Deck 6: Sensation and Perception

Question 1

Sensation is the

A) transformation of sound and light into meaningful words and images.
B) detection and encoding of stimulus energies by sensory receptors and the nervous system.
C) organization and interpretation of environmental events.
D) conscious awareness of a familiar stimulus.

Answer 1

detection and encoding of stimulus energies by sensory receptors and the nervous system.

Question 2

Stimuli below the absolute threshold are said to be

A) adaptive.
B) primed.
C) subliminal.
D) transduced.

Answer 2

subliminal.

Question 3

Experiencing an apple as being red is to ________ as recognizing an apple as being a fruit is to ________.

A) absolute threshold;difference threshold
B) sensory adaptation;signal detection
C) sensation;perception
D) signal detection;difference threshold

Answer 3

sensation;perception

Question 4

The absolute threshold is the minimum amount of stimulation that a person needs to detect a stimulus

A) at the beginning of a sensory experience.
B) on a subliminal level.
C) 50 percent of the time.
D) reliably on any occasion.

Question 5

Transduction refers to the process of

A) organizing and interpreting sensory information.
B) activating mental associations.
C) transforming stimulus energies into neural impulses.
D) drawing on our experience and expectations to construct perceptions.

Question 6

The process by which we organize and interpret sensory information in order to recognize meaningful objects and events is called

A) sensory adaptation.
B) sensation.
C) perception.
D) signal detection.

Question 7

Detection is to interpretation as sensation is to

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

Question 8

Damage to an area on the underside of our brain's right hemisphere essential to recognizing faces results in a condition known as

A) transduction.
B) sensory adaptation.
C) signal detection.
D) prosopagnosia.

Question 9

Which theory assumes that top-down processing can influence a person's absolute threshold for a particular stimulus?

A) place theory
B) frequency theory
C) signal detection theory
D) opponent-process theory

Question 10

Which of the following represents the second of three steps basic to all sensory systems?

A) transduction
B) subliminal stimulation
C) sensory adaptation
D) priming

Question 11

The effect of prior experience and current expectations on perception best illustrates the importance of

A) subliminal stimulation.
B) transduction.
C) sensory thresholds.
D) top-down processing.

Question 12

The fact that fear may increase your sensitivity to an almost imperceptible pain stimulus is most relevant to

A) frequency theory.
B) place theory.
C) opponent-process theory.
D) signal detection theory.

Question 13

Analysis that begins with the sensory receptors is called

A) subliminal sensation.
B) sensory adaptation.
C) bottom-up processing.
D) priming.

Question 14

Heather Sellers suffers from prosopagnosia and is unable to recognize her own face in a photograph.Her difficulty stems from a deficiency in

A) top-down processing.
B) transduction.
C) bottom-up processing.
D) sensation.

Question 15

Recognizing the taste of the liquid in your mouth as juice that has fermented is an example of

A) subliminal stimulation.
B) sensory adaptation.
C) prosopagnosia.
D) perception.

Question 16

If an adult develops cataracts that cloud the lenses of the eyes,his or her

A) absolute threshold for light is likely to increase.
B) difference threshold for light is likely to decrease.
C) absolute threshold for light is likely to decrease.
D) difference threshold for light is likely to remain unchanged.

Question 17

Although Manuel was sitting right next to his parents,he smelled a skunk minutes before they did.Apparently,Manuel has a lower ________ for skunk odor than his parents have.

A) critical period
B) tolerance level
C) absolute threshold
D) sensory adaptation

Question 18

The process by which cells in the eye convert stimulus energy into neural signals is an example of

A) top-down processing.
B) sensory adaptation.
C) transduction.
D) priming.

Question 19

A forest ranger may notice the faintest scent of a forest fire,whereas much stronger but less important odors fail to catch her attention.This fact would be of greatest relevance to

A) place theory.
B) opponent-process theory.
C) signal detection theory.
D) frequency theory.

Question 20

The conscious or unconscious activation of certain associations is called

A) transduction.
B) priming.
C) signal detection.
D) adaptation.

Question 21

Some participants in a subliminal persuasion experiment thought that they were receiving subliminal affirmations of their self-esteem when in reality they were receiving subliminal memory-enhancement instructions.These individuals subsequently demonstrated

A) an actual improvement in their memory.
B) an erroneous belief that their memory had improved.
C) an actual enhancement in self-esteem.
D) an erroneous belief that their self-esteem had improved.

Question 22

Some people are better than others at detecting slight variations in the tastes of various blends of coffee.This best illustrates the importance of

A) subliminal stimulation.
B) difference thresholds.
C) sensory adaptation.
D) transduction.

Question 23

Perceiving an old woman's face rather than a young woman's profile may depend on which of two unambiguous facial drawings was viewed first.This best illustrates the importance of

A) difference thresholds.
B) a masking stimulus.
C) perceptual set.
D) subliminal stimulation.

Question 24

Gay men were more accurate in guessing the angle of a geometric figure if it had been in the same location where a nude ________ briefly appeared a moment earlier.Straight women were more accurate if the geometric figure had been in the same location where a nude ________ briefly appeared a moment earlier.

A) woman;man
B) man;woman
C) woman;woman
D) man;man

Question 25

Subliminal priming effects best illustrate

A) the difference between absolute and difference thresholds.
B) a diminishing sensitivity to unchanging and familiar information.
C) that information can be processed outside of conscious awareness.
D) the impact of sensory adaptation.

Question 26

We experience the difference threshold as a(n)

A) perceptual set.
B) masking stimulus.
C) subliminal stimulus.
D) jnd.

Question 27

Diminished sensitivity to an unchanging stimulus is known as

A) priming.
B) prosopagnosia.
C) sensory adaptation.
D) transduction.

Question 28

Those who believe in the value of subliminal audio programs would be wrong to claim that

A) people are capable of bottom-up processing.
B) signal detection is influenced by a person's motivational state.
C) unconsciously processed information is unusually persuasive.
D) sensory transduction can occur without conscious awareness.

Question 29

After sensory adaptation to an angry face,a morphed blend of an angry face and a scared face appears predominantly ________.After sensory adaptation to a scared face,a morphed face blend of an angry and a scared face appears predominantly ________.

A) scared;scared
B) angry;angry
C) scared;angry
D) angry;scared

Question 30

After the word "bread" was briefly flashed and then replaced by a masking stimulus,observers detected the related word "butter" much faster than the unrelated word "bubble." This best illustrates the impact of

A) sensory adaptation.
B) prosopagnosia.
C) priming.
D) Weber's law.

Question 31

According to Weber's law,to be perceived as different,two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum

A) shape.
B) distance.
C) intensity.
D) proportion.

Question 32

If we could stop our eyes from quivering as we stared at a stationary object,the object would probably

A) vanish from sight.
B) become a masking stimulus.
C) appear more brilliantly colored.
D) appear to change colors.

Question 33

The difference threshold is the minimum difference a person can detect between any two stimuli

A) reliably on any occasion.
B) 50 percent of the time.
C) following sensory adaptation.
D) after being primed.

Question 34

Soothing musical recordings accompanied by unheard verbal messages designed to increase a desire to lose weight best illustrate

A) Weber's law.
B) sensory adaptation.
C) subliminal stimulation.
D) difference thresholds.

Question 35

Pablo sees 75-watt light bulbs as giving off more light than 60-watt bulbs.His wife sees them as giving off the same amount of light.Pablo apparently has a ________ threshold for light than his wife.

A) smaller difference
B) lower absolute
C) larger difference
D) higher absolute

Question 36

Which of the following strategies best illustrates the use of subliminal stimulation?

A) A department store places flashing red lights near its sale merchandise.
B) A magazine ad pictures a pack of cigarettes with a beautiful mountain stream in the background.
C) A church organist plays relaxing background music during a pastor's congregational prayer.
D) A trim female figure is imperceptibly flashed on the TV screen during an ad for a weight-reduction clinic.

Question 37

If the just noticeable difference for a 10-ounce weight is 1 ounce,the just noticeable difference for an 80-ounce weight would be ________ ounces.

A) 2
B) 4
C) 8
D) 10

Question 38

Which of the following is an example of sensory adaptation?

A) enjoying a painting more the longer you study it
B) responding vigorously every time a fire alarm is sounded
C) not realizing how cold it is after you have been outdoors for a while in winter
D) relying heavily on your hearing when you wear a blindfold

Question 39

Sensory adaptation helps us to focus our attention on ________ stimuli.

A) familiar
B) subliminal
C) novel
D) intense

Question 40

An assumption or expectation that affects (top-down)what we see or hear is called a

A) just noticeable difference.
B) perceptual set.
C) sensory adaptation.
D) masking stimulus.

Question 41

The perceived color of visible light is determined by its

A) proximity.
B) wavelength.
C) continuity.
D) difference threshold.

Question 42

Green light is

A) longer in wavelength than yellow light.
B) shorter in wavelength than blue light.
C) longer in wavelength than orange light.
D) shorter in wavelength than red light.

Question 43

After reading her horoscope in the morning newspaper,Sabrina readily interpreted many experiences that day as clear verifications of its accuracy.This best illustrates the dangers of

A) perceptual set.
B) sensory adaptation
C) signal detection.
D) transduction.

Question 44

After watching a scary television movie,Julie perceived the noise of the wind rattling her front windows as the sound of a burglar breaking into her house.Her mistaken interpretation best illustrates the influence of

A) perceptual set.
B) subliminal stimulation.
C) sensory adaptation.
D) bottom-up processing.

Question 45

It wasn't until Clara heard some of her classmates laughing loudly during history class that she began to perceive the professor's ongoing lecture to be very funny.This provides an illustration of

A) Weber's law.
B) sensory adaptation.
C) context effects.
D) subliminal messaging.

Question 46

Many people calmly walked past an older gentleman lying on a city sidewalk without showing any concern.As a consequence,other passersby failed to perceive that the man was in need of immediate medical assistance.This best illustrates the importance of

A) difference thresholds.
B) context effects.
C) sensory adaptation.
D) prosopagnosia.

Question 47

Those who feel loved and appreciated by their spouse perceive less threat in stressful marital interactions.This best illustrates that perceptions are influenced by

A) emotion.
B) subliminal stimulation.
C) priming.
D) sensory adaptation.

Question 48

Context effects illustrate that our perception of particular stimuli is influenced by the ________ of those stimuli.

A) absolute threshold
B) subliminal sensation
C) just noticeable difference
D) environmental surroundings

Question 49

Desired objects,such as a bottle of water,seem closer when we are thirsty.This best illustrates the importance of

A) sensory adaptation.
B) top-down processing.
C) subliminal persuasion.
D) prosopagnosia.

Question 50

Walking destinations look ________ to those who have been fatigued by prior exercise.A hill looks ________ steep to those who feel others understand them.

A) closer;less
B) close;more
C) farther away;less
D) farther away;more

Question 51

Once we have formed a wrong idea about reality,we have more difficulty seeing the truth.This best illustrates the importance of

A) Weber's law.
B) subliminal persuasion.
C) top-down processing.
D) prosopagnosia.

Question 52

Schemas are best described as

A) concepts that organize and interpret sensory input.
B) networks of interconnected brain cells.
C) subliminal stimuli.
D) absolute thresholds for particular stimuli.

Question 53

Julie sees a friend's bright purple car.Compared with the entire range of visible light waves,the car is reflecting relatively ________ frequency and ________ amplitude light waves.

A) high;small
B) high;great
C) low;small
D) low;great

Question 54

A quarter appears larger to a group of children who really want the money than to another group of children who don't.This best illustrates that perceptions are influenced by

A) masking stimuli.
B) motivation.
C) sensory adaptation.
D) subliminal stimulation.

Question 55

In 1972,a British newspaper published pictures of a "Loch Ness Monster." Many people readily perceived a floating tree trunk in the photographs as the partially submerged monster.This best illustrates the powerful influence of

A) bottom-up processing.
B) sensory adaptation.
C) subliminal stimulation.
D) perceptual set.

Question 56

In one experiment,preschool children judged french fries as tasting better when served in a McDonald's bag rather than a plain white bag.This best illustrates the impact of

A) transduction.
B) sensory adaptation.
C) perceptual set.
D) subliminal persuasion.

Question 57

Intensity is to brightness as wavelength is to

A) accommodation.
B) frequency.
C) amplitude.
D) hue.

Question 58

When Helen noticed that her classmates were all wearing expensive designer jeans,she suddenly perceived her own off-brand jeans to be very unattractive.This best illustrates the importance of

A) subliminal persuasion.
B) sensory adaptation.
C) masking stimuli.
D) context effects.

Question 59

The amplitude of electromagnetic waves determines the ________ of light.

A) difference threshold
B) brightness
C) hue
D) wavelength

Question 60

If told an infant is "David," children may perceive him as bigger and stronger than if the same infant is called "Diana." This best illustrates the impact of

A) perceptual set.
B) context effects.
C) Weber's law.
D) sensory adaptation.

Question 61

Under very dim levels of illumination

A) rods reach their maximum light sensitivity more rapidly than do cones.
B) rods are more light sensitive than cones.
C) it is particularly important to look straight at the objects we want to see.
D) all of these statements are true.

Question 62

The receptor cells that convert light energy into neural signals are called

A) bipolar cells.
B) ganglion cells.
C) rods and cones.
D) feature detectors.

Question 63

The most light-sensitive receptor cells are the

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

Question 64

According to the Young-Helmholtz theory

A) the retina contains three kinds of color receptors.
B) color vision depends on pairs of opposing retinal processes.
C) the size of the difference threshold is proportional to the intensity of the stimulus.
D) certain nerve cells in the brain respond to specific features of a stimulus.

Question 65

Damage to the fovea would have the GREATEST effect on

A) night vision.
B) peripheral vision.
C) detecting fine detail.
D) perceptual adaptation.

Question 66

The process by which the lens changes shape to focus the image of an object on the retina is called

A) interposition.
B) accommodation.
C) transduction.
D) feature detection.

Question 67

Jason is so disgusted by the bitter taste of brussels sprouts that he refuses his parents' request to at least try eating them.Jason's feelings are most likely to be signaled by changes in his eyes caused by

A) increased retinal disparity.
B) accommodation of the lens.
C) enlargement of the fovea.
D) constriction of the pupils.

Question 68

Bipolar cells are located in the

A) optic nerve.
B) retina.
C) blind spot.
D) lens.

Question 69

The light-sensitive inner surface of the eye,containing the rods and cones,is the

A) pupil.
B) cornea.
C) retina.
D) iris.

Question 70

The receptor cells that are concentrated in the fovea are called

A) bipolar cells.
B) ganglion cells.
C) cones.
D) feature detectors.

Question 71

Light rays passing through the pupil cast an upside-down image on the

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

Question 72

The iris is a colored muscle that adjusts the size of the

A) blind spot.
B) cornea.
C) pupil.
D) lens.

Question 73

The area of the retina where the optic nerve leaves the eye is called the

A) blind spot.
B) visual cortex.
C) cornea.
D) lens.

Question 74

Compared with rods,cones are

A) more sensitive to dim light and more sensitive to fine detail.
B) less sensitive to dim light and less sensitive to fine detail.
C) more sensitive to dim light and less sensitive to fine detail.
D) less sensitive to dim light and more sensitive to fine detail.

Question 75

The iris constricts in response to visible ________ light waves.

A) low-frequency
B) small-amplitude
C) high-frequency
D) great-amplitude

Question 76

Ganglion axons forming the optic nerve run to the ________,where they synapse with neurons that run to the visual cortex.

A) hypothalamus
B) cerebellum
C) hippocampus
D) thalamus

Question 77

The retina has three types of color receptors,each especially sensitive to one of three colors.The retina has no separate receptors especially sensitive to

A) green.
B) blue.
C) yellow.
D) red.

Question 78

The adjustable opening in the center of the eye is the

A) fovea.
B) iris.
C) cornea.
D) pupil.

Question 79

Any given area of the retina relays its information to a corresponding location in the

A) hypothalamus.
B) oval window.
C) occipital lobe.
D) cerebellum.

Question 80

Dilation and constriction of the pupil are controlled by the

A) optic nerve.
B) lens.
C) retina.
D) iris.