Deck 3: Reading and Remembering

Question 1

The smallest level of added or reduced stimulation required to sense that a change in stimulation has occurred is known as the ________.

A) difference threshold
B) absolute threshold
C) adaptation threshold
D) intensity threshold

Answer 1

A

Question 2

"It's so noisy! How can you stand it?" remarks Caitlyn as the thruway traffic screams past her friend Dave's ground floor apartment. "I don't even notice it anymore," Dave replies. This exchange best exemplifies the concept of:

A) adaptation.
B) accommodation.
C) acclimation.
D) attenuation.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

________ states that a just noticeable difference is a constant proportion of the intensity of an initial stimulus.

A) Fitt's law
B) Weber's law
C) Bloch's law
D) Hick's law

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Acme Foods wants to make its chips saltier, but it doesn't want to spend more than it has to on salt. A sample of consumers is asked to compare its current chips variety (saltiness = 100) with saltier versions and to say whether the new versions are saltier. On an average, sample consumers reliably say that a new chips variety is saltier when its saltiness value is 108, but not when its saltiness value is below 108. Assuming Acme Foods' sample consumers are representative of people in general, which of the following percentage values best represents the just noticeable difference for saltiness?

A) 8%
B) 108%
C) 80%
D) 100%

Question 5

The study of the relationship between the physical aspects of stimuli and our psychological experience of them is known as ________.

A) developmental psychology
B) thermodynamics
C) psychophysics
D) experimental psychology

Question 6

Which of the following sequences best reflects the order in which light passes through the structures of the eye during the process of vision?

A) Pupil → cornea → lens → retina
B) Pupil → lens → cornea → retina
C) Cornea → lens → pupil → retina
D) Cornea → pupil → lens → retina

Question 7

Under ideal circumstances, it is possible for someone to detect a single drop of perfume diffused in an area equivalent to that of a one-bedroom apartment. This is due to:

A) absolute threshold.
B) difference threshold.
C) adaptation threshold.
D) psychophysical minimum.

Question 8

The ________ is a dark hole in the center of the ________, the colored part of the eye.

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

Question 9

Which of the following laws best explains why a person in a quiet room is more startled by the ringing of a telephone than a person who is already in a noisy room?

A) Fitt's law
B) Weber's law
C) Bloch's law
D) Hick's law

Question 10

A snack manufacturer realizes that he must increase the salt content of his company's chips by at least 3% for a sample of consumers to notice that the chips are saltier than they were before. This scenario best illustrates the concept of a(n):

A) absolute threshold.
B) difference threshold.
C) frequency threshold.
D) adaptation threshold.

Question 11

The law relating the value of a stimulus along some dimension to the just noticeable difference is ________ law.

A) Wernicke's
B) Wundt's
C) Weber's
D) Wertheimer's

Question 12

________ is an adjustment in sensory capacity after prolonged exposure to unchanging stimuli.

A) Adaptation
B) Accommodation
C) Acclimation
D) Attenuation

Question 13

Dr. Breiland examines the relationship between the physical properties of light, such as its amplitude and wavelength, and the human perception of color. Which of the following terms best describes Dr. Breiland's field of study?

A) Developmental psychology
B) Psychophysics
C) Thermodynamics
D) Experimental psychology

Question 14

A(n) ________ is the smallest intensity of a stimulus that must be present for the stimulus to be detected.

A) difference threshold
B) absolute threshold
C) adaptation threshold
D) intensity threshold

Question 15

In the context of what one can see, the range of wavelengths that humans can detect is called the ________.

A) power spectrum
B) mass spectrum
C) frequency spectrum
D) visual spectrum

Question 16

Which of the following statements is true of sensation and perception?

A) Perception generally precedes sensation in the processing of a stimulus.
B) Sensation and perception are essentially synonyms.
C) Sensation involves the interpretation of a stimulus, whereas perception does not.
D) Sensation involves the activation of sense receptors, whereas perception involves interpretation.

Question 17

The ________ bends light as it passes through and focuses the light more sharply.

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

Question 18

Which of the following statements best explains the meaning of the term noise as psychophysicists use it?

A) It is exclusively composed of unwanted stimuli.
B) It is merely an unpleasant sound.
C) It is a background stimulation that interferes with the perception of other stimuli.
D) It is exclusively composed of auditory stimuli.

Question 19

Weber's law states that a just noticeable difference is a ________.

A) fixed value
B) constant proportion of the intensity of an initial stimulus
C) variable proportion of the intensity of an initial stimulus
D) random value

Question 20

A person can forget where his or her sunglasses are placed even though they are on top of his or her head. Which of the following statements best explains this phenomenon?

A) It is difficult for one to remember everything that one has to.
B) Sensory nerve receptors are unable to fire off messages to the brain indefinitely.
C) The sensation of the glasses on the person's head has not reached the absolute threshold for touch.
D) The difference threshold for touch is not strong enough.

Question 21

Damon suffers from the most common form of color blindness. Which of the following statements best illustrates Damon's experience of color?

A) Everything appears to be green.
B) A pound of butter seems to be of the same color as the blue dish on which it is resting.
C) Everything looks black, gray, or white.
D) Red apples on a tree seem to be yellow.

Question 22

The ultimate processing of visual images takes place in the visual ________ of the brain.

A) callosum
B) thalamus
C) cortex
D) medulla

Question 23

The opponent-process theory:

A) states that the perception of color is influenced by the relative strength with which each of the three kinds of cones is activated.
B) suggests that, in addition to black and white, there are four, rather than three, primary colors.
C) states that the cells that respond to color operate independently, rather than in conjunction.
D) provides a weak explanation for afterimages.

Question 24

The ________ play a key role in peripheral vision, seeing objects that are outside the main center of focus.

A) lenses
B) pons
C) rods
D) cones

Question 25

In the most common form of color blindness, all:

A) objects appear black and white.
B) blue and yellow objects appear the same.
C) red and green objects appear yellow.
D) green objects appear red.

Question 26

Adelaide notices a flicker of motion out of the corner of her eye as she hurries down a dimly lit alley late at night. Sydney deciphers a complex wiring diagram under the bright glare of her desk lamp. Adelaide's vision is driven mainly by ________. Sydney's vision is mainly using ________.

A) cones; cones as well
B) rods; rods as well
C) cones; rods
D) rods; cones

Question 27

Which of the following sequences best reflects the order in which light stimulates cells during the visual processing of an image?

A) Bipolar cells → ganglion cells → rods and cones
B) Bipolar cells → rods and cones → ganglion cells
C) Ganglion cells → rods and cones → bipolar cells
D) Rods and cones → bipolar cells → ganglion cells

Question 28

Which of the following statements is true of cones?

A) They play a key role in night vision.
B) They are thin, cylindrical receptor cells that are highly sensitive to light.
C) They are primarily responsible for the sharply focused perception of color.
D) They play a key role in seeing objects that are outside the main center of focus.

Question 29

Thin, cylindrical receptor cells in the retina that are highly sensitive to light are called ________.

A) lenses
B) pons
C) rods
D) cones

Question 30

If Debbie stares at an illustration of the American flag for a while and then glances at a blank, white page, she will be able to view the image of the flag, but the red stripes will turn green on the blank page. Which of the following statements best explains this phenomenon?

A) The cones responsive to green light begin firing.
B) The cones responsive to red light stop firing.
C) The receptor cells for the red component of the red-green pairing become fatigued.
D) The receptor cells for the green component of the red-green pairing begin to adapt.

Question 31

The point at which the optic nerves meet and then split is known as the:

A) optic callosum.
B) optic fissure.
C) optic chiasm.
D) optic sulcus.

Question 32

________ cells receive information directly from the rods and cones and communicate that information to the ________ cells.

A) Bipolar; ganglion
B) Dendritic; microglial
C) Adrenergic; peptidergic
D) Squamous; columnar

Question 33

Unlike cones, rods are:

A) densely concentrated in the fovea.
B) responsible for color perception.
C) crucial to peripheral vision.
D) very few in number.

Question 34

The ________ is a bundle of ganglion axons that carry visual information to the brain.

A) cochlear gland
B) optic nerve
C) lacrimal gland
D) phrenic nerve

Question 35

________ are light-sensitive receptor cells in the retina that are responsible for sharp focus and color perception, particularly in bright light, and are concentrated on the part of the retina called the fovea.

A) Lenses
B) Pons
C) Rods
D) Cones

Question 36

The ________ states that there are three kinds of cones in the retina, each of which responds primarily to a specific range of wavelengths.

A) opponent-process theory
B) emission theory
C) trichromatic theory of color vision
D) visual perception theory

Question 37

With respect to the trichromatic and the opponent-process theories of color perception, which of the following statements is most likely to be true?

A) The trichromatic theory has largely been discredited.
B) The opponent-process theory has largely been discredited.
C) Trichromatic process works within the retina itself, whereas opponent mechanisms operate both in the retina and at later stages of neuronal processing.
D) The opponent-process theory describes color processing early in the visual system; trichromatic theory describes color processing later on in the visual system.

Question 38

According to the ________ of color vision, receptor cells are linked in pairs, working in opposition to each other.

A) opponent-process theory
B) emission theory
C) trichromatic theory
D) visual perception theory

Question 39

The part of the eye that converts the electromagnetic energy of light to electrical impulses for transmission to the brain is known as the ________.

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

Question 40

________ is the activation of neurons in the visual cortex by visual stimuli of specific shapes or patterns.

A) Blob detection
B) Interest point detection
C) Corner detection
D) Feature detection

Question 41

Which of the following sequences arranges the structures of the inner ear from the largest and most inclusive to the smallest and most specific?

A) Cochlea → basilar membrane → hair cells
B) Cochlea → hair cells → basilar membrane
C) Basilar membrane → hair cells → cochlea
D) Hair cells → cochlea → basilar membrane

Question 42

The cochlea is a:

A) part of the outer ear that vibrates when sound waves hit it.
B) thin membrane leading to the inner ear.
C) coiled tube in the inner ear filled with fluid that vibrates in response to sound.
D) vibrating structure that runs through the center of the cochlea, dividing it into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, and contains sense receptors for sound.

Question 43

Which of the following treatments for pain is most effective for people who continually say to themselves, "This pain will never stop, and it is ruining my life"?

A) Cognitive restructuring
B) Biofeedback and relaxation techniques
C) Light therapy
D) Nerve and brain stimulation

Question 44

The basilar membrane is a:

A) part of the outer ear that vibrates when sound waves hit it.
B) tube like passage that leads to the eardrum.
C) coiled tube in the inner ear filled with fluid that vibrates in response to sound.
D) vibrating structure that runs through the center of the cochlea, dividing it into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, and contains sense receptors for sound.

Question 45

________ are chemicals nonhumans release into the environment that produce a reaction in other members of the same species, permitting the transmission of messages such as sexual availability.

A) Pheromones
B) Ketones
C) Hydratones
D) Kairomones

Question 46

Hair cells for hearing are located in the:

A) eardrum.
B) cochlea.
C) auditory canal.
D) semicircular canals.

Question 47

Which of the following statements is true of "supertasters"?

A) They seek out relatively sweeter and fattier foods than do nontasters.
B) They are prone to obesity.
C) They are relatively insensitive to the taste known as umami.
D) They find sweets sweeter, cream creamier, and spicy dishes spicier.

Question 48

Mr. Redding often reacts to pain saying, "I can't take this anymore." In such instances, he is supposed to immediately tell himself, "Stop! I am in control of my pain." This pain management technique is known as:

A) psychodynamic restructuring.
B) cognitive restructuring.
C) biofeedback.
D) mirror pain therapy.

Question 49

The human sense of taste involves receptor cells that respond to ________ basic tastes.

A) 1-3
B) 4-5
C) 6-7
D) 8-10

Question 50

One of the primary reasons why women experience pain more intensely than men is that:

A) women produce certain hormones related to the menstrual cycle.
B) women have more pain gates in the nervous system than do men.
C) women have more substance P in their systems than do men.
D) women are encouraged by society to experience and express pain more intensely than are men.

Question 51

Which of the following sequences arranges the structures from the largest and most inclusive to the smallest and most specific?

A) Inner ear → otoliths → semicircular canal
B) Inner ear → semicircular canals → otoliths
C) Otoliths → semicircular canals → inner ear
D) Otoliths → inner ear → semicircular canals

Question 52

The ________ consists of three tubes containing fluid that sloshes through them when the head moves, signaling rotational or angular movement to the brain.

A) oval window
B) auditory canal
C) Eustachian tube
D) semicircular canal

Question 53

The human sense of smell permits us to detect ________ separate smells.

A) more than 10,000
B) 1,000-10,000
C) 100-1,000
D) 10-100

Question 54

Approximately, how much does pain management cost the United States each year?

A) $600 billion
B) $1 billion
C) $600 million
D) $3.49 million

Question 55

Nerve receptor cells for the skin senses are:

A) located at a uniform depth throughout the skin.
B) not associated with chronic pain.
C) unevenly distributed throughout the skin.
D) not related to the sense of pressure.

Question 56

The brain's inexperience in interpreting messages from the weightless ________ causes the space sickness commonly experienced by two-thirds of all space travelers.

A) hair cells
B) otoliths
C) Eustachian tube
D) cochlea

Question 57

Cindy loves roast beef with rich brown gravy, often described as a "savory" dish. She prefers the taste that is predominant in this dish. In this scenario, the taste that is being referred to is:

A) bitter.
B) salty.
C) umami.
D) sweet.

Question 58

The bones of the middle ear include each of the following EXCEPT the:

A) hammer.
B) anvil.
C) pinna.
D) stirrup.

Question 59

Which of the following statements regarding smell is false?

A) Men generally have a better sense of smell than women.
B) People can distinguish men from women solely on the basis of the smell of breath.
C) People can distinguish happy from sad emotions based on underarm smells.
D) Women are able to identify their babies solely on the basis of smell just a few hours after birth.

Question 60

The eardrum is a:

A) part of the outer ear that vibrates when sound waves hit it.
B) thin membrane leading to the inner ear.
C) coiled tube in the inner ear filled with fluid that vibrates in response to sound.
D) vibrating structure that runs through the center of the cochlea, dividing it into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, and contains sense receptors for sound.

Question 61

Consider the figure within the parentheses: (XX XX XX). The fact that one is likely to perceive three pairs of X's reflects the gestalt principle of:

A) symmetry.
B) proximity.
C) closure.
D) chromaticity.

Question 62

Perception that consists of the progression of recognizing and processing information from individual components of a stimuli and moving to the perception of the whole is known as ________.

A) horizontal processing
B) bottom-up processing
C) top-down processing
D) diagonal processing

Question 63

The difference in the images seen by the left eye and the right eye is known as ________.

A) fixation disparity
B) stereopsis
C) retinal slip
D) binocular disparity

Question 64

Which of the following statements is true of the role of gestalt psychology in contemporary psychology?

A) The gestalt influence has diminished over the years and is barely evident today.
B) Gestaltists remain a major force in the psychology of perception.
C) Gestalt psychology no longer plays a prominent role, but gestaltists' focus on the organization of perceptual elements remains influential.
D) Gestalt psychology is no longer a major school of thought, but gestaltists' focus on bottom-up processing elements remains influential.

Question 65

The lens of the eye focuses light by changing its own thickness. This process is known as .

Question 66

The ability to view the world in three dimensions and to perceive distance is known as ________.

A) multistable perception
B) depth perception
C) haptic perception
D) direct perception

Question 67

The difference threshold is also known as a(n) .

Question 68

Angela is sitting in a stationary train at a busy station. Suddenly, she feels as if she is slowly sliding backward as the train next to her begins to pull out. This illusion reflects the concept of ________.

A) apparent movement
B) motion parallax
C) linear perspective
D) binocular disparity

Question 69

________ are physical stimuli that consistently produce errors in perception.

A) Tactile illusions
B) Auditory illusions
C) Gestalt illusions
D) Visual illusions

Question 70

________ is the change in position of an object on the retina caused by movement of a person's body relative to the object.

A) Shadow stereopsis
B) Convergence
C) Motion parallax
D) Retinal disparity

Question 71

A(n) is any passing source of physical energy that produces a response in a sense organ.

Question 72

Perception that is guided by higher-level knowledge, experience, expectations, and motivations is known as ________.

A) horizontal processing
B) bottom-up processing
C) top-down processing
D) diagonal processing

Question 73

Which of the following gestalt laws is correctly defined?

A) Similarity is the tendency to fill in small gaps in objects.
B) Simplicity occurs when stimuli resembling one another tend to be grouped together.
C) Proximity occurs when stimuli close to one another tend to be grouped together.
D) Closure occurs when stimuli are perceived in the most basic manner possible.

Question 74

________ focus on the organization of perception and thinking in a "whole" sense rather than on the individual elements.

A) Gestalt laws of organization
B) Taylor's principles of scientific management
C) The theories of the neoclassical period
D) The theories that belong to the bureaucratic approach

Question 75

In a general sense, the overriding gestalt principle of perceptual organization is:

A) complexity.
B) simplicity.
C) symmetry.
D) similarity.

Question 76

Which of the following statements is true of light therapy?

A) It passes an electric current through the part of the body that is affected by pain.
B) It stimulates nerve cells in the brain to provide direct pain relief.
C) It stimulates the production of healing enzymes.
D) It encourages the development of different thought patterns and beliefs.

Question 77

Mrs. Sampson suffers from excruciating backaches. She undergoes a treatment that uses low-voltage electric current, which is passed through her lower back. In this scenario, which of the following pain management techniques does Mrs. Sampson use?

A) Acupuncture
B) Cognitive restructuring
C) Biofeedback
D) Nerve stimulation

Question 78

Artie decides to rearrange his office and organizes the binders in his office by color. This color-coding exemplifies the gestalt principle of:

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

Question 79

Mark and Jacob are driving home during a college break. Mark is in the passenger seat. Mark is bored and gazes toward an empty field. He notices that distant hilltops seem to be moving slowly in the same direction in which their car is moving, whereas mile markers on the side of the highway seem to moving swiftly past them in the opposite direction. The difference in the apparent speed and direction of the objects' motion serves as a depth cue known as:

A) motion disparity.
B) motion parallax.
C) motion perspective.
D) motion gradient.

Question 80

________ is a phenomenon in which physical objects are perceived as unvarying and consistent despite changes in their appearance or in the physical environment.

A) Perceptual constancy
B) Objective constancy
C) Virtual constancy
D) Direct constancy