is doing an experiment in which he wishes to determine the lowest concentration of salt that customers will be able to taste in a new soup product. In this experiment, Dr. Lau is interested in measuring the customer's ____.

A) top-down perceptual processing
B) difference threshold
C) absolute threshold for taste
D) just noticeable difference for salt

Question 11

According to Weber's law, we should be best able to notice an additional teaspoon of salt in our soup when the soup originally ____.

A) was very salty
B) was moderately salty
C) was slightly salty
D) had no salt in it

Question 12

Weber's law is most closely associated with ____.

A) sensory deprivation
B) the just noticeable difference
C) the absolute threshold
D) sensory reduction

Question 13

If you are exposed to a television advertisement containing subliminal messages, the probability is that ____.

A) the advertisement will be much more persuasive than one without the subliminal messages
B) you would feel strongly directed to purchase the product, even if you did not especially like the product
C) if certain factors aligned the advertisement could have more of an effect on you than the same advertisement without subliminal messages
D) the advertisement would be retained in your unconscious memory longer than an advertisement without subliminal messages

Question 14

The absolute threshold tends to ____.

A) be the same for everybody
B) vary from person to person
C) vary more from time to time than from person to person
D) be quite a bit different for males than for females

Question 15

Psychophysicists study ____.

A) the physical basis for mental illness
B) the relationship between the mind and body
C) how the mind interprets sensory stimuli
D) how nature interacts with nurture to influence development

Question 16

In 2011, which psychologist reported finding experimental evidence for the existence of ESP, although the work has been characterized as methodologically flawed and incorrectly analyzed?

A) Bem
B) Ganzfeld
C) Kosslyn
D) Weber

Question 17

Most research on extrasensory perception has shown that it is ____.

A) a strong force needing further study
B) not supported by scientific investigation
C) supported as much as it has not been supported
D) a weak force, but its existence is well supported by research

Question 18

Which term is more directly associated with perception than sensation?

A) Visual
B) Gustatory
C) Interpretation
D) Auditory

Question 19

The Ganzfeld procedure is used to determine ____.

A) extrasensory perception (ESP)
B) subliminal perception
C) just noticeable difference (jnd)
D) absolute threshold

Question 20

A psychophysicist would be most interested in which of the following research questions?

A) What are the causes of schizophrenia?
B) What makes the different notes of a musical piece sound different?
C) What happens in the brain while we are sleeping?
D) What stages of development best characterize childhood?

Question 21

If your friend is wearing a red shirt, you are able to detect the shirt's redness because ____.

A) all other colors of light are being absorbed by the shirt
B) the height of the light wave coming from the shirt is shorter than all other colors of light
C) the light coming from the shirt is low in saturation
D) it is the only color of light that is absorbed by the shirt

Question 22

Which progression describes the correct sequence of structures involved in vision?

A) Lens, cornea, sclera
B) Cornea, rods, retina
C) Retina, cornea, sclera
D) Cornea, lens, retina

Question 23

Saturation of light is to ____, as amplitude of light is to ____.

A) brightness; color
B) purity; hue
C) density; clarity
D) purity; brightness

Question 24

You are working for a computer manufacturer where you are trying to develop new monitors that can project a wider range of colors. In working on this task, you need to keep in mind that the visible spectrum of light for humans is ____.

A) 200 nm to 800 nm
B) 165 nm to 876 nm
C) 360 nm to 750 nm
D) 360 nm to 875 nm

Question 25

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

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

Question 26

Unlike humans, certain animals can see infrared and/or ultraviolet rays because of their ____.

A) sensitivity to a wider range of electromagnetic energy
B) greater number of infrared and/or ultraviolet detectors
C) ability to open their pupils wider to allow more incoming light
D) increased number of cones

Question 27

Concha damaged her corneas in a car accident. What effect will this injury most likely have on her vision?

A) Her vision will be unaffected.
B) She will not be able to see clearly.
C) She will be colorblind.
D) She will be blind.

Question 28

When the lens of the eye is adjusted to focus on near and far objects, this is called ____.

A) compensation
B) accommodation
C) assimilation
D) closure

Question 29

The pupil is _________________.

A) an opening or aperture through which light passes into the center of the eye
B) a clear structure directly behind the iris and the pupil
C) the structure at the back of the eye that contains cells that convert light into neural signals
D) the clear, slightly bulging outer surface of the eye

Question 30

Which statement is TRUE regarding the retina?

A) Light passes through other layers of transparent cells before reaching rods and cones on the back side of the retina where processing begins.
B) The retina consists only of rods and cones.
C) Light hits and is absorbed by the first layer of cells called bipolar, and then the information is passed through other cells on the way to the rods and cones.
D) The retina consists of rods and cones, the basilar membrane, the sclera, and borderline cells.

Question 31

Just as the iris controls the size of the pupil, ____ control the shape of the lens.

A) the sclera
B) the cornea
C) vision strands
D) ciliary muscles

Question 32

Rods and cones send visual information to the optic nerve through which type of cell?

A) Bipolar
B) Bicameral
C) Merkel's cells
D) Pacinian cells

Question 33

When painting your house, you end up choosing a bright color over a dim color. You can be sure that the electromagnetic energy coming from the brighter color is characterized by ____ than the light from the dim color.

A) taller peaks
B) a greater distance between peaks
C) shorter peaks
D) a smaller distance between peaks

Question 34

Lena is studying the properties of light in a laboratory. If she increases the amplitude of the light waves she is studying, what effect will this have on her perception of the light?

A) The light will be brighter.
B) The light will be dimmer.
C) The hue of the light will be more red-toned.
D) The hue of the light will be more blue-toned.

Question 35

The lens of the eye has a primary function of ____.

A) detecting colors
B) focusing light on the back of the eye
C) letting in appropriate amounts of light
D) protecting the eye against foreign objects

Question 36

Jamal is preparing to clean his oven when he accidentally sprays himself in the eyes with oven cleaner. The caustic chemical damages the outside covering of his eyes where the light enters. Jamal has most likely injured his ____.

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

Question 37

Which part of the eye is a supporting structure that does not play a role in vision?

A) Iris
B) Lens
C) Sclera
D) Cornea

Question 38

Herb, an artist who works with colored lights, likes to use saturated colors. What does this mean?

A) He uses muted colors of light.
B) He uses pure colors of light.
C) He mixes different colors together.
D) He uses very bright lights.

Question 39

What can we say is happening to the light waves that hit a hat we see as purple?

A) Purple light waves are being absorbed by the hat.
B) The purple from ultraviolet light is being reflected from the hat.
C) Purple light waves are being reflected from the hat.
D) The purple from ultraviolet light is being absorbed by the hat.

Question 40

Certain animals may be able to see you in the dark better than you can see them because ____.

A) animals have a unique ability called presbyopia
B) their corneas allow more light in
C) they can sense a wider range of the electromagnetic spectrum than you
D) they are more likely to have a large number of cones

Question 41

Photopigments are found in ____.

A) the sclera
B) only cones
C) the cochlea
D) both rods and cones

Question 42

You are trying to see the color of your ink pen while taking lecture notes in a darkened auditorium. Where should you hold the ink pen to have the greatest chance of perceiving its color?

A) To the right side of your head
B) To the left side of your head
C) To either side of your head
D) Directly in front of your face

Question 43

Which statement is TRUE regarding cones?

A) They require less light than rods to be activated.
B) They are most densely concentrated in the periphery of the retina.
C) If your eyes had only cones, you'd see everything in black and white.
D) They are less numerous than rods in the human eye.

Question 44

The fovea ____.

A) contains only rods
B) is important for detecting form and shape
C) is located in the center of the retina, directly behind the pupil
D) is located in the periphery of the retina

Question 45

The fovea is to ____ as the periphery of the retina is to ____.

A) rods; cones
B) cones; rods
C) near vision; far vision
D) far vision; near vision

Question 46

It is the middle of the day and you are outside in the bright sunlight. In order to give you the best possibility of seeing the colors and detail of a large flower in your garden, you should ____.

A) look directly at it
B) look to the right side of it
C) look to the left side of it
D) close one eye

Question 47

A laboratory study may help you to determine the location of your visual blind spot, but you will not notice it outside of the laboratory because ____.

A) it is in the front of your visual field
B) it is located at the fovea of your eye
C) it only happens in a laboratory setting
D) you have two eyes that see slightly different views of the world

Question 48

Which statement is TRUE regarding rods?

A) They are more numerous than cones in the human eye.
B) They require more light than cones to be activated.
C) They are more densely concentrated in the center of the retina.
D) They transmit information about color to the brain.

Question 49

The human eye has about ____.

A) the same number of rods and cones
B) 100 million cones but only about 5 million rods
C) 100 million rods but only 5 million cones
D) 5 million cones and 10 million rods

Question 50

The highest concentration of cones is in the ____.

A) blindspot
B) periphery of the retina
C) fovea
D) optic disk

Question 51

Not being able to accurately detect the colors of objects seen in your peripheral vision is best explained by ____.

A) differences in the distribution of rods and cones in different parts of the retina
B) difficulties in paying attention to items that are not in the center of the visual field
C) differences in the number of ganglion, amacrine, bipolar, and horizontal cells
D) the smaller number of rods in the periphery of the retina

Question 52

It takes our eyes a while to adapt to sudden increases in brightness, a process called ______.

A) light adaptation
B) dark adaptation
C) accommodation
D) color blindness

Question 53

When photopigments of the eye split apart, ____.

A) color vision is lost
B) sensation is occurring
C) the person becomes farsighted
D) accommodation is occurring

Question 54

Why is our color detection poor for objects seen in peripheral vision?

A) The density of rods is high in the center compared to the peripheral of the retina. .
B) The density of cones is low in the peripheral compared to the center of the retina.
C) The density of cones is high in the peripheral compared to the center of the retina.
D) The density of rods is low in the peripheral compared to the center of the retina.

Question 55

In contrast to light adaptation, dark adaptation involves ____.

A) building up photopigments
B) the process of splitting apart photopigments
C) the activation of cones
D) accommodation by the lens

Question 56

Beatrice was born without cone cells in her retina. What effect will this most likely have on her vision?

A) Her vision will be unaffected.
B) She will be colorblind.
C) She will be unable to see out of the side of her eyes.
D) She will be completely blind.

Question 57

While driving at night, you are most likely to have trouble perceiving ____.

A) shapes
B) lines
C) curves
D) colors

Question 58

Adaptation to light ____.

A) does not involve changes in pupil size
B) happens faster than adaptation to dark
C) occurs when the cornea bends to allow less light
D) involves building up photopigments

Question 59

If your retina contained only rods, you would be unable to see ____.

A) anything
B) color
C) shape
D) in bright light

Question 60

Which statement is NOT true regarding the cones that line the inside layer of the retina?

A) The cones, which are shorter and fatter than the rods, are responsible for transmitting information about color to the brain.
B) The highest concentration of cones is at the fovea.
C) The density of cones drops off quickly as you move outward toward the peripheral edges of the retina.
D) You can think of the cones as the black-and-white receptors.

Question 61

After staring at a particular color for a long time and then looking at a white background, a negative afterimage occurs because the ____.

A) cones that were not used as much to sense the particular color are well-rested and therefore respond more readily to the white background
B) well-rested rods take over the task of sensation, thus distorting the color that is sensed
C) parts of the cells that continually responded to the color are worn out and therefore don't respond as readily to the white background
D) parts of the cells that continually respond to white are worn out and therefore don't respond as readily to the white background

Question 62

If the photopigment levels in your eyes are extremely high, it is most likely a result of ____.

A) not eating enough carrots
B) being exposed to bright lights for a long time
C) being in a dark room for a long time
D) normal age-associated changes

Question 63

An individual suffering from red-green color blindness may be lacking ____.

A) rods in the fovea
B) blue cones
C) bipolar cells
D) red or green cones

Question 64

The trichromatic theory has difficulty explaining ____.

A) color blindness
B) the ability to see yellow
C) color mixing
D) negative afterimages

Question 65

Bernice returns to the darkened theater after visiting the concession stand and finds that she cannot see well enough to find her seat. What is she experiencing?

A) Temporary blindness
B) Light adaptation
C) Dark adaptation
D) An abundance of ganglion cells in her retina

Question 66

While you are posing for a picture, the camera's flash goes off and you feel a momentary sense of pain in your eyes. This is most likely a result of ____.

A) the sudden breakdown of large amounts of photopigments
B) a relatively common example of synesthesia in which light is experienced as touch
C) a large increase in the speed of the action potentials being fired
D) rods, cones, horizontal, bipolar, amacrine, and ganglion cells firing all at the same time

Question 67

The primary colors of light are ____.

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

Question 68

When all the primary colors of light are mixed, we see ____.

A) brown
B) black
C) gray
D) white

Question 69

The ability to sense the color yellow can be explained by ____.

A) trichromatic theory only
B) opponent-process theory only
C) both trichromatic and opponent-process theory
D) neither trichromatic nor opponent-process theory

Question 70

All colors of light are some combination of ____ light.

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

Question 71

Which of the following is NOT one of the three types of opponent-process cells thought to be in our visual system?

A) Indigo/violet
B) Red/green
C) Black/white
D) Yellow/blue

Question 72

Which theory of color vision seems to explain color blindness better than it explains negative afterimages?

A) Frequency theory
B) Volley theory
C) Trichromatic theory
D) Opponent-process theory

Question 73

Which person in the United States is most likely to suffer from red-green colorblindness?

A) David, who is 24
B) Sally, who is 3
C) Juanita, who is 15
D) Felicia, who is 95

Question 74

The opponent-process theory states that ____.

A) light is converted into neural impulses very differently depending upon its color
B) cells in the visual system are sensitive to two colors of light, but not at the same time
C) three different types of receptor cells correspond with the three primary colors of light
D) color is determined as different receptor cells compete with each other to fire the most neural impulses to the brain

Question 75

Which type of color blindness is particularly common?

A) Black-white
B) Red-green
C) Blue-yellow
D) Red-yellow

Question 76

Dark adaptation ____ than light adaptation.

A) creates more pain
B) involves more breakdown of photopigments
C) requires faster action potentials
D) takes longer

Question 77

The opponent-process theory would predict that after staring at a blue dot for 60 seconds, and then looking at a blank white paper, you would report seeing a ____ afterimage.

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

Question 78

The trichromatic theory of color vision states that ____.

A) three different types of cones detect the three different primary colors of light
B) humans really only perceive three different colors
C) cells in the retina can send information to the brain about two colors, but only one at a time
D) the three major types of cells in our visual system are: red/green, blue/yellow, and black/white cells

Question 79

Jack is asleep when his wife turns on the bedroom light and awakens him. Upon opening his eyes, Jack temporarily finds the bright light painful because ____.

A) light adaptation has not yet occurred
B) dark adaptation has not yet occurred
C) he does not have enough photopigment in his retina yet
D) photopigment storage has rapidly accelerated because of the light

Question 80

The opponent-process theory would predict that after staring at a red dot for 60 seconds, and then looking at a blank white paper, you would report seeing a ____ afterimage.

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