Passage
Psychophysiology examines the relationship between the properties of a physical stimulus (eg, amplitude of sound waves) and how we perceive that stimulus (eg, loudness) . However, this relationship is often accompanied by a degree of uncertainty as the stimulus of interest, or signal, can be confounded by various sources of noise. Noise can be either external (arising from the environment) or internal (arising from physiological sources) .To investigate the effect of distraction on auditory perception, researchers tested the ability of subjects to detect auditory tones presented during a visual-memory task. The study included 90 participants age 18-65, and each participant completed 10 trials. Trials consisted of five 800-Hz tones presented randomly while participants viewed a set of 15 sequential pictures of common objects on a computer screen. The objects fell into one of three categories: animals, vehicles, or things that make noise. Half the participants were asked to memorize as many objects as they could (objects group) , and half were asked to remember only the categories of objects they saw (categories group) . Tones were presented bilaterally within a range of 0-20 dB. Participants noted when they detected a tone during the trial by pressing a button. Results of the study are shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1 Mean percentage of tones correctly identified in each visual-memory task group (Note: Error bars indicate 95% confidence intervals.)
W. Yost ©2007 Academic Press.
-Researchers noticed that participants were more likely to erroneously report hearing a tone when viewing a picture of an object that produces a tone-like sound, such as a telephone or a bell. What type of processing best explains why this mistake might occur?

Question

Passage
Psychophysiology examines the relationship between the properties of a physical stimulus (eg, amplitude of sound waves) and how we perceive that stimulus (eg, loudness) . However, this relationship is often accompanied by a degree of uncertainty as the stimulus of interest, or signal, can be confounded by various sources of noise. Noise can be either external (arising from the environment) or internal (arising from physiological sources) .To investigate the effect of distraction on auditory perception, researchers tested the ability of subjects to detect auditory tones presented during a visual-memory task. The study included 90 participants age 18-65, and each participant completed 10 trials. Trials consisted of five 800-Hz tones presented randomly while participants viewed a set of 15 sequential pictures of common objects on a computer screen. The objects fell into one of three categories: animals, vehicles, or things that make noise. Half the participants were asked to memorize as many objects as they could (objects group) , and half were asked to remember only the categories of objects they saw (categories group) . Tones were presented bilaterally within a range of 0-20 dB. Participants noted when they detected a tone during the trial by pressing a button. Results of the study are shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 Mean percentage of tones correctly identified in each visual-memory task group (Note: Error bars indicate 95% confidence intervals.)
W. Yost ©2007 Academic Press.
-Researchers noticed that participants were more likely to erroneously report hearing a tone when viewing a picture of an object that produces a tone-like sound, such as a telephone or a bell. What type of processing best explains why this mistake might occur?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

11ecba2d_0c6b_83a3_a3bf_51df023cb630_MD0008_00 Top-down processing, or conceptually driven processing, is guided by information, beliefs, or ideas already stored in our brain. A mental association between objects that usually make sound, such as a telephone or a bell, may cause subjects to mistakenly believe they hear a tone even when none is present. Top-down processing can involve context as well as motivations. For instance, when studying a physics textbook (context), a student may interpret a seesaw in the context of its mechanics. When shown ambiguous images, subjects who are hungry (motivation) may be more likely to interpret them as images of food. Top-down processing often moves from general to specific, or "big picture" (our abstract ideas) to details. This is distinct from bottom-up processing, or stimulus-driven processing, which is guided by incoming data, often sensory information (Choice A). (Choice B) Parallel processing refers to processing multiple sources of information that occur simultaneously, such as perceiving auditory and visual events together when watching someone talk. (Choice C) Serial processing refers to processing one piece of information at a time, such as memorizing a list item by item. Educational objective: Top-down processing is guided by ideas, beliefs, and expectations from prior experience. Bottom-up processing is guided by sensory input.

Passage Psychophysiology Examines the Relationship Between the Properties of a Physical