Question 1

The opponent-process theory of color vision describes:

Accepted Answer

The opponent-process theory of color vision explains how ganglion cells in the retina code color information by responding to pairs of primary colors (red-green, blue-yellow) in an antagonistic manner.

Question 2

The information from rods and cones is communicated to ganglion cells by:

Accepted Answer

Bipolar cells connect the receptors (rods and cones) to the ganglion cells in the retina, serving as the intermediary layer of neurons in the visual pathway. Feature-detector cells are specialized neurons in the visual cortex, while optic disks are simply the areas where the optic nerve exits the eye. Opponent-process cells are involved in encoding color information in the visual system.

Question 3

The Gestalt psychologists were especially interested in research about _______________.

Accepted Answer

The Gestalt psychologists were interested in form perception, or how we perceive and make sense of the whole form or configuration of objects rather than just individual parts or elements. They developed principles such as proximity, similarity, closure, and continuity to describe how our brains organize visual stimuli into meaningful patterns.

Question 4

Hubel and Wiesel identified neurons in the visual cortex that responded to lines at a particular orientation. These cells are called _______________.

Accepted Answer

Hubel and Wiesel's discovery was that these cells were not simply responding to lines, but rather to very specific types of lines, such as lines at a particular orientation or moving in a particular direction. They called these cells feature detectors because they were detecting specific features of visual stimuli.

Question 5

Ganglion cells and neurons in the _______________ respond to simple features of the environment, such as spots of light and dark.

Accepted Answer

Ganglion cells and neurons in the thalamus respond to simple features of the environment, such as spots of light and dark. The thalamus acts as a relay station for sensory information, including visual, on its way to the cortex.

Question 6

The process by which rods and cones become more sensitive to light in response to lowered levels of illumination is called:

Accepted Answer

The process described in the question is the process of dark adaptation, which refers to the physiological adjustments that occur when we move from a brightly lit environment to a dimly lit environment. During this process, the eyes become more sensitive to light, which allows us to see more clearly in low light conditions.

Question 7

Hubel and Wiesel discovered feature detector cells in the visual cortex that respond selectively to:

Accepted Answer

Hubel and Wiesel discovered feature detector cells that respond selectively to lines at different orientations, also known as orientation-selective cells. These cells are responsible for detecting the edges and boundaries of visual stimuli.

Question 8

Researchers who have studied color blindness and color deficiency have found that:

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that total color blindness in humans usually occurs when the cones in the retina are absent or malfunctional. Option A is partially correct, as total color blindness is rare in animal species, but it's not relevant to the question. Option C is incorrect, as red-green color blindness is the most common form of color deficiency. Option D is also incorrect, as color deficiency is more frequently found in men than in women.

Question 9

The most common form of color blindness is:

Accepted Answer

Red-green color blindness is the most common form of color blindness, affecting approximately 8% of men and 0.5% of women of Northern European descent.

Question 10

Neural tissue lining the back of the eyeball's interior is called the _______________.

Accepted Answer

The neural tissue lining the back of the eyeball's interior is called the retina. The pupil is a hole in the center of the iris that controls the amount of light entering the eye. The iris is the colored part of the eye that surrounds the pupil and controls the size of the pupil. The cornea is the clear, dome-shaped surface that covers the front of the eye.

Question 11

The optic nerve is formed by:

Accepted Answer

The optic nerve is formed by ganglion cell axons, which carry visual information from the retina to the brain. The dendrites of ganglion cells are located in the retina and receive input from bipolar and other cells. Bipolar cell dendrites are also located in the retina and receive input from photoreceptor cells. Bipolar cell axons synapse with ganglion cell dendrites to transmit visual information to ganglion cells.

Question 12

The trichromatic theory explains:

Accepted Answer

The trichromatic theory explains the first level of color processing, which occurs in the retina, where there are three types of cones that detect different wavelengths of light to create color vision.

Question 13

The visual receptors are located in the _______________, which is located in the back of the eye.

Accepted Answer

The retina is a layer of tissue in the back of the eye that contains the visual receptors called rods and cones. The pupil is a hole in the center of the iris that allows light to enter the eye. The iris is the colored part of the eye that surrounds the pupil and helps regulate the amount of light that enters the eye. The cornea is the clear outer layer of the eye that helps focus light onto the retina.

Question 14

Although she is normally not aware of its existence, Ingrid discovers that she has a blind spot in her vision by closing one eye and focusing on a fixed point. What explains why Ingrid has this blind spot in her vision?

Accepted Answer

The blind spot in Ingrid's vision is explained by the fact that there are no photoreceptors (i.e. rods or cones) located where the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a small hole. This is a natural occurrence in all eyes and is not indicative of any medical condition.

Question 15

The trichromatic theory applies to the level of processing that occurs in the:

Accepted Answer

The trichromatic theory of color vision proposes that there are three types of color receptors (cones) in the retina that are each most sensitive to different wavelengths of light: red, green, and blue. The combination of activity in these three types of cones allows us to perceive a wide range of colors. Therefore, the trichromatic theory applies to the level of processing that occurs in the retina.

Question 16

Research on rods and cones has revealed that:

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that there are about 120 to 125 million rods and about 7 or 8 million cones in the retina. Option A is incorrect as the center of the retina contains more cones than rods. Option C is also incorrect as the outer edges of the retina, which are responsible for peripheral vision, contain mainly rods and few cones. Option D is incorrect as cones are responsible for color vision and are more effective than rods in distinguishing different wavelengths of light.

Question 17

Neurons in the retina of the eye that gather information from receptor cells are called _______________.

Accepted Answer

Neurons in the retina of the eye that gather information from receptor cells are called ganglion cells. The optic disks are the location where the optic nerve exits the eye. Rods and cones are receptor cells in the retina that respond to light.

Question 18

When the lens of the eye focuses light on the retina, the result is a(n):

Accepted Answer

When light enters the eye, it passes through the cornea and the lens, which refract (bend) the light so that it converges into a small, inverted image on the retina. This upside-down image is then transmitted to the brain through the optic nerve, where it is flipped right side up and interpreted as a visual scene.

Question 19

The trichromatic theory states that:

Accepted Answer

The trichromatic theory states that there are three types of cones in the eye, each sensitive to a certain range of wavelengths. These cones are responsible for color perception, and together they allow us to perceive a wide range of colors.

Question 20

_______________ psychologists studied how people organize the world visually into meaningful units and patterns.

Accepted Answer

The study of how people organize the world visually into meaningful units and patterns is the focus of Gestalt psychology.

Quiz 6: Sensation and Perception