Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

The answer of Those who believe in the value of...

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

Prosopagnosia is a disorder in which individuals have difficulty recognizing faces, even the faces of their loved ones. This difficulty is often attributed to a deficit in top-down processing, which is the brain's ability to use contextual information to help recognize objects and faces. Top-down processing is a higher-level cognitive process that is essential for recognizing complex stimuli.

Question 3

After the invisible word "bread" was quickly 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

Accepted Answer

This scenario describes priming, which is the phenomenon where exposure to a certain stimulus (in this case, the invisible word "bread") influences the processing of subsequent related stimuli (in this case, "butter") by making them easier and faster to identify. The unrelated word "bubble" is not affected by the priming effect.

Question 4

The conscious or unconscious activation of certain associations is called

Accepted Answer

The conscious or unconscious activation of certain associations is called priming.

Question 5

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.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Gay men were more accurate in guessing...

Question 6

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

Accepted Answer

The three basic steps of sensory systems are sensation (detecting physical energy from the environment), transduction (converting that energy into neural signals), and perception (organizing and interpreting those signals). Transduction is the second step, where physical energy is transformed into neural signals.

Question 7

Stimuli below the absolute threshold are said to be

Accepted Answer

Stimuli below the absolute threshold are called subliminal because they are too weak to be detected consciously.

Question 8

Subliminal priming effects best illustrate

Accepted Answer

Subliminal priming refers to the phenomenon of processing information outside of conscious awareness. This means that subtle cues or stimuli can influence our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors without us even realizing it. It demonstrates the power of the non-conscious mind and highlights the limitations of our conscious awareness.

Question 9

The process by which rods and cones convert electromagnetic energy into neural signals is an example of

Accepted Answer

The process by which rods and cones convert electromagnetic energy into neural signals is called transduction. Transduction refers to the conversion of one form of energy to another. In this case, the electromagnetic energy of light is converted into neural signals that can be interpreted by the brain.

Question 10

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

Accepted Answer

Signal detection theory assumes that a person's absolute threshold can be influenced by top-down processes such as expectations, motivations, and prior knowledge. This theory proposes that detecting a stimulus requires both sensitivity to the stimulus and a decision-making process, which can be affected by factors beyond the physical properties of the stimulus itself. Place theory explains how we perceive pitch based on the location of sound waves on the basilar membrane in the inner ear. Frequency theory proposes that we perceive pitch based on the frequency of neural impulses traveling up the auditory nerve. Opponent-process theory explains color vision by proposing that cells in the visual system respond to complementary pairs of colors (red-green, blue-yellow, black-white), creating opposing neural signals that allow us to perceive color.

Question 11

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

Accepted Answer

This scenario can be explained by signal detection theory, which emphasizes the importance of both sensitivity to the signal (forest fire scent) and the decision-making process in detecting important stimuli. The forest ranger's heightened sensitivity to the scent of a forest fire allows her to detect it even at low levels, while other, less important odors do not produce as strong a signal and are therefore not detected as readily.

Question 12

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

Accepted Answer

The concept of signal detection theory relates to detecting a faint stimulus that is embedded in background noise, which is similar to the idea of detecting an almost imperceptible pain stimulus in the presence of fear. Therefore, the fact that fear may heighten sensitivity to such a stimulus is relevant to the principles of signal detection theory. The other answer choices are not directly related to this concept.

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

Subliminal stimulation involves presenting information below the threshold of conscious awareness. The imperceptible flashing of a trim female figure during an ad for a weight-reduction clinic fits this definition, making choice D the best option. The other choices may use persuasion or influence techniques, but they do not involve subliminal stimulation.

Question 14

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

Accepted Answer

The answer of Some participants in a subliminal persuasion experiment...

Question 15

Transduction refers to the process of

Accepted Answer

Transduction is the process of transforming stimulus energies (such as light or sound waves) into neural impulses that our brain can interpret.

Question 16

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.

Accepted Answer

The absolute threshold refers to the minimum amount of stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus, in this case, the skunk odor. Manuel was able to detect the skunk odor before his parents, suggesting that his absolute threshold for skunk odor is lower than theirs. Critical period refers to a specific time window during development where certain experiences are necessary for normal development, which is not relevant here. Tolerance level refers to the amount of a substance that needs to be consumed before it has a noticeable effect, which is also not relevant here. Sensory adaptation refers to the process by which our sensory receptors become less sensitive to constant or repetitive stimuli, which is not relevant here either.

Question 17

If an adult develops cataracts, his or her

Accepted Answer

The answer of If an adult develops cataracts, his or...

Question 18

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

Accepted Answer

Prior experience and current expectations influence top-down processing, which is when the brain uses prior knowledge and expectations to interpret and organize sensory information.

Question 19

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

Accepted Answer

The answer of The absolute threshold is the minimum amount...

Question 20

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

Accepted Answer

Subliminal stimulation involves presenting a stimulus below one's threshold for conscious awareness, in this case, an unheard verbal message. This technique is often used in the context of weight loss, with messages aimed at enhancing motivation and self-control. The soothing musical recordings represent the accompanying stimulus that is consciously perceived.

Quiz 6: Sensation and Perception