Deck 5: Sensation and Perception

Question 1

In sensory transduction,neural energy is derived from

A) physical sources of energy.
B) Weber's law.
C) stereochemical energy.
D) perceptions.

Answer 1

physical sources of energy.

Question 2

The process of receiving,translating,and transmitting messages from the outside world to the brain is called

A) sensation.
B) selective attention.
C) perception.
D) cognition.

Answer 2

sensation.

Question 3

You are studying in your dorm room,but your neighbor is blasting the television in the adjacent room.When you gently request that your neighbor turn the volume down until you cannot hear it,you are asking your neighbor to find your

A) absolute threshold.
B) difference threshold.
C) transduction level.
D) basilar membrane.

Answer 3

absolute threshold.

Question 4

The color of the white paper and the correction fluid you use to cover up mistakes on the paper are not exactly the same,but they are so close that you cannot see any difference.This is because your _______ abilities are limited.

A) perceptual
B) sensory
C) associative
D) cognitive

Question 5

A brain-injured patient cannot interpret sensory stimuli but can detect the presence of a stimulus.This person has a problem with

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

Question 6

Where does the process of transduction take place?

A) at the cortical level
B) at the interneuron level
C) at the receptor cell level
D) at the spinal cord level

Question 7

The absolute threshold is the smallest magnitude of a stimulus that can be ______ and the difference threshold is the smallest magnitude of s stimulus that can be ______.

A) generated;generated half the time
B) generated half the time;generated
C) detected half the time;detected
D) detected;detected half the time

Question 8

Sensory information is interpreted through the process of

A) sensation.
B) translation.
C) perception.
D) sensory adaptation.

Question 9

An architect is designing apartments and wants them to be soundproof.She asks a psychologist what the smallest amount of sound is that can be heard.Her question is most related to

A) the absolute threshold.
B) the difference threshold.
C) Weber's law.
D) the sensory receptors.

Question 10

The process of converting light,sound,and other forms of energy from the world we live in into a form of neural impulses our brain can understand is called

A) transduction.
B) induction.
C) recovery of function.
D) circumlocution.

Question 11

At the center of every sense organ there are ______ that transduce incoming stimuli.

A) nuclei
B) sense organs
C) pheromones
D) psychophysicalities

Question 12

Regarding stimuli in the outside world,collecting data about that world is the function of ______ and interpreting the data that has been collected is the function of ______.

A) the brain;the spinal cord
B) the spinal cord;the brain
C) sensation;perception
D) perception;sensation

Question 13

Sensory systems have specialized neurons that transform physical energy into neural messages.These specialized neurons are called

A) interneurons.
B) transducers.
C) receptors.
D) adaptors.

Question 14

We are aware of our internal and external world because we possess

A) sense organs.
B) preceptor muscles.
C) interocular locution.
D) sensory deprivation.

Question 15

The ______ threshold is the smallest magnitude of a stimulus that can be detected.

A) absolute
B) difference
C) relevant
D) partial

Question 16

The smallest intensity of a stimulus that is detected 50 % of the time is

A) Weber's law.
B) the sensory threshold.
C) the difference threshold.
D) the absolute threshold.

Question 17

The main function of sensory receptor cells is to

A) maintain a system of checks and balances with perception cells.
B) receive outside forms of energy and translate into neural impulses.
C) inform the brain which types of electromagnetic energy are harmful.
D) collect information about the outside world so the brain can disregard it.

Question 18

With incoming sensory stimuli,not every message will be strong enough to be detected.That is,a message must exceed the _______ in order to be processed.

A) expectations
B) arbitrary value
C) threshold
D) upper limit

Question 19

If a person hears two tones that differ in intensity just barely enough to be detected,the point of detection would be the ________ threshold.

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

Question 20

Your friend asks you to help move some boxes.You look at the boxes and without even trying to move them you say,"These boxes are too heavy." Seeing the boxes as heavy is an example of

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

Question 21

The clear membrane just in front of the iris through which light first passes is the

A) retina.
B) lens.
C) cornea.
D) rod.

Question 22

Of all forms of electromagnetic radiation,humans can perceive ______ forms of electromagnetic radiation.

A) all
B) some
C) none
D) only X ray

Question 23

You arrive at your friend's apartment for a big party at the end of the semester.When you first arrive,the music is so loud that it almost hurts your ears.After a couple of hours,even though the music is still at the same volume,it doesn't bother you anymore,and you like it.This change over time describes the process of

A) light adaptation.
B) transduction.
C) sensory adaptation.
D) sensory deprivation.

Question 24

The ability to detect small changes of weak stimuli and large changes in strong stimuli is known as

A) Weber's law.
B) transduction.
C) psychophysics.
D) trichromaticism.

Question 25

In a dark room,lighting one candle adds a lot of brightness.However,in a room with 100 lit candles,lighting one candle has little effect.This example can be explained by

A) sensory adaptation.
B) perceptual constancy.
C) Weber's law.
D) the Law of Effect.

Question 26

You go swimming in cold water.At first you are in agony,but later the water doesn't feel so bad.You have experienced

A) sensory adaptation.
B) perceptual constancy.
C) vestibular adaptation.
D) gustation.

Question 27

One of the reasons that sensory adaptation occurs is because

A) transduction limits are exceeded.
B) receptor cells become fatigued.
C) receptor cells become hypervigilant.
D) absolute thresholds change over time.

Question 28

Technically speaking,light is a form of

A) matter.
B) energy.
C) gas.
D) anti-matter.

Question 29

The ciliary muscle of the eye controls the

A) thickness of the lens.
B) optic chiasm.
C) color intensity.
D) retinal cones.

Question 30

You can't feel the waistband of your underwear (though you know it is there).This is mostly the result of

A) sensory deprivation.
B) difference thresholds.
C) sensory adaptation.
D) transduction.

Question 31

Tom walked into the anatomy lab for the first time and was overpowered by the odor of formaldehyde.By the end of the lab,he said there was only a slight smell.This can best be explained by

A) stereochemical desensitization.
B) opponent-process theory.
C) sensory adaptation.
D) gustatory disinhibition.

Question 32

A change in the wavelength of light would result in a change in

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

Question 33

Regarding light,wavelength is the ______ as intensity is the ______.

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

Question 34

When we refer to the hue of a light wave,we are referring to what we perceive as

A) intensity.
B) radiation.
C) brightness.
D) color.

Question 35

The specialty area in psychology that studies topics such as sensory limits and sensory adaptation is called

A) kinesiology.
B) biopsychology.
C) psychokinesis.
D) psychophysics.

Question 36

When you can tell the difference between candy apple red and fire engine red,it is partly because the light stimuli differ in their

A) visual acuity.
B) cone density.
C) X rays.
D) wavelengths.

Question 37

The major purpose of the iris is to

A) protect the eye from injury.
B) regulate the amount of light entering the eye.
C) focus light on the retina.
D) transduce light energy.

Question 38

A person wishes to study how vision is affected by various stimulus conditions.Which specialty field within psychology would be best suited to his or her interest?

A) environmental psychology
B) sensory physiology
C) psychophysics
D) kinesthetics

Question 39

As you enter your house,you smell the pleasant aroma of dinner cooking.After several minutes,you hardly notice the smell.This is an example of

A) Weber's law.
B) a difference threshold.
C) stereochemical theory.
D) sensory adaptation.

Question 40

When you are paid $1 instead of $2,it is a big deal.When you are paid $91 instead of $92,the difference feels less painful.This is similar to

A) absolute thresholds.
B) perceptual constancy.
C) Weber's law.
D) stimulus transduction.

Question 41

Jane is having trouble sleeping.As she sits in bed looking around the darkened room,she notices that her peripheral vision seems to be better than her central vision.This is because peripheral vision

A) depends on the rods.
B) depends on the cones.
C) has better visual acuity.
D) does not have a blind spot.

Question 42

The trichromatic theory of color vision suggests that we perceive colors because there are ______ different types of cones in the retina.

A) 2
B) 3
C) 4
D) 5

Question 43

As light enters the eye,eventually it reaches the light-sensitive ____ at the back of the second chamber of the eye.

A) blind spot
B) fovea
C) retina
D) cornea

Question 44

In a well-lighted room,rods are being used ______ and cones are being used ______.

A) infrequently;frequently
B) infrequently;infrequently
C) frequently;infrequently
D) frequently;frequently

Question 45

Toward the center of the retina,there is an area that contains only cones.This area is called the

A) cornea.
B) fovea.
C) chiasm.
D) optic nerve.

Question 46

People are tested for peripheral vision by driving machines.If declines are found,the physical cause probably involves

A) decreases in cones.
B) decreases in rods.
C) more rods than cones in the retina.
D) decreased intraocular eye pressure.

Question 47

While attending a car show,you see a custom-painted car that seems to change color as you view its paint from different angles.The most likely explanation for this is

A) the reflected wavelength of light is held constant.
B) the reflected wavelength of light changes with position.
C) your retinas are defective.
D) the hue of light is not variable.

Question 48

You try to note the incredibly fine details of a computer microchip through a magnifying glass.On which area of the retina are you focusing this image?

A) optic chiasm
B) rods
C) periphery
D) fovea

Question 49

Within the eye,there are about _____ cones and ______ rods.

A) 6 million;125 million
B) 60 million;125 million
C) 6 million;12.5 million
D) 600 million;1.25 million

Question 50

You dissect an animal and find no cones in its eyes.What can you conclude about its vision?

A) It had extremely good eyesight.
B) Its eyesight was very poor.
C) The animal relied very much on color changes in the environment.
D) The animal could not distinguish colors.

Question 51

The receptors for vision are located in the

A) retina.
B) cornea.
C) blind spot.
D) optic chiasm.

Question 52

The main function of rods and cones is to

A) stretch wavelengths.
B) minimize trichromaticism.
C) adjust sensory thresholds.
D) transduce light.

Question 53

Bright overhead lights are suddenly turned off.At first the room is extremely dark,but gradually you are able to see the edges of objects in the room.These adjustments to illumination occur because of

A) light adaptation.
B) dark adaptation.
C) opponent-process theory.
D) wavelength blindness.

Question 54

Fresh chemicals used in light reception are stored during the ________ process.

A) transduction
B) threshold
C) dark adaptation
D) light adaptation

Question 55

One way to think about how we process color images is that the ______ describes the events at the first level of neurons in the visual system,while the ______ best describes the activities of neurons in the rest of the visual system.

A) camera theory;opponent-process theory
B) opponent-process theory;trichromatic theory
C) trichromatic theory;opponent-process theory
D) opponent-process theory;camera theory

Question 56

Since most nonprimate mammals have no color vision,you would expect their eyes to have

A) mostly cones.
B) mostly rods.
C) equal numbers of rods and cones.
D) no cones or rods.

Question 57

For someone with color blindness,the colors that look the same are always

A) red.
B) white and black.
C) pastel colors.
D) complementary colors.

Question 58

If you wanted to have good clarity and sharpness of vision,you should arrange for light and images to be focused at the

A) edges of the cornea where light is refracted best.
B) center of the retina where cones are concentrated.
C) periphery of the iris where light passes through clearest.
D) middle of the lens where ciliary muscles are the strongest.

Question 59

In the process of ______ that your eyes have been in the dark for a while and become very sensitive to light due to the build-up of chemicals necessary for light reception.

A) light adaptation
B) dark adaptation
C) transduction
D) macular degeneration

Question 60

The _____ is held in place by ligaments attached to the ciliary muscle.

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

Question 61

The changing frequency of sound from a train going past your stopped car occurs because of changes in the sound's

A) intensity.
B) timbre.
C) decibels.
D) pitch.

Question 62

We hear a tuning fork when it is struck because it

A) electromagnetically stimulates the vestibular system.
B) causes compression and rarefaction of air molecules.
C) transduces air molecules into energy.
D) causes the oval window to uncurl and recoil.

Question 63

Afterimages are usually seen in colors complementary to the colors of the original image,confirming a prediction made by the

A) trichromatic theory.
B) dichromatic theory.
C) opponent-process theory.
D) stereochemical theory.

Question 64

After staring at a green circle for 30 seconds,a person trains his or her gaze on a white surface.Even though the surface is white,the person begins to see a red circle.The red circle is a(n)

A) adaptation image.
B) stereochemical image.
C) color afterimage.
D) opponent image.

Question 65

The theory of color vision that contends that the eye has two kinds of cones,responding to either the red-green or yellow-blue range of wavelength,is the

A) opponent-process theory.
B) trichromatic theory.
C) dichromacy theory.
D) stereochemical theory.

Question 66

According to one theory of color vision,colors are signaled in pairs by neural cells that signal faster to one color and slower to another color.This theory is known as the ________ theory.

A) opponent-process
B) trichromatic
C) stereochemical
D) complementary

Question 67

What is the major function of the hammer,anvil,and stirrup of the middle ear?

A) to soften the tone of incoming stimuli for appropriate processing
B) to stir cochlear fluid so that bone conduction hearing can occur
C) to amplify vibrations and pass them on to the inner ear
D) to clean the external auditory canal of any potential wax buildup

Question 68

It is the ______ that gets waxy and connects the outer ear to the middle ear.

A) organ of Corti
B) external auditory canal
C) basilar membrane
D) auditory transducer

Question 69

Objects that vibrate ______ create ______ sound waves.

A) slowly;high frequency
B) slowly;low frequency
C) quickly;low frequency
D) quickly;zero frequency

Question 70

Another name for the eardrum is the

A) tympanic membrane.
B) organ of Corti.
C) cochlear window.
D) internal auditory canal.

Question 71

The intensity of sound is measured in

A) hertz units.
B) timbre.
C) decibel units.
D) frequency.

Question 72

Hertz is a method of measuring the frequency of sound waves as the number of cycles per

A) hour.
B) millisecond.
C) second.
D) minute.

Question 73

When the molecules in the air become less dense (as in the process of hearing),______ has occurred.

A) myelination
B) magnification
C) compression
D) rarefaction

Question 74

In the process of hearing,successive waves of increased density (called ______)and waves of decreased density (called ______)cause us to hear a repeating sound.

A) rarefaction;compression
B) magnification;compression
C) compression;rarefaction
D) rarefaction;magnification

Question 75

The unit of measure for the intensity of sound is

A) pitch.
B) saturation.
C) hue.
D) decibel.

Question 76

The pinna is the _____ which is quite useful for collecting sounds from the environment.

A) external part of the ear
B) inner eardrum
C) curled structure of the inner ear
D) organ of Corti

Question 77

When sound waves enter the ear canal,they first

A) vibrate the eardrum.
B) move the oval window.
C) vibrate the cochlea.
D) vibrate the hammer.

Question 78

If you change the frequency of a sound wave,you change the

A) timbre.
B) intensity.
C) pitch.
D) loudness.

Question 79

Hertz is to decibel as

A) timbre is to frequency.
B) compression is to rarefaction.
C) frequency is to intensity.
D) intensity is to amplitude.

Question 80

Which theory of color vision most accurately describes the process of color vision at the level of the retina?

A) afterimage theory
B) opponent-process theory
C) dark adaptation theory
D) trichromatic theory