Deck 5: Sensation and Perception

Question 1

Sensory __________ carry information as a coded signal from your sensory organs to your brain.

A) receptor cells
B) neurons
C) ganglion cells
D) sulci

Answer 1

neurons

Question 2

__________ is the process through which we detect physical energy from the environment and code that energy as neural signals.

A) Perception
B) Sensation
C) Detection
D) Transduction

Answer 2

Sensation

Question 3

A good friend of yours tells you that he has a new job at a bakery."Oh man,you are so lucky," you tell him."You get to smell that fresh bread and the donuts all day long.I'd LOVE to work there." Your buddy shakes his head and says,"You know,that's what I thought,but after I'm there for a few minutes I don't even smell the baked goods that much anymore." Because you've studied psychology,you know that his loss of responsiveness to the great scents is explained by sensory __________.

A) adaptation
B) minimization
C) transformation
D) declination

Answer 3

adaptation

Question 4

The part of the nervous system that is responsible for receiving and processing information from outside the body is called the __________ system.

A) transduction
B) perceptory
C) proprioceptive
D) sensory

Question 5

When you think of sensation and perception,you think of your home mail service.When the mail is delivered to your home,the postal worker puts it in your mailbox.You then take the various letters,magazines,and postcards and sit down to read them,deciding which is important and which is junk.In this scenario,the taking the various mail from the mailbox and into your house where you will sort it is analogous to the process of __________

A) sensation
B) transduction
C) perception
D) neuronal transmission

Question 6

While lying in bed,Maurice asked his wife,Sophie,to turn up the television.Even though she did increase the volume of the program they were watching,Maurice said "Aren't you going to turn it up?" Clearly,the amount of volume Sophie added to the television program did not exceed Maurice's __________ threshold.

A) sensory
B) difference
C) absolute
D) Weber

Question 7

The process through which physical energy such as light or sound is converted into an electrical charge is known as __________.

A) sensation
B) transduction
C) difference adaptation
D) electromagnetic transformation

Question 8

"I'm ready to go," Olivia told her husband! "I wore a new perfume tonight.I hope you like it!" Olivia's husband nodded dutifully and told her how nice it smelled,but in truth he couldn't smell a thing.According to the principles of psychophysics,Olivia was not wearing enough perfume to exceed her husband's __________.

A) Weberian level
B) just noticeable difference
C) absolute threshold
D) difference threshold

Question 9

Jim and Jamal are lifting weights together before football practice.Jim is doing a bench press with 240 pounds,and just to be funny Jamal slides an extra 5 pounds on the bar when Jim is not looking.Jim bench presses the new weight,245 pounds,without even noticing that the weight had increased.If Jamal had added 50 pounds,however,Jim would probably have noticed .Which law explains why a small change to a large stimulus will be harder to detect than a small change to a small stimulus?

A) Frank Colaverta
B) Ernst Weber
C) Hermann von Helmholtz
D) Richard von Kraft Ebbing

Question 10

When you think of sensation and perception,you think of your home mail service.When the mail is delivered to your home,the postal worker puts it in your mailbox.You then take the various letters,magazines,and postcards and sit down to read them,deciding which is important and which is junk.In this scenario,the mailbox is your __________.

A) perception system
B) sensory system
C) central nervous system
D) brain

Question 11

When you think of sensation and perception,you think of your home mail service.When the mail is delivered to your home,the postal worker puts it in your mailbox.You then take the various letters,magazines,and postcards and sit down to read them,deciding which is important and which is junk.In this scenario,the delivery of mail to your mailbox is analogous to __________.

A) perception
B) transduction
C) sensation
D) the peripheral nervous system

Question 12

When you think of sensation and perception,you think of your home mail service.When the mail is delivered to your home,the postal worker puts it in your mailbox.You then take the various letters,magazines,and postcards and sit down to read them,deciding which is important and which is junk.In this scenario,the process of sorting through the mail,deciding what is important and what is junk is analogous to ___________.

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

Question 13

The __________ threshold is the smallest amount of energy needed for a person to detect the presence of a stimulus 50% of the time.

A) absolute
B) difference
C) just noticeable
D) sensory

Question 14

Generally speaking,the study of __________ refers to the process of understanding the human experiences of sensation and perception.

A) perceptuoregulation
B) psychophysics
C) transensation
D) physioreception

Question 15

__________ refers to the way we select,organize,and interpret sensory information.

A) Sensation
B) Gustation
C) Olfaction
D) Perception

Question 16

Which of the following is one of the three factors that control sensory adaptation?

A) The age of the sensory receptor cells that are being stimulated.
B) The associated motor cortex in the brain.
C) The rate at which sensory receptor cells fire.
D) The size of the sensory receptor cells that are present.

Question 17

The fact that sensory systems are need-specific is demonstrated by which of the following examples?

A) Giraffes need to eat the leaves from trees, and so they have developed a long neck so they can reach food.
B) Human beings have evolved past their need for an appendix, so that organ can be removed without any negative impact.
C) Bats hunt in the dark so they use echolocation instead of eyesight to track down prey.
D) Roaches have learned that they are safest in dark locations where they cannot be seen by human beings, so they stay in floors and walls where they will not be detected.

Question 18

The __________ threshold is the minimum difference between two stimuli needed to detect the difference 50% of the time.

A) Weber
B) sensory
C) difference
D) absolute

Question 19

__________ is to reception as __________ is to interpretation.

A) Transduction; sensation
B) Sensation; perception
C) Perception; transduction
D) Perception; sensation

Question 20

Sensory __________ is the process in which sensory receptor cells become less responsive to an unchanging stimulus.

A) adaptation
B) reduction
C) insensitivity
D) transduction

Question 21

Which type of photoreceptors allows us to see colors?

A) Basilar membranes
B) Rods
C) Ganglion cells
D) Cones

Question 22

You come home from middle school one afternoon with a report card that boasts all A's.You can't wait to show your grandmother,who has recently been visiting from out of town.When you hand her the report card,she has to hold it at arm's length in order to read it,because the lenses of her eyes are no longer able to accommodate to objects that are nearby.This eye condition,called __________,is very common on older people.

A) cataract
B) presbyopia
C) presbycusis
D) retinitis pigmentosa

Question 23

Which of the following type of visual receptor is found everywhere in the retina except the fovea?

A) amacrine cells
B) rods
C) ganglion cells
D) cones

Question 24

The ability of your lens to change its thickness and curvature to adapt to images both near and far is called visual __________.

A) accommodation
B) adaptation
C) cataraction
D) transduction

Question 25

In the visual cortex,__________ cells respond to single features in the visual field,while _________ cells respond to two features of a visual stimulus.

A) homogenous; heterogenous
B) unary; binary
C) monochromatic; dichromatic
D) simple; complex

Question 26

Which of the following is a type of photoreceptor found in the retina?

A) Cones
B) Ganglion Cells
C) Amacrines
D) Chiasms

Question 27

What is the optic chiasm?

A) The separation between the retinal cone layer and the retinal rod layer.
B) A point near the base of the brain where some of the fibers from the optic nerve cross over to the opposite side of the brain.
C) The special name given to the synapses between the sensory neurons of the retina and the motor neurons of the optic nerve.
D) The technical name for the size of the opening of the pupil.

Question 28

How are images that come in the front of the eye projected onto the retina?

A) Upside down and backwards
B) Upside down
C) Backwards
D) In their correct orientation

Question 29

While shopping for new wallpaper for your bathroom,you are attracted to a very pretty pattern of vertical stripes with horizontal rows of flowers.Because there are two visual details in this pattern,which type of feature detectors are being stimulated in your eyes?

A) Complex cells
B) Hypercomplex cells
C) Simple cells
D) Bipolar cells

Question 30

Visual accommodation is the process by which the __________ adjusts in shame from thick to thin to enable a person to focus on objects that are close by or far away.

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

Question 31

The __________ of your eye is sort of like a movie screen at a cinema,as it is that onto which light gets projected.

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

Question 32

Feature detectors that respond to two features of a stimulus are referred to as __________ cells.

A) amacrine
B) bipolar
C) dichotomous
D) complex

Question 33

When you insert your house key into the lock on your front door,very specific grooves in that key trigger tumblers to open the lock.In the very same way __________ detectors are specialized brain cells that only respond to particular elements in the visual field.

A) itemized
B) visual
C) Gestalt
D) feature

Question 34

Feature __________ are specialized brain cells that only respond to particular elements in an individual's visual field.

A) analyzers
B) detectors
C) receptors
D) perceivers

Question 35

When you are referring to the sharpness of vision that an individual experiences,you are talking about her visual __________.

A) propria
B) presbyopia
C) sensitivity
D) acuity

Question 36

What part of the retina has the greatest concentration of photoreceptors,and is therefore associated with the greatest visual acuity?

A) The fusiform depression
B) The ganglion
C) The peripheral sulcus
D) The fovea

Question 37

While shopping for new wallpaper for your bathroom,you are attracted to a very plain pattern of vertical stripes.Because there is only one visual detail in this pattern,which type of feature detectors are being stimulated in your eyes?

A) Complex cells
B) Hypercomplex cells
C) Simple cells
D) Monoreactive cells

Question 38

A __________ cell is a feature detector that only responds to a single feature of a stimulus.

A) simple
B) monoreceptive
C) complex
D) ganglion

Question 39

Which of the following terms is the best synonym for the word "acuity"?

A) Sharpness
B) Sensitivity
C) Photoreactivity
D) Stimulation

Question 40

In which general area of the brain is visual information processed?

A) The back of the brain
B) The top of the brain
C) The side of the brain
D) The front of the brain

Question 41

As Cecilia is getting ready for the orchestra performance in which she is about to participate,she takes time to tune her violin.She listens carefully to the pitch of each string,which is indicated by the __________ of the sound wave it produces,to determine if she needs to make an adjustment in the instrument.

A) wavelength
B) frequency
C) timbre
D) amplitude

Question 42

While shopping for new wallpaper for your child's bathroom,you are attracted to a very "busy" pattern of cartoon characters that are dancing all over the wall.Because there are multiple features to attend to in this stimulus,which type of feature detectors are being stimulated in your eyes?

A) Complex cells
B) Fusiform cells
C) Simple cells
D) Hypercomplex cells

Question 43

A type of feature detector that responds to multiple features of a stimulus is known as a __________ cell.

A) fusiform
B) simple
C) hypercomplex
D) complex

Question 44

__________ is a condition in which a person experiences blindness in part of his or her field of vision.

A) Blindsight
B) Peripheral blindness
C) Presbyopia
D) Protonopia

Question 45

The __________ of a particular light refers to its color,and it is determined by the wavelength of the light that is sensed.

A) saturation
B) intensity
C) hue
D) brightness

Question 46

Because you are bored one afternoon,you decide to try a little experiment.You open your eye very wide,extend your thumb,and then poke yourself in the eye.Aside from being very foolish and in a lot of pain,you may learn something about your eye when you engage in this masochistic behavior.The very first thing your thumb would touch as it made contact with your eye would be the __________.

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

Question 47

Information that is sensed in the right visual field is processed in the __________ visual cortex,while information that is sensed in the left visual field is processed in the _________ visual cortex.

A) right; left
B) anterior; posterior
C) fungiform; fusiform
D) left; right

Question 48

__________ processing describes the process of doing several things at the same time.

A) Multifaceted
B) Parallel
C) Complex
D) Hypercomplex

Question 49

The aperture,or opening,in the center of the iris is called the __________.

A) lens
B) pupil
C) vitreous
D) retina

Question 50

When light is shined onto the retina,that energy is received and then sent to the brain via the __________.

A) visual cortex
B) optic nerve
C) ocular connection
D) sclera link

Question 51

The __________ face area is a part of the visual cortex that is responsible for recognizing and responding to faces.

A) parallel
B) chiasmatic
C) fungiform
D) fusiform

Question 52

The human brain is able to distinguish approximately __________ different color variations.

A) 7 thousand
B) 7 billion
C) 7 hundred
D) 7 million

Question 53

"Louder," Mr.Jarvis yells at his choir."We need more volume!" In terms of psychophysics,Mr.Jarvis is asking his choir to increase the __________ of the sounds they are producing.

A) frequency
B) timbre
C) amplitude
D) complexity

Question 54

Color __________ is the tendency to perceive familiar objects as retaining their color despite changes in sensory information.

A) saturation
B) balance
C) constancy
D) maintenance

Question 55

The intensity of a particularly wave of light is related to our visual experience of that color's __________.

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

Question 56

Your brain's ability to multitask is referred to as ___________ processing.

A) distributed
B) parallel
C) faceted
D) fusiform

Question 57

Seeing is to "vision" as hearing is to "__________."

A) olfaction
B) gustation
C) audition
D) tactition

Question 58

The size of an individual's pupil is controlled by their __________.

A) iris
B) retina
C) lens
D) sclera

Question 59

When light enters the human eye,what is the correct order of structures through which that light passes?

A) Cornea, lens, pupil
B) Cornea, pupil, lens
C) Sclera, cornea, lens
D) Pupil, lens, cornea.

Question 60

Prosopagnosia is a visual disorder that impairs an individual's ability to recognize faces.Given your knowledge of sensation and perception,you can deduce that the area of the brain most likely to contribute to this impairment is the __________ face area.

A) callosum
B) fusiform
C) geniculate
D) proprioceptive

Question 61

What is "Umami?"

A) The part of the tongue where taste receptors are located.
B) The name of the scientist who first gave the term "gestation" to the human taste system.
C) The part of the temporal lobe of the brain where taste sensations are processed.
D) The basic taste sensation that is related to foods such as soup, cheese, and chicken.

Question 62

What is the name of the membrane that runs the length of the cochlea and has auditory receptors (in the form of hair cells)on its surface?

A) The membrane of Corti
B) The oval membrane
C) The basilar membrane
D) The cochlear membrane

Question 63

The part of the nose that exists in many mammals that is responsible for the reception of pheromones is called the __________ organ.

A) epithelial
B) pheroreceptive
C) vomeronasal
D) olfactory

Question 64

Mitzi likes to arrange her pantry in a very specific order.The soups that she likes are all grouped together,as are the snacks,pastas,and cookies.In the very same way,the primary auditory cortex is organized in a __________ arrangement,which means that neurons grouped together based on the frequencies to which they prefer to respond.

A) tonotopic
B) hierarchical
C) sequential
D) proprioceptic

Question 65

A negative feeling caused by an external stimulus is referred to as __________ pain.

A) nociceptive
B) proprioceptive
C) neuropathic
D) referred

Question 66

In a very unfortunate farming accident,Jerry had to have his left leg amputated.Even though he was fitted with a prosthetic and learned to adapt to having only one real leg,Jerry would occasionally "feel" pain in his amputated limb.This sort of pain,called phantom limb pain,is an example of __________ pain.

A) nociceptive
B) referred
C) imagined
D) neuropathic

Question 67

An area of reduced sound around the ear farther away from where a sound originates is referred to as a sound __________.

A) umbra
B) muting
C) depression
D) shadow

Question 68

The vomeronasal organs,located in the noses of most mammals,are specifically designed to be receptive to __________.

A) edible foods
B) perspiration
C) natural gas
D) pheromones

Question 69

It is a commonly known fact that dogs have a much keener sense of smell than do human beings.What is not commonly known,however,is why.Because you have studied psychophysics,you know the answer to this question.What is it?

A) Dogs have a better sense of smell because it compensates for the fact that their sense of taste is so poorly developed.
B) Dogs have a better sense of smell because their noses are proportionally larger than the noses of human beings
C) Dogs have a better sense of smell because they have far more scent receptors than do human beings..
D) Dogs have a better sense of smell because their olfactory processing centers are larger than the same part of the brain in human beings.

Question 70

Which of the following is one of the tiny bones of the middle ear?

A) The semicircular canal
B) The cochlea
C) The stirrup
D) The eardrum

Question 71

What are the tiny bumps that you can see on your tongue called?

A) papillae
B) taste buds
C) microvilli
D) gustatory sulci

Question 72

Why do you often lose your sense of taste when you have a bad cold and are very congested?

A) Because everything that you breathe passes your tongue, and so if you can't breathe through your nose the taste receptors on the back of the tongue will not get the sensory information needed for a taste sensation.
B) Because both smell and taste use the same chemicals for sensory reception.
C) Because the back of the mouth cavity is connected to the nasal cavity.
D) Because the olfactory processing centers of the brain are located right next to the gustatory processing centers.

Question 73

The __________ sense is the sense relating to how a person's body parts interact with one another.

A) vestibular
B) kinesthetic
C) nociceptive
D) vomeronasal

Question 74

How many basic taste sensations do human beings have according to the most recent research?

A) 3
B) 5
C) 4
D) 6

Question 75

Which of the following has been found to have a negative effect on our olfactory system?

A) Drinking caffeinated beverages
B) Alzheimer's disease
C) Gum disease and tooth decay
D) Overexposure to loud noises

Question 76

While shopping at a department store,an ambitious young saleswoman walks up to you."Would you like to try our newest perfume? It's called Allure,and it is guaranteed to get the attention of that special someone because it is formulated with real human pheromones!" Because you've recently had an interest in a new "special someone," what would be your best option in this situation?

A) Buy the perfume as a gift for your "special someone" because wearing it will increase their interest in you.
B) Buy the perfume, but only wear it during warm temperatures, since human reception of pheromones is influenced by ambient heat.
C) Buy the perfume, since human beings, like other mammals, are producers and receivers of pheromones.
D) Smile and politely decline, since there is no credible evidence that such products have any effect on human beings whatsoever.

Question 77

Compared to our eyesight,the olfactory system of human beings is rather poorly developed.Despite this comparative limitation,human beings are still able to distinguish well over _________ different odors.

A) 10 million
B) 100 thousand
C) 1 million
D) 10 thousand

Question 78

Which of the following is not one of the "skin senses"?

A) pain
B) movement
C) pressure
D) touch

Question 79

Which of the following structures is not a part of the outer ear?

A) The pinna
B) The ear canal
C) The eardrum
D) The cochlea

Question 80

Which of the following responses is not triggered by the reception of pheromones in many mammals?

A) hunger
B) aggression
C) sexual arousal
D) territorial behavior