Question 1

Tammi is playing basketball. When her teammate turns to pass her the ball, she can identify her teammate and the ball by using the _____ stream of visual processing and put her hands out to catch it using the _____ stream.

Accepted Answer

The ventral stream of visual processing is involved in object recognition (allowing Tammi to identify her teammate and the ball), while the dorsal stream is involved in processing the object's spatial location in relation to the viewer (allowing Tammi to coordinate her movements to catch the ball).

Question 2

Which is FALSE about the theories of color vision?

Accepted Answer

The opponent process theory is not disproved by the fact that certain colors can't be blended. Instead, it explains how colors are perceived through opposing pairs (e.g., red-green, blue-yellow), which accounts for why some color combinations (like reddish-green or bluish-yellow) are impossible to see, supporting the theory rather than disproving it.

Question 3

The _____ is the muscle that opens the _____ of the eye.

Accepted Answer

The iris is the muscle that opens the pupil of the eye, controlling the amount of light that enters the eye.

Question 4

Which statement is FALSE about sound localization?

Accepted Answer

Sound localization primarily relies on two cues: the difference in the time it takes for a sound to reach each ear (interaural time difference) and the difference in the loudness of the sound as it reaches each ear (interaural level difference). When a sound comes from the left, it will be louder in the left ear than in the right ear, not the other way around as stated in option D.

Question 5

The _____ is a part of the retina that contains no rods or cones.

Accepted Answer

The blind spot, or optic disc, is a part of the retina where the optic nerve exits the eye; it contains no rods or cones, making it insensitive to light.

Question 6

According to the Weber-Fechner law, you would most likely be unable to notice:

Accepted Answer

The Weber-Fechner law suggests that the ability to notice a change in a stimulus is proportional to the intensity of the original stimulus. Adding a small amount of salt to a large 5-pound bag of cheese poofs represents a minimal change relative to the original stimulus, making it less likely to be noticed.

Question 7

The part of the ear that funnels in sound from the environment is called the _____.

Accepted Answer

The pinna is the external part of the ear that acts as a funnel to direct sound waves from the environment into the ear canal, towards the tympanic membrane (eardrum).

Question 8

Coraline is listening to a high-pitched piccolo that is being played solo in an orchestra. The _____ at which that sound hits her cochlea is MOST important for perception.

Accepted Answer

The place theory of hearing suggests that different areas of the cochlea are activated by different frequencies of sound, which is crucial for the perception of pitch, especially for high-pitched sounds like those from a piccolo.

Question 9

Which of the following is an example of a sensation as opposed to a perception?

Accepted Answer

Sensation refers to the initial process of detecting and encoding environmental stimuli (such as sounds, images, and tastes), while perception involves the interpretation and understanding of those stimuli. Discriminating between a sour and a salty food is an example of sensation because it involves directly detecting the basic elements of taste without assigning meaning or interpretation to them.

Question 10

Kharalos hears the tune of Pachelbel's Canon in D, and it reminds him of his mother's wedding. Hearing the piece is an example of _____, and its reminding him of his mother's wedding is an example of _____.

Accepted Answer

Hearing the tune is an example of sensation, as it involves the sensory organs receiving stimuli. The tune reminding him of his mother's wedding is an example of perception, which involves the brain interpreting sensory information.

Question 11

Rods and cones are part of the:

Accepted Answer

Rods and cones are photoreceptor cells located in the retina of the eye, responsible for converting light into signals that can be interpreted by the brain as visual images. Rods are more sensitive to light and are crucial for night vision, while cones are responsible for color vision and are more active in well-lit conditions.

Question 12

Which statement is FALSE about gustation?

Accepted Answer

Men do not have more taste buds than women; in fact, studies suggest that women may have more taste buds on average and can be more sensitive to a range of tastes.

Question 13

The gate control theory of pain posits that the _____ system determines your interpretation and response to the pain, whereas the _____ system produces the emotions you have about the pain.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The gate control theory of pain posits...

Question 14

When you pay more attention to one sense than another, you are experiencing _____ attention.

Accepted Answer

Selective attention refers to the process of focusing on a particular object in the environment for a certain period of time while ignoring irrelevant information that is also occurring. This allows us to attend to one thing and not be overwhelmed by all the sensory data we're receiving at any given moment.

Question 15

Absolute threshold is the minimum level of a stimulus necessary for detection of its presence _____ time.

Accepted Answer

The absolute threshold is defined as the minimum level of stimulus intensity needed for a stimulus to be detected at least half the time.

Question 16

Ellen sustained a head injury that resulted in her inability to focus both eyes on a single stimulus. It's MOST likely that the head injury disrupted her eyes' ability to make _____ movements.

Accepted Answer

Vergence movements are necessary for both eyes to focus on a single stimulus, allowing for depth perception. Damage to the areas controlling these movements can result in difficulty focusing both eyes on a single point.

Question 17

Which of the somatosenses is considered by researchers to be the MOST difficult to objectively study?

Accepted Answer

Pain is considered the most difficult somatosense to objectively study because it is highly subjective and can vary greatly between individuals. Unlike other senses that can be more easily quantified, pain perception is influenced by a wide range of factors including emotional state, cultural background, and previous experiences, making it challenging to measure and study objectively.

Question 18

Quenisha is driving home from work and hears a siren behind her, so she pulls over to let the ambulance pass. Hearing the shrill sound of the siren, which is the ability of specialized organs to acquire environmental energy, is an example of _____, whereas recognizing it as coming from an ambulance and knowing to pull over, which is based on the ability of her brain to interpret the information it receives, is an example of _____.

Accepted Answer

Sensation refers to the initial process of detecting and encoding environmental energy (such as sound waves from a siren), while perception involves the interpretation of those sensations (recognizing the sound as an ambulance siren and knowing to pull over).

Question 19

Luis usually bench presses 120 pounds added to a 45-pound bar. Unexpectedly, the gym changes their bars to ones weighing 50 pounds. According to _____, it's likely that Luis will not notice the difference.

Accepted Answer

The Weber-Fechner law relates to the notion that the change in a stimulus that will be just noticeable is a constant ratio of the original stimulus. In Luis's case, the increase in the weight of the bar is likely too small a proportion of the total weight he lifts (165 pounds) for him to notice, according to this law.

Question 20

The _____ face area is a part of the brain that specifically receives and processes information about faces that you see and is strong evidence of modular perception.

Accepted Answer

The fusiform face area (FFA) is a part of the brain located in the fusiform gyrus, on the bottom surface of the brain, directly involved in the recognition of faces. It is a specialized region for processing detailed information about faces, distinct from other areas that process general visual stimuli, supporting the concept of modular perception where specific areas of the brain are dedicated to specific types of information processing.

Quiz 3: Sensation and Perception

Tammi is playing basketball. When her teammate turns to pass her the ball, she can identify her teammate and the ball by using the _ stream of visual processing and put her hands out to catch it using the _ stream.