Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

Kinesthesis is the sense that informs us about the position and movement of our muscles and body parts, while equilibrium (or vestibular sense) provides information about our body's balance and orientation in space. Together, these senses allow us to sense and control our own movements. Homeostasis, which refers to the body's internal state of balance or stability, does not directly provide information about movement.

Question 2

When kittens were exposed to either vertical or horizontal stripes for several months, it was found that the:

Accepted Answer

Kittens exposed to only vertical or horizontal stripes developed a preference for those orientations, indicating that their visual experience influenced their perception.

Question 3

Research conducted using the visual cliff has shown that:

Accepted Answer

Research conducted using the visual cliff has shown that at two months of age, babies show a drop in heart rate when placed on the deep side.

Question 4

If you look at your tongue in a mirror, you will notice many bumps, called papillae, a word meaning:

Accepted Answer

The answer of If you look at your tongue in...

Question 5

The four basic skin sensations are:

Accepted Answer

The four basic skin sensations are touch, warmth, cold, and pain. These are the fundamental types of sensory input that the skin can detect.

Question 6

The gate-control theory helps to explain our perception of:

Accepted Answer

The gate-control theory proposes that pain signals can be blocked or inhibited by non-pain signals. It helps to explain how psychological factors such as attention and distraction can affect our perception of pain.

Question 7

When deficits in the sense of smell have been studied, it has been found that smokers are:

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that smokers are nearly twice as likely as nonsmokers to have trouble detecting common odours, due to damage to their olfactory receptors.

Question 8

Isaac lost a leg in Yugoslavia after a land mine exploded near him. In middle age, he still has times when he feels intense pain that is seemingly coming from his missing leg. It is obvious that Isaac:

Accepted Answer

Isaac is experiencing phantom pain, a sensation of pain in a body part that is no longer there. This is a common phenomenon among amputees and can be caused by the brain still perceiving pain signals from the nerves that used to be connected to the limb.

Question 9

The gate-control theory of pain helps explain:

Accepted Answer

The gate-control theory of pain is a psychological theory that explains the role of psychological factors in the experience of pain. It proposes that the perception of pain is not solely determined by physical stimuli but also by psychological and emotional factors that influence the opening and closing of "gates" in the spinal cord that control the transmission of pain signals to the brain.

Question 10

Bud used to smoke two packs of cigarettes a day since he started smoking in 1982. If he quit smoking in 2006, then he can expect that it will take at least until the year ________ before his sense of smell will return to normal.

Accepted Answer

It takes about 10 years for the sense of smell to return to normal after quitting smoking. Bud quit smoking in 2006, so it will take until at least 2016 for his sense of smell to return to normal.

Question 11

The tendency to perceive what you expect is called:

Accepted Answer

Perceptual set is the tendency to perceive things in a certain way based on expectations, previous experiences, and context. This can lead to a bias in perception and the selective attention to certain aspects of stimuli.

Question 12

The receptors for taste are the:

Accepted Answer

Taste cells are the receptor cells for taste and are located inside the taste buds, which are located on papillae. Papillae themselves are not receptors for taste, but rather structures on the tongue that help to increase surface area for taste buds. Therefore, option A and B are incorrect. Option D is only partially correct as taste buds contain taste cells but are not the actual receptors for taste.

Question 13

The gate-control theory of pain has difficulty explaining:

Accepted Answer

The gate-control theory of pain proposes that pain signals must pass through a gate in the spinal cord that can be closed by non-pain signals, such as those from touch or pressure. However, this theory cannot fully explain the phenomenon of phantom pain, where an individual experiences pain in a limb that has been amputated. In this case, there is no physical input from the missing limb to close the gate, yet the individual still experiences pain.

Question 14

Much of the evidence for ESP comes from:

Accepted Answer

Anecdotal accounts are personal stories or reports of experiences that are not based on scientific research or experimentation.

Question 15

There are ________ basic odours.

Accepted Answer

The answer of There are ________ basic odours.
...

Question 16

Regarding the puzzles of perception discussed in the text, there is ample evidence for ________, but a lack of it for ________.

Accepted Answer

There is ample evidence for perception without awareness, meaning people can perceive things without being consciously aware of them. However, there is a lack of evidence for extrasensory perception, which refers to the ability to perceive information beyond the known human senses.

Question 17

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

Accepted Answer

Subliminal perception is the ability to perceive and respond to stimuli that are presented below the absolute threshold of conscious awareness. These stimuli may be visual, auditory, or even tactile in nature, and may impact our thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors without our conscious awareness. While the scientific evidence for subliminal perception is mixed, some studies suggest that it may be possible under certain conditions.

Question 18

After a mysterious inflammation, Christina experienced irreversible damage to her ________ nerve, which at first left her as floppy as a rag doll. Although she eventually learned to use visual cues and willpower to sit and walk, she no longer experienced herself as physically embodied.

Accepted Answer

The kinesthetic nerve is responsible for the body's sense of movement and position. Damage to this nerve can cause difficulties with movement and proprioception, which explains why Christina initially felt "floppy." The other nerves listed (olfactory, cranial, optic) are not related to physical movement and would not be affected by this type of inflammation.

Question 19

Our perceptual abilities result from:

Accepted Answer

Our perceptual abilities are a result of a complex interaction between innate mechanisms and environmental experiences. While we are born with some neural networks and perceptual abilities, they are modified and refined through experience and learning. This interaction between innate mechanisms and experience changes throughout the lifespan, and critical periods of development do play a role in shaping our perceptual abilities.

Question 20

Of the smells that humans detect:

Accepted Answer

There is no scientific evidence to support the idea that any smell is more basic than any other. Smell is a complex sense, and there is no clear consensus on what the "basic" smells might be. While some people might use terms like "musky" or "rotten" to describe certain scents, those are subjective descriptors and not universally accepted as fundamental smell categories.

Quiz 6: Sensation and Perception