Question 1

Isaac lost a leg in Afghanistan after an improvised bomb exploded near him. Years later, he still has times when he feels intense pain that he perceives as coming from his missing leg. It is obvious that Isaac:

Accepted Answer

Phantom pain is a common occurrence after amputation, where the individual experiences pain in the missing limb. This is not a result of any physical injury, but it is a sensation that is perceived by the brain. Cravings for attention or faking pain to avoid working are not valid explanations in this case.

Question 2

Which of the following indicates the correct flow of olfactory information?

Accepted Answer

Olfactory receptors detect odor molecules and send signals through the olfactory nerve to the olfactory bulb, which then processes the information and sends it to the brain.

Question 3

A leading theory of phantom limb pain explains that the experience is due to:

Accepted Answer

The theory proposes that the brain's sensory "map" of the body does not adjust properly to the absence of the limb, leading to confusion and perception of pain.

Question 4

The four basic skin sensations are:

Accepted Answer

The four basic skin sensations are touch, warmth (which includes heat and cold detection), cold, and pain. Option A is incorrect as burning is just a type of pain sensation. Option C is incorrect as pressure is not considered a basic skin sensation. Option D is also incorrect as warmth is a separate and distinct sensation from burning.

Question 5

Miley is thinking about buying a subliminal message CD that is supposed to make her more assertive at work. Based on the information in your textbook, what should you tell her?

Accepted Answer

Research in psychology has generally found little evidence that subliminal messages can effectively persuade people to change their behavior or attitudes in a significant way.

Question 6

When we vigorously rub a banged elbow, we are applying the principle of _______________.

Accepted Answer

The gate-control theory of pain suggests that non-painful input can override painful input, closing the "gates" to pain signals. By vigorously rubbing the banged elbow, we are providing non-painful input that can override the pain, activating other sensory nerves and closing the gate to pain signals.

Question 7

The research about kittens raised in horizontal or vertical environments demonstrates the concept of _______________.

Accepted Answer

The research about kittens raised in horizontal or vertical environments demonstrates the concept of critical periods, a specific time during development when the organism is particularly sensitive to environmental influences, and the absence of certain experiences can lead to irreversible consequences in sensory or perceptual capabilities.

Question 8

The gate-control theory helps to explain the perception of _______________.

Accepted Answer

The gate-control theory explains how pain is perceived by the nervous system. It suggests that there is a "gate" in the spinal cord that can either allow or block pain signals from reaching the brain. Factors such as touch or pressure can close the gate and block the pain signals, while emotional or psychological factors can open the gate and allow the pain signals to pass through.

Question 9

Of the smells that humans detect:

Accepted Answer

Research in olfaction does not support the idea that there are basic smells in the same way that there are basic tastes. Instead, the perception of smell is complex and can be broken down into numerous components, not limited to simple categories like "fruity" or "rotten." The sense of smell involves the detection and interpretation of a wide range of chemical molecules, and this complexity means that no single smell is considered more basic than any other.

Question 10

When newborn kittens were exposed to either vertical or horizontal stripes-and nothing else-for several months, it was found that:

Accepted Answer

This experiment, often associated with the work of neuroscientists like Hubel and Wiesel, demonstrates how exposure to specific visual patterns early in life can shape perceptual capabilities. The kittens exposed to only one orientation (vertical or horizontal) struggled to perceive the other orientation, indicating that early visual experiences can critically influence sensory development.

Question 11

Research conducted with two-month-old babies and the visual cliff shows that the babies:

Accepted Answer

Research with two-month-old babies and the visual cliff has shown that babies do seem to perceive a difference between the shallow side and the deep side. They show signs of hesitation or reluctance to cross over the deep side, which suggests they have some understanding of depth perception. This indicates that depth perception is innate or present from early development in humans.

Question 12

Which two senses keep us informed about the movement of our own body?

Accepted Answer

Equilibrium and kinesthesis are the two senses that keep us informed about the movement of our own body. Equilibrium, also known as the vestibular sense, involves the fluid-filled semicircular canals in the inner ear which help us maintain balance and awareness of our body's position. Kinesthesis, on the other hand, involves our muscles, joints, and tendons, and helps us sense our body's movement and position relative to its environment.

Question 13

Karen has suffered from phantom limb pain for several years. She visits a neurologist, who proposes trying a therapeutic treatment developed by Vilayanur Ramachandran. Karen is surprised that this simple treatment uses:

Accepted Answer

Vilayanur Ramachandran developed a therapeutic treatment called mirror therapy for phantom limb pain. This treatment uses a mirror to create the illusion that the missing limb is still present, which helps to alleviate the pain. The patient places their intact limb behind a mirror and positions it so that it looks like the missing limb is being reflected in the mirror. This creates a visual feedback loop that can help the brain "re-wire" itself and reduce the intensity of phantom limb pain.

Question 14

_______________ is the ability to perceive and respond to messages that are below the absolute threshold.

Accepted Answer

Subliminal perception refers to the ability to perceive and respond to messages that are below the absolute threshold of conscious awareness. This means that the messages are too weak or brief to be consciously recognized, but they can still influence our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. ESP (A) is not related to perception of subliminal messages. Selective attention (C) refers to the ability to focus on certain stimuli while ignoring others, but it is not specifically related to subliminal perception. Primacy (D) refers to the principle that information presented first is more easily remembered than information presented later.

Question 15

The tendency to perceive what you expect is called _______________.

Accepted Answer

A perceptual set refers to the tendency to perceive things based on our preexisting expectations and experiences. This can influence how we perceive and interpret sensory information, such as ambiguous visual stimuli or social cues. The other choices do not accurately describe this phenomenon.

Question 16

After a mysterious inflammation, Robin experienced irreversible damage to her ____________ nerve fibers, which at first left her bedridden. Although she eventually learned to use visual cues and willpower to sit and walk, her movements remained unnatural.

Accepted Answer

The sentence suggests that Robin experienced damage to her nerve fibers related to movement, which would be the kinesthetic nerve fibers. The other options (cranial, olfactory, optic) do not fit with the context of the sentence.

Question 17

Which of the following is a true statement?

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that a significant portion of our perception and processing occurs below the level of conscious awareness. This includes subliminal processing of stimuli. However, there is limited evidence that subliminal persuasion can directly affect behavior.

Question 18

When a person's behavior is affected by a stimulus, even when that stimulus is below the person's absolute threshold for detecting it, it is an example of _______________.

Accepted Answer

This is the definition of subliminal perception, where a stimulus can still have an effect on behavior even if it is below a person's threshold for consciously detecting it.

Question 19

Bud has smoked two packs of cigarettes a day since he started smoking in 2004. If he quits smoking in 2014, in which year can he expect his sense of smell to return to normal?

Accepted Answer

After quitting smoking, it takes about 10 years for the sense of smell to return to normal.

Question 20

After many ear infections during childhood, Zach developed damage to the semicircular canals in his inner ear. As a result, he periodically has difficulty standing upright and at times feels he is off balance. Zach is experiencing __________ difficulties.

Accepted Answer

Zach is experiencing difficulties with his sense of equilibrium, which is responsible for maintaining his balance and stability. The semicircular canals in the inner ear are important for detecting motion and changes in position, and when they are damaged, it can affect a person's ability to maintain balance. Kinesthetic difficulties refer to problems with body awareness and movement, olfactory difficulties refer to problems with the sense of smell, and auditory difficulties refer to problems with hearing.

Quiz 6: Sensation and Perception