Deck 5: Sensation

Question 1

The detection of the elementary properties of a stimulus is called

A) transduction.
B) sensation.
C) perception.
D) temporal coding.
E) anatomical coding.

Answer 1

sensation.

Question 2

The detection of an object, its location, its movement, and its background is called

A) temporal coding.
B) transduction.
C) sensation.
D) perception.
E) anatomical coding.

Answer 2

perception.

Question 3

Seeing the colour green is to __________ as seeing a green bird is to __________.

A) anatomical coding; temporal coding
B) signal detection; psychophysics
C) sensation; perception
D) absolute threshold; difference threshold
E) sensation; transduction

Answer 3

sensation; perception

Question 4

__________ is the conversion of physical stimuli into changes in the activity of receptor cells of sensory organs.

A) Psychophysics
B) Transduction
C) Signal detection
D) Anatomical coding
E) Sensory coding

Question 5

A neuron that responds directly to physical energy is called a __________ cell.

A) receptor
B) transducer
C) sense organ
D) Weber
E) radiant

Question 6

The type of energy transduced by the receptors of the eye is __________ energy.

A) mechanical
B) radiant
C) thermal
D) chemical
E) visual

Question 7

Light is to __________ energy as sound is to __________ energy.

A) radiant; mechanical
B) mechanical; chemical
C) thermal; radiant
D) radiant; thermal
E) visual; acoustic

Question 8

The eye is to __________ energy, as the ear is to __________ energy.

A) thermal; radiant
B) mechanical; chemical
C) chemical; thermal
D) radiant; electrical
E) radiant; mechanical

Question 9

The doctrine of specific nerve energies is closely related to which aspect of sensory processing?

A) anatomical coding
B) temporal coding
C) just-noticeable differences
D) signal detection
E) transduction

Question 10

An intense or loud sound generates a high rate of firing in the neurons of the auditory system. This pattern of firing is an example of __________ coding.

A) anatomical
B) temporal
C) frequency
D) place
E) Weber

Question 11

The smallest change in the magnitude of a stimulus that can be detected is called a(n)

A) minimal threshold.
B) correct negative.
C) absolute threshold.
D) just-noticeable difference.
E) absolute difference.

Question 12

The study of the quantitative relation between physical stimuli and perceptual experience is known as

A) signal detection.
B) sensory psychology.
C) psychophysics.
D) perceptual psychology.
E) sensation.

Question 13

As the intensity or brightness of light increases, the absolute size of the jnd for the perception of brightness

A) becomes smaller.
B) becomes larger.
C) stays about the same.
D) first becomes larger and then becomes smaller.
E) first becomes smaller and then becomes larger.

Question 14

Weber fractions relate the __________ to the __________.

A) absolute threshold; difference threshold
B) jnd; magnitude of the stimulus
C) sensory system; source of energy
D) signal detection; response bias
E) signal; noise

Question 15

The smallest change in the magnitude of a stimulus that can be detected is called a(n)

A) minimal threshold.
B) correct negative.
C) absolute threshold.
D) difference threshold.
E) absolute difference.

Question 16

From your hotel you can just hear the sound of the sea if you really concentrate. The level of that sound is at the __________ for you.

A) jnd
B) difference threshold
C) absolute threshold
D) signal detection threshold
E) minimal threshold

Question 17

The lowest value of a stimulus that can be detected is called the

A) jnd.
B) difference threshold.
C) absolute threshold.
D) Weber fraction.
E) minimal threshold.

Question 18

Sometimes we can detect the presence of very weak stimuli and sometimes we can not. This is due to the

A) special properties of the stimulus we are attempting to detect.
B) inherent variability in the activity of our nervous systems.
C) random defects in our receptor cells.
D) psychophysical properties of stimulus detection problems.
E) psychophysical properties of environmental conditions.

Question 19

An important principle of signal detection theory is that detection of any stimulus requires that we discriminate between __________ and __________.

A) signal; response bias
B) signal; noise
C) response bias; noise
D) noise; silence
E) noise; response bias

Question 20

In a signal detection experiment, a subject's tendency to say "yes"or "no"when he or she is unsure of whether a stimulus is present is called

A) response threshold.
B) a correct negative.
C) a false alarm.
D) response bias.
E) subject bias.

Question 21

Suppose that you have just finished working out and decide to take a shower. You are also expecting an important phone call and so decide that you will listen extra carefully for the ringing of the phone. Two or three times you pop your head out of the shower thinking that you hear the phone (but it really didn't ring). Your experience of listening for the phone has to do with

A) your difference threshold.
B) your response bias.
C) just-noticeable differences.
D) Weber's fraction.
E) your absolute threshold.

Question 22

Which of the following qualifies as a false alarm?

A) A signal is absent and the subject responds "no."
B) A signal is absent and the subject responds "yes."
C) A signal is present and the subject responds "no."
D) A signal is present and the subject responds "yes."
E) A signal is sometimes present and the subject responds "no."

Question 23

Which of the following qualifies as a correct negative?

A) A signal is absent and the subject responds "no."
B) A signal is absent and the subject responds "yes."
C) A signal is present and the subject responds "no."
D) A signal is present and the subject responds "yes."
E) A signal is sometimes present and the subject responds "no."

Question 24

While Jenny is in the shower she is listening for the phone because she is expecting an important phone call about a new job. According to signal detection theory she is more likely to make a __________ than a __________.

A) miss; false alarm
B) miss; hit
C) correct negative; false alarm
D) correct negative; hit
E) false alarm; miss

Question 25

Changes in the receiver operator curve (ROC) reflect changes in the

A) size of the signal.
B) amount of noise present in the testing situation.
C) signal to noise ratio.
D) characteristics of the receiver.
E) frequency of the signal.

Question 26

The method of signal detection

A) is based on the concept of threshold.
B) is an extension of both Fechner and Weber's work on jnds.
C) is the best way to determine a subject's sensitivity to the presence of a given stimulus.
D) was first developed by Alexander Graham Bell.
E) is useful for determining a subject's individual jnd.

Question 27

Which of the following radio waves, as measured in megahertz or millions of cycles per minute, has the shortest wavelength?

A) 88.5 FM
B) 99.9 FM
C) 101.1 FM
D) 103.9 FM
E) 106.9 FM

Question 28

Which of the following animals detects its prey by means of special organs that detect infrared radiation?

A) frogs
B) dogs
C) rattlesnakes
D) alligators
E) dolphins

Question 29

Which of the following forms of energy have SHORTER wavelengths than the part of the electromagnetic spectrum called the visible spectrum?

A) ultraviolet rays
B) infrared rays
C) radar
D) radio broadcast bands
E) none of the above

Question 30

Which of the following forms of energy have LONGER wavelengths than the part of the electromagnetic spectrum called the visible spectrum?

A) ultraviolet rays
B) X-rays
C) radar
D) gamma rays
E) visible rays

Question 31

The space immediately behind the __________ is filled with a fluid called __________.

A) cornea; aqueous humor
B) sclera; vitreous humor
C) retina; aqueous humor
D) optic nerve; vitreous humor
E) cornea; vitreous humor

Question 32

Blockage of the passage that returns aqueous humor to the blood can result in a medical condition called

A) cataracts.
B) near-sightedness.
C) glaucoma.
D) protanopia.
E) myopia.

Question 33

Helen has __________, a condition caused by a blockage of the passage that returns aqueous humor to the blood.

A) cataracts
B) near-sightedness
C) glaucoma
D) protanopia
E) myopia

Question 34

The transparent organ of the eye, behind the iris, that is responsible for focusing images on the retina is the

A) cornea.
B) optic disc.
C) fovea.
D) sclera.
E) lens.

Question 35

Accommodation is a process that involves

A) regulating the amount of light that enters the eye.
B) changing the shape of the lens and focusing images on the retina.
C) gathering light and focusing it on the optic nerve.
D) inverting the images of environmental stimuli.
E) none of the above.

Question 36

If you look down at this exam question after looking around the room, the lens of your eye changes shape in order to focus the image of this question on your retina in a process called

A) signal detection.
B) transduction.
C) adaptation.
D) convergence.
E) accommodation.

Question 37

Photoreceptors in the eye include

A) rods and cones.
B) amacrine cells.
C) ganglion cells.
D) bipolar cells.
E) optic nerve.

Question 38

The tissue on the back, inside surface of the eye that contains photo receptors is the

A) ganglion cells.
B) fovea.
C) optic disc.
D) retina.
E) rods.

Question 39

The point at which the axons of the ganglion cells exit the retina is called the

A) fovea.
B) sclera.
C) optic disc.
D) cornea.
E) iris.

Question 40

If your eyes are too __________ then you __________.

A) large; have better than 20/20 vision
B) short; are nearsighted
C) long; are farsighted
D) short; are farsighted
E) small; have worse than 20/20 vision

Question 41

Jane has an eye shape that is too long, causing the image to focus __________ the fovea. Therefore, she suffers from __________ and wears __________ corrective lenses.

A) behind; farsightedness; convex
B) in front of; farsightedness; concave
C) behind; nearsightedness; concave
D) behind; farsightedness; concave
E) in front of; nearsightedness; concave

Question 42

A __________ lens is used to correct nearsightedness.

A) concave
B) convex
C) concentric
D) contralateral
E) bifocal

Question 43

Light striking the retina passes through which set of cells first?

A) ganglion cells
B) bipolar cells
C) horizontal cells
D) rods and cones
E) amacrine cells

Question 44

One characteristic that ganglion cells and bipolar cells have in common is that they both

A) are located behind the photoreceptor layer of the retina.
B) change form as a result of the breakdown of rhodopsin.
C) are photoreceptors.
D) are transparent.
E) are neurons in the lens.

Question 45

Visual information follows which of the following routes to the brain?

A) ganglion cells, bipolar cells, photoreceptors
B) photoreceptors, ganglion cells, bipolar cells
C) photoreceptors, bipolar cells, ganglion cells
D) bipolar cells, ganglion cells, photoreceptors
E) bipolar cells, photoreceptors, ganglion cells

Question 46

Which of the following statements is FALSE?

A) Cones are more useful than rods for seeing in dimly lit settings.
B) Cones are concentrated in the fovea.
C) Rods have a lower absolute threshold for light than cones.
D) The retina contains more rods than cones.
E) Cones are more useful than rods for colour vision.

Question 47

It is late at night and Tom is walking home from campus. The photoreceptors that are transducing the most physical energy striking his eyes are the

A) ganglion cells.
B) bipolar cells.
C) cones.
D) rods.
E) receptor cells.

Question 48

Visual acuity is sharpest when images cast by environmental stimuli fall directly on the fovea because

A) each cones synapses directly onto a single ganglion cell and there is concentration of cones in the fovea.
B) there are fewer bipolar and ganglion cells in the area surrounding the fovea than there are in the area surrounding the retina's periphery.
C) there are no photoreceptors in the retina's periphery.
D) the fovea has no blind spot.
E) the distance between the retina and the optic nerve is minimized at the fovea.

Question 49

The key vitamin involved in the transduction of radiant energy is vitamin

A) A.
B) B.
C) C.
D) D.
E) E.

Question 50

When a photon of light strikes the eye,

A) the photopigment unites with a molecule of vitamin A and a nerve impulse is generated.
B) photopigment is regenerated.
C) rhodopsin is released into the visual pathway leading from the optic disk to the occipital cortex.
D) the photopigment splits and a series of chemical events stimulates the photoreceptors.
E) rhodopsin splits apart and becomes rose-coloured initiating events that stimulate the ganglion cells.

Question 51

Rhodopsin is the photopigment

A) contained in the rods.
B) contained in the cones.
C) found in large quantities in the optic disk.
D) produced when vitamin A combines with aqueous humor.
E) found in large quantities in the fovea.

Question 52

Suppose that you have been outdoors in the bright sunlight and go inside to get a drink of water. When you enter your house, you find it a bit difficult to see; everything appears darker than usual. Soon, though, you begin to see better as a result of

A) accommodation.
B) light adaptation.
C) dark adaptation.
D) assimilation.
E) transduction.

Question 53

When you enter a darkened area after being in bright light, it takes your eyes some time to adjust to the difference in illumination levels. This is because

A) the photopigment bleached by the brighter light takes some time to regenerate.
B) it takes time for your eyes to metabolize vitamin A and provide a new source of photopigment.
C) your eyes need time to decrease the large amounts of photopigment in your retina that were created when you were in the bright light.
D) your photoreceptors are fatigued and need time to rest so that they can recover from the excessive neural activity caused by being outside.
E) the photopigment takes time to be rebleached in the dim lighting.

Question 54

If our eyes did not make small but quick and jerky movements, then we would not be able to see __________ objects in our environments clearly.

A) slow moving
B) fast moving
C) motionless
D) the colour of
E) the brightness of

Question 55

Which kinds of eye movements ensure that the image of an object will fall on corresponding portions of each retina?

A) vergence movements
B) saccadic movements
C) rotary movements
D) pursuit movements
E) focusing movements

Question 56

The human visual system apparently is not sensitive to stimuli that

A) are extremely fast in their movement.
B) consist of particular angles and line orientations.
C) break down rhodopsin.
D) are unchanging.
E) are moving directly towards the eyes.

Question 57

The kind of eye movement that is used when we scan a visual scene is called a __________ movement.

A) vergence
B) saccadic
C) smooth pursuit
D) pursuit
E) scanning

Question 58

Ahmed is scanning the ocean, hoping for a sight of land. The kind of eye movements he is using are called __________ movements.

A) vergence
B) pursuit
C) smooth pursuit
D) saccadic
E) scanning

Question 59

During saccadic eye movements,

A) we can control the speed with which our eyes move.
B) the eyes move as fast as they can.
C) the eyes stop to rest for periods of up to one-half second.
D) we track changes in the position of moving objects.
E) the eyes move in a smooth, fast motion to follow moving objects.

Question 60

Although Rachel is slowly scanning the horizon before her, her eyes do not move smoothly and evenly. Instead her eye movements are jerky. This kind of eye movement is called a __________ movement.

A) vergence
B) saccadic
C) pursuit
D) episodic
E) smooth pursuit

Question 61

The jumpy eye movements used to scan a scene are termed __________ movements, whereas the smooth eye movements used to tracking an object are termed __________ movements.

A) vergence; convergent
B) saccadic; pursuit
C) pursuit; vergence
D) episodic; vergence
E) episodic pursuit; smooth pursuit

Question 62

Saccadic is to __________ as pursuit is to __________.

A) object; scenes
B) scanning; focusing
C) together; apart
D) jerky; smooth
E) moving; stationary

Question 63

The type of eye movement used to keep the image of a moving object focused on the retina is called a __________ movement.

A) vergence
B) saccadic
C) convergent
D) pursuit
E) scanning

Question 64

In terms of colour vision, which of the following does NOT belong with the other four?

A) humans
B) bulls
C) birds
D) fish
E) monkeys

Question 65

Wavelength is the physical dimension of

A) hue.
B) brightness.
C) saturation.
D) purity.
E) intensity.

Question 66

In colour vision, brightness is to __________ as saturation is to __________.

A) wavelength; hue
B) intensity; wavelength
C) purity; hue
D) intensity; purity
E) purity; intensity

Question 67

The amount of energy being radiated from a visual stimulus is referred to as __________.

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

Question 68

Pastel green is an example of a __________ colour.

A) saturated
B) pure
C) desaturated
D) intense
E) fully saturated

Question 69

We perceive white light to be

A) white.
B) yellow.
C) bright.
D) colourless.
E) black.

Question 70

If we were to mix white light with a pure blue wavelength, the result would be a __________ light.

A) darker blue
B) metallic blue
C) less saturated blue
D) more transparent
E) brighter blue

Question 71

Our perception of an object's colour is determined mainly by the

A) wavelengths it absorbs.
B) wavelengths it reflects.
C) number of rods that are stimulated by light.
D) amount of white light that strikes it.
E) intensity of the colour.

Question 72

The addition of two or more lights of different wavelengths is called __________ mixing.

A) pigment
B) wavelength
C) colour
D) hue
E) frequency

Question 73

Mixing two paint colours together produces a darker colour than when mixing two colours of light because

A) paint pigments result from an additive mixture and coloured lights result from a subtractive mixture.
B) paint pigments result from a subtractive mixture and coloured lights result from an additive mixture.
C) paint pigments are by nature darker than lights that are coloured.
D) coloured lights stimulate different combinations of photoreceptors than do paint pigments.
E) additives in the paint will reduce the intensity of the colours.

Question 74

The sense of __________ is analytical whereas the sense of __________ is synthetic.

A) taste; hearing
B) vision; touch
C) vision; hearing
D) smell; taste
E) hearing; vision

Question 75

The idea that the human eye has three receptors sensitive to colour and that each is maximally sensitive to a different wavelength is called the __________ theory of colour vision.

A) opponent-process
B) trichromatic
C) three-cone
D) Young-Hering
E) three-hue

Question 76

The human eye contains three types of photopigments, each of which absorb a particular wavelength. The wavelengths correspond to the actual hues of

A) red, blue, and yellow-green.
B) blue-violet, green, and yellow-green.
C) red, blue-green, and yellow-orange.
D) blue, yellow, and green.
E) red green, blue-violet, and yellow-green

Question 77

Yellow light stimulates which photoreceptor(s)?

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

Question 78

The ganglion cells involved in sending visual information about colour to the brain do so by firing

A) in unison.
B) faster for some wavelengths than for others.
C) in volleys.
D) stronger action potentials for some colours and weaker action potentials for others.
E) contralaterally.

Question 79

At the ganglion cell level different colours are encoded

A) anatomically.
B) temporally.
C) at different intensities.
D) through pigment mixing.
E) in line with trichromatic theory.

Question 80

In line with opponent process theory of colour vision, if light stimulates a red photoreceptor, then the __________ ganglion cells will __________ their rate of firing.

A) red/green; increase
B) red/green; decrease
C) red/yellow; increase
D) red/yellow; decrease
E) yellow/blue; increase