Deck 7: Mechanisms of Perception

Question 1

The simple process of detecting the presence of stimuli is often referred to as

A) seeing.
B) hearing.
C) sensation.
D) perception.
E) attention.

Answer 1

sensation.

Question 2

Which ossicle is attached to the round window?

A) malleus
B) incus
C) hammer
D) both A and C
E) none of the above

Answer 2

none of the above

Question 3

The frequency of sound waves is to the complexity of sound waves as the

A) pitch of sound is to the timbre.
B) amplitude of sound is to the loudness.
C) pitch of sound is to the amplitude.
D) timbre of sound is to the loudness.
E) loudness of sound is to the timbre.

Answer 3

pitch of sound is to the timbre.

Question 4

For humans, sounds are those molecular vibrations between about __________ hertz.

A) 20 and 200
B) 2,000 and 20,000
C) 200 and 2,000
D) 200 and 8,000
E) 20 and 20,000

Question 5

Modern neuroscientific theory considers sensory systems to be

A) analog, parallel, and general.
B) functionally segregated, serial, and parallel.
C) hierarchical, functionally segregated, and parallel.
D) functionally segregated, serial, and sequential.
E) none of the above

Question 6

Which of the following contains the receptors of the vestibular system?

A) the basilar membrane
B) the semicircular canals
C) the ossicles
D) the vestibular nucleus
E) the cochlea

Question 7

A hierarchical system is one in which

A) there is one absolute top.
B) there is one absolute bottom.
C) each element has specific levels or ranks with respect to one another.
D) no two elements are at the same level.
E) there is no cortical involvement.

Question 8

The auditory system is organized

A) retinotopically.
B) geographically.
C) tonotopically.
D) somatotopically.
E) volumetrically.

Question 9

Because sensory systems are characterized by functional segregation while perception is largely holistic, there is a

A) binding problem.
B) need for feedback circuits.
C) flaw in serial coding.
D) flaw in parallel coding.
E) segregation problem.

Question 10

A system in which information is conducted in a single route through its various components - like a string through beads - is called a

A) parallel system.
B) functional system.
C) hierarchical system.
D) serial system.
E) none of the above

Question 11

A major principle of sensory system organization is

A) hierarchical organization.
B) functional segregation.
C) parallel processing.
D) all of the above
E) both A and B

Question 12

Each cortical level of a sensory system (primary, secondary, or association) is itself composed of different areas that mediate different psychological processes. This principle of sensory system organization is referred to as

A) functional segregation.
B) parallel processing.
C) the binding problem.
D) hierarchical organization.
E) serial processing.

Question 13

The loudness, pitch, and timbre of a sound are directly related to the __________, respectively, of the vibrations that produced it.

A) frequency, amplitude, and complexity
B) amplitude, complexity, and frequency
C) amplitude, frequency, and complexity
D) complexity, frequency, and amplitude
E) none of the above

Question 14

The malleus, incus, and stapes

A) are small bones that transmit vibrations from the ear drum to the oval window.
B) are small bones that transmit vibrations from the oval window to the round window.
C) were the three ships of Christopher Columbus.
D) are small bones in the inner ear.
E) both B and D

Question 15

Which of the following auditory structures has the appearance of a snail and has a name that is derived from the Greek word for land snail?

A) ossicles
B) cochlea
C) malleus
D) tectorial membrane
E) olive

Question 16

Which of the following is part of the organ of Corti?

A) the semicircular canals
B) the hair cells
C) the basilar membrane
D) all of the above
E) both B and C

Question 17

Resting on the auditory hair cells is the

A) cochlea.
B) basilar membrane.
C) organ of Corti.
D) tectorial membrane.
E) auditory nerve.

Question 18

The visual system is to retinotopic as the auditory system is to

A) homotopic.
B) spatiotopic.
C) intensity topic.
D) tonotopic.
E) timbre topic.

Question 19

Areas of neocortex that receive most of their input from the thalamic relay nuclei of one sensory system are classified as

A) association cortex.
B) tertiary cortex.
C) motor cortex.
D) secondary sensory cortex.
E) primary sensory cortex.

Question 20

An area of cerebral cortex that receives substantial input from more than one sensory system is classified as

A) hierarchical cortex.
B) primary sensory cortex.
C) secondary sensory cortex.
D) association cortex.
E) both A and B

Question 21

Tinnitus

A) always accompanies hearing loss.
B) is always cured by cutting the contralateral auditory nerve.
C) is always cured by cutting the ipsilateral auditory nerve.
D) both A and C
E) none of the above

Question 22

In humans and other primates, large bilateral auditory cortex lesions produce

A) permanent total deafness.
B) permanent partial deafness.
C) a permanent deficit in the ability to localize sounds and discriminate frequencies.
D) total deafness that is permanent only in the ipsilateral field.
E) total deafness that is permanent only in the contralateral field.

Question 23

Bilateral damage to which of the following auditory structures would be most likely to produce complete and permanent hearing loss?

A) primary auditory cortex
B) superior colliculus
C) cochlear nerve
D) secondary auditory cortex
E) association cortex

Question 24

The axons of the auditory nerves synapse in the ipsilateral

A) cochlear nuclei.
B) superior olivary nuclei.
C) medial geniculate nuclei.
D) inferior colliculi.
E) lateral lemniscus.

Question 25

Barn owls are often used in auditory research on sound localization because they have

A) excellent sound localization ability.
B) large ears.
C) a large auditory cortex.
D) poor vision.
E) both B and C

Question 26

The primary auditory cortex is in the

A) temporal lobe.
B) lateral fissure.
C) occipital lobe.
D) frontal lobe.
E) both A and B

Question 27

Exceptions to the usual tonotopic organization of the auditory system are the deep layers of the

A) primary auditory cortex.
B) basilar membrane.
C) superior colliculus.
D) semicircular canals.
E) cochlear nucleus.

Question 28

The sensory organs of the vestibular system

A) maintain balance.
B) activate one branch of cranial nerve VIII.
C) are the semicircular canals.
D) all of the above
E) both A and B

Question 29

The permanent effects of bilateral auditory cortex damage are surprisingly minor in primates although they do include disruption of the ability to

A) detect sounds, but only those presented to the contralateral ear.
B) discriminate frequencies.
C) localize sounds.
D) both A and B
E) both B and C

Question 30

Much of the recent research on sound localization has focused on the

A) cochlea.
B) barn owl.
C) snail.
D) mouse.
E) cat.

Question 31

The superior olives receive much of their neural input from the

A) medial geniculate nuclei.
B) superior colliculus.
C) inferior colliculus.
D) cochlear nuclei.
E) lateral geniculate nuclei.

Question 32

Investigators have proposed that in each hemisphere, there are two major streams of

A) visual information
B) auditory information.
C) vestibular information.
D) all of the above
E) both A and B

Question 33

Much of the human auditory cortex is invisible to casual inspection because it is in the __________ fissure.

A) central
B) lateral
C) longitudinal
D) calcarine
E) postcentral

Question 34

The major auditory projections of the inferior colliculi go to the

A) cochlear nuclei.
B) medial geniculate nuclei.
C) lateral geniculate nuclei.
D) superior olives.
E) auditory nerve.

Question 35

The arrow points to

A) the central fissure.
B) vestibular cortex.
C) gustatory cortex.
D) auditory cortex.
E) olfactory cortex.

Question 36

The somatosensory system is

A) exteroceptive.
B) proprioceptive.
C) interoceptive.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 37

The semicircular canals are the receptive organs of

A) the auditory system.
B) the vestibular system.
C) a top-down sensory system.
D) an exteroceptive system.
E) both A and C

Question 38

Neurons of the monkey secondary auditory cortex respond robustly to

A) bird calls.
B) pure tones.
C) monkey calls.
D) the location of sounds.
E) pitch.

Question 39

The perception of pitch in primates seems to occur in

A) the thalamus.
B) one small cortical area just anterior to primary auditory cortex.
C) association cortex.
D) primary auditory cortex.
E) all areas of association cortex together.

Question 40

Which of the following has played a major role in the research differentiating neurons that respond to pitch from those that respond to frequency?

A) missing fundamentals
B) primary auditory cortex
C) tinnitus
D) barn owls
E) posterior auditory pathway

Question 41

The sense of touch is largely

A) exteroceptive.
B) proprioceptive.
C) interoceptive.
D) nociceptive.
E) slow-adapting.

Question 42

The dorsal-column medial-lemniscus system and the anterolateral system both carry sensory information from the

A) eyes.
B) ears.
C) skin.
D) nose.
E) mouth.

Question 43

The destruction of a single dorsal root typically produces little somatosensory loss because

A) there are few cutaneous receptors in the back.
B) the dorsal roots soon degenerate.
C) there is considerable overlap of projections from adjacent dermatomes.
D) the dorsal roots accurately regenerate.
E) the somatosensory system has a motor component.

Question 44

The Pacinian corpuscle is

A) the largest cutaneous receptor.
B) the most deeply positioned cutaneous receptor.
C) fast adapting.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 45

Pacinian corpuscles, Merkel's disks, and Ruffini endings are

A) blood cells.
B) auditory receptors.
C) receptors in the skin.
D) taste receptors.
E) nuclei in the somatosensory system.

Question 46

The neurons of the ventral posterior nucleus project to

A) SI, SII, and the posterior parietal cortex.
B) the thalamus.
C) the medial lemniscus.
D) the dorsal column nuclei.
E) the auditory cortex.

Question 47

The dorsal-column medial-lemniscus system is particularly responsive to

A) sound and movement.
B) touch and proprioception.
C) motor output.
D) tickle and temperature.
E) pain and temperature.

Question 48

Dorsal columns are to anterolateral pathways as

A) pain is to temperature.
B) touch is to temperature and pain.
C) exteroceptive is to interoceptive.
D) free nerve endings are to Pacinian corpuscles.
E) temperature is to tickle.

Question 49

Free nerve endings are thought to mediate the perception of

A) pressure.
B) pain.
C) skin temperature.
D) all of the above
E) both B and C

Question 50

Nociceptive stimuli are

A) exteroceptive.
B) mechanical.
C) thermal.
D) painful.
E) bad.

Question 51

The longest neuron in the human body

A) is a finger neuron.
B) has its cell body in the spinal cord.
C) is part of the anterolateral system.
D) all of the above
E) is somatosensory neuron with one end in a toe and the other in the dorsal column nuclei.

Question 52

The perception of both pain and changes in skin temperature are largely mediated by

A) free nerve endings.
B) Pacinian corpuscles.
C) nociceptors.
D) temperoceptors.
E) red corpuscles.

Question 53

A dermatome is a

A) slowly adapting cutaneous receptor.
B) fast adapting cutaneous receptor.
C) free nerve ending.
D) both A and C
E) none of the above

Question 54

The identification of objects by touch is

A) proprioception.
B) lewd.
C) vestibulation.
D) stereognosis.
E) astereognosia.

Question 55

The cutaneous somatosensory system responds to

A) nociceptive stimuli.
B) thermal stimuli.
C) mechanical stimuli.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 56

The anterolateral system comprises the

A) spinothalamic tract.
B) spinoreticular tract.
C) spinotectal tract.
D) all of the above
E) both B and C

Question 57

The dorsal columns are composed of the axons of

A) cutaneous somatosensory neurons.
B) neurons with their cell bodies in the cochlear nuclei.
C) neurons with their cell bodies in the dorsal column nuclei.
D) several branches of the trigeminal nerve.
E) medial lemniscus neurons.

Question 58

Most of the neurons of the anterolateral system decussate in the

A) spinal cord.
B) lower brain stem.
C) midbrain.
D) corpus callosum.
E) medulla.

Question 59

The anterolateral system is particularly responsive to

A) pain.
B) temperature.
C) tickle.
D) all of the above.
E) both A and B

Question 60

The area of the body that is innervated by the left and right dorsal roots of a given segment of the spinal cord is one

A) dermatome.
B) stereognosis.
C) Ruffini ending.
D) region of glabrous skin.
E) none of the above

Question 61

Electrical stimulation of the periaqueductal gray (PAG) produces

A) opiates.
B) serotonin.
C) analgesia.
D) opiate receptors.
E) pain.

Question 62

Research has shown that SI

A) is really SII.
B) includes SII.
C) is posterior to SII.
D) is organized in four somatotopically organized, parallel strips.
E) is smaller than SII.

Question 63

Primary somatosensory cortex is in the

A) postcentral gyrus.
B) precentral gyrus.
C) occipital lobe.
D) frontal lobe.
E) both B and D

Question 64

Much of SII is

A) adjacent to SI.
B) in the lateral fissure.
C) in the parietal cortex.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 65

Which of the following somatosensory structures do not receive substantial input from the anterolateral system?

A) dorsal column nuclei
B) tectum
C) reticular formation
D) colliculi
E) thalamus

Question 66

Unilateral damage to SI

A) eliminates the sense of touch in the contralateral hand.
B) eliminates the sense of touch in the ipsilateral hand.
C) produces contralateral neglect.
D) produces contralateral deficits in stereognosis.
E) both A and C

Question 67

The cortical area that has most frequently been linked to pain by functional brain imaging studies is the

A) anterior cingulate cortex.
B) secondary somatosensory cortex.
C) posterior parietal cortex.
D) inferotemporal cortex.
E) PAG.

Question 68

Which tract is part of the anterolateral somatosensory system?

A) spinoreticular tract
B) spinothalamic tract
C) spinotectal tract
D) all of the above
E) dorsal columns

Question 69

Evidence suggests that the anterior cingulate cortex plays a major role in the

A) expectation of pain.
B) adaptive responses to minimize pain.
C) emotional reaction to pain.
D) all of the above
E) perception of pain.

Question 70

Unilateral excision of SI produces a contralateral deficit in the ability to

A) detect light touch.
B) identify objects by touch.
C) feel anything with the hand.
D) all of the above
E) both A and B

Question 71

The ventral posterior nuclei of the thalamus receive direct input from the

A) dorsal-column medial-lemniscus system.
B) spinotectal tract.
C) spinoreticular tract.
D) all of the above
E) both B and C

Question 72

Asomatognosia is often associated with

A) stereognosis.
B) anosognosia.
C) contralateral neglect.
D) the rubber hand illusion.
E) both B and C

Question 73

Illustrated here is the cortical area most commonly linked to the perception of pain: the

A) anterior cingulate cortex.
B) periaqueductal gray matter.
C) gate control cortex.
D) pain mucosa.
E) dorsolateral frontal cortex.

Question 74

Hemispherectomized patients feel

A) no pain.
B) no pain from the contralateral side of the body.
C) no pain from the ipsilateral side of the body.
D) pain from both sides of the body.
E) none of the above

Question 75

Some of the primary somatosensory cortex is in the

A) central fissure.
B) lateral fissure.
C) longitudinal fissure.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 76

The inability to identify objects by touch is

A) astereognosia.
B) stereognosis.
C) asomatognosia.
D) anosognosia.
E) apraxia.

Question 77

Evidence for the existence of a descending pain-control circuit came from the finding that

A) stimulation of the PAG produces analgesia.
B) the PAG contains opiate receptors.
C) some opiates are endogenous.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 78

Astereognosia and asomatognosia are the two major types of

A) touch blindness.
B) apraxia.
C) somatosensory agnosia.
D) contralateral neglect.
E) stereognosis.

Question 79

Harold Klawans's neurological case of Aunt Betty suffered from a form of

A) asomatognosia.
B) prosopagnosia.
C) color agnosia.
D) stereognosis.
E) anosmia.

Question 80

Which of the following is often associated with asomatognosia?

A) the rubber hand illusion
B) aphasia
C) anosognosia
D) all of the above
E) both A and C