Question 1

The process of _____ involves organizing and interpreting incoming sensory information.

Accepted Answer

Perception involves the interpretation and organization of sensory information, while sensation simply refers to the detection of sensory input. Transduction refers to the conversion of sensory input into neural signals, and inhibition refers to the restriction or suppression of neural activity.

Question 2

Which of the following is true of sensation?

Accepted Answer

Sensory receptors are specialized cells that convert different forms of stimuli into electrical signals that are transmitted to the nervous system for processing. They are not the openings through which the brain and nervous system experience the world. Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because sensory receptors are highly selective, chemoreception helps in the detection of chemicals, and synaesthesia describes a experience in which one sense induces an experience in a different sense (not the same sense).

Question 3

The smallest intensity of a stimulus that you can detect 50 percent of the time is the _____.

Accepted Answer

The smallest intensity of a stimulus that you can detect 50 percent of the time is defined as the absolute threshold.

Question 4

_____ means that a person can detect information from the world without receiving concrete sensory input.

Accepted Answer

Extrasensory perception (ESP) is the ability to gain information from the world without relying on sensory input. It includes abilities such as telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition.

Question 5

Melanie is learning how to read Spanish by sounding out each word one letter at a time.Melanie is engaging in _____.

Accepted Answer

Melanie is using bottom-up processing, which involves processing individual sensory stimuli and building them up into a complete perception. She is sounding out each letter to form a word, instead of using top-down processing, which involves using prior knowledge or context to interpret stimuli. Sensory adaptation and subliminal perception are not relevant to this scenario.

Question 6

Which of the following principles states that two stimuli must differ by a constant proportion to be perceived as different?

Accepted Answer

Weber's law states that two stimuli must differ by a constant proportion (rather than a constant amount) in order to be perceived as different. This means that the just noticeable difference (JND) between two stimuli is a constant fraction of the intensity of the initial stimulus.

Question 7

_____ is the process by which the brain actively organizes and interprets sensory information.

Accepted Answer

Perception is the process by which the brain actively organizes and interprets sensory information. Sensation refers to the detection of physical stimuli in the environment, while reception refers to the initial process of receiving sensory information. Consciousness refers to the state of being aware of one's surroundings and experiences.

Question 8

Linda is studying while listening to her iPod.She notices that when she raises the volume 5 decibels when the volume is initially low,the change is very noticeable.However,when the volume is initially high,increasing the volume by 5 decibels doesn't result in as noticeable of a change in sound.This phenomenon is best explained by _____.

Accepted Answer

Weber's law states that the change needed to detect a difference in stimulus is proportional to the original intensity of the stimulus. In this case, the noticeable difference in sound is greater when the initial volume is low, which is in line with Weber's law.

Question 9

As you walk barefoot in the park,your nose conveys to your brain the smell of the freshly cut grass,your skin sends information about the feel of the gentle breeze,and your ears transmit the sound of children laughing on the playground to your auditory cortex.This process of acquiring "raw data" about the stimuli in the environment is called _____.

Accepted Answer

Sensation refers to the process of receiving and detecting stimuli from the environment through the senses, such as sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. The scenario described in the question involves various sensory experiences, including the smell of the grass, the feel of the breeze, and the sound of the children, all of which are examples of sensations. Selective attention, on the other hand, involves focusing on certain stimuli and ignoring others, sensory adaptation refers to the process of becoming less sensitive to a constant or repetitive stimulus, and cognition involves mental processes such as perception, thinking, and reasoning.

Question 10

_____ refers to the detection of sensory information that occurs below the level of conscious awareness.

Accepted Answer

Subliminal perception is the detection of sensory information that occurs below the level of conscious awareness. This type of perception is often used in advertising and marketing to try to influence consumer behavior without the person being aware of it.

Question 11

Emily is selecting a new paint color for her bedroom.She detects a difference between sky blue and midnight blue.Emily's ability to distinguish these two colors from one another can best be explained by the concept of _____.

Accepted Answer

The difference threshold is the minimum difference in stimulation required to detect a difference between two stimuli. In this case, Emily is able to detect a difference between sky blue and midnight blue, indicating that she has a difference threshold for these colors.

Question 12

The process through which the senses detect environmental stimuli and transmit them to the brain is called _____.

Accepted Answer

Sensation is the process through which the senses detect environmental stimuli and transmit them to the brain. Perception, on the other hand, is the process through which the brain organizes and interprets sensory information to make sense of the environment. Consciousness refers to the awareness of one's surroundings, thoughts, and feelings. Reception refers to the initial process of absorbing environmental stimuli by the sensory receptors.

Question 13

You are studying in your dorm room,but your neighbor is blasting the television in the adjacent room.When you gently request that your neighbor turn the volume down until you cannot hear it,you are asking your neighbor to make the volume less than your _____.

Accepted Answer

The absolute threshold is the minimum level of stimulus intensity needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time. In this scenario, the sound of the neighbor's TV is above the absolute threshold of the person in the dorm room. Therefore, asking the neighbor to make the volume less than the person's absolute threshold would mean reducing the sound to a level that is not detectable by the person in the dorm room.

Question 14

The minimal change in stimulation that is required to detect whether one stimulus differs from another is the _____.

Accepted Answer

The difference threshold, also known as the just noticeable difference (JND), is the smallest difference in stimulation that can be detected 50% of the time. It is sometimes called the differential threshold.

Question 15

Which of the following classes of sensory receptors play an important role in detecting pressure,vibration,movement,touch,and hearing?

Accepted Answer

Mechanoreceptors are sensory receptors that respond to mechanical stimuli like pressure, vibration, and touch. They also play a key role in detecting movement and sound waves, making them important for hearing. Chemoreceptors respond to chemical stimuli, photoreceptors respond to light, and endorphins are natural painkillers that interact with opioid receptors in the brain.

Question 16

Which of the following classes of sensory receptors provide information about sight and the detection of light?

Accepted Answer

Photoreceptors are sensory receptors that detect light and provide information about sight. Chemoreceptors are responsible for detecting chemical stimuli, such as taste and smell. Synaesthesia is a neurological condition where stimulation of one sense leads to an automatic, involuntary experience in another sense.

Question 17

_____ are specialized cells that detect stimulus information and transmit it to afferent nerves and the brain.

Accepted Answer

Sensory receptors are specialized cells responsible for detecting stimulus information and transmitting it to afferent nerves and the brain. This is a crucial step for the perception of the environment and the subsequent execution of appropriate responses by the organism. Perceptual sets, binocular cues, and monocular cues are not directly related to the initial detection and transmission of sensory information, but rather pertain to higher-level aspects of perception and interpretation.

Question 18

Michael,a famous musician,is designing a new apartment that will serve as both his residence and his recording studio.Since the music studio shares a wall with his bedroom,Michael wants to be sure that the recording studio is soundproof.This means that Michael wants to be sure that sound from the studio is well under his _____ while he is in his bedroom.

Accepted Answer

The correct term is "absolute threshold," which refers to the minimum level of stimulus that an organism can detect at least 50% of the time. In this context, it means the lowest level of sound that Michael can hear from his bedroom, indicating he wants the sound from the studio to be below this level to ensure it is soundproof.

Question 19

Which of the following explains the ability of an animal to distinguish among sight,sound,odor,taste,and touch?

Accepted Answer

Sensory receptors are selective and have different neural pathways, allowing animals to distinguish among different senses.

Question 20

The _____ marks the point where we can just barely perceive a stimulus.

Accepted Answer

The absolute threshold is the minimum amount of stimulation necessary for a person to detect a stimulus 50% of the time. It marks the point where we can just barely perceive a stimulus. The just noticeable difference (A) refers to the smallest amount of change needed in a stimulus before we detect a difference, while the difference threshold (B) is the minimum difference in magnitude between two stimuli before one can perceive this difference. Just noticeable threshold (D) is not a commonly used term in sensory psychology, and may be a combination of the terms just noticeable difference and absolute threshold.

Quiz 3: Sensation and Perception