Question 1

Weber's law holds that the size of a just noticeable difference is a constant proportion of the size of the original stimulus.

Accepted Answer

Weber's law states that the just noticeable difference (JND) is proportional to the magnitude of the original stimulus. This means that the JND increases as the magnitude of the original stimulus increases, but the ratio of the JND to the original stimulus remains constant. This law is also known as Weber-Fechner law.

Question 2

Sensation is the result of the stimulation of specialized cells called sensory receptors.

Accepted Answer

Sensory receptors are specialized cells that detect and respond to specific types of stimuli, such as light, sound, touch, or chemical signals. When these receptors are activated, they generate neural signals that are transmitted to the brain, where they are interpreted as sensations. Therefore, sensation is indeed the result of the stimulation of sensory receptors.

Question 3

Studies of self-help videos which use subliminal messages, such as stop smoking or lose weight, show that most of these videos are not effective.

Accepted Answer

Studies have found that subliminal messages in self-help videos are not effective for achieving goals such as quitting smoking or losing weight.

Question 4

Research indicates that subliminal messages exert very powerful influences on our subconscious minds.

Accepted Answer

Most research suggests that subliminal messages do not have a powerful influence on our behavior or decisions. The effects, if any, are usually weak and not as impactful as popularly believed.

Question 5

In 1957, James Vicary falsely claimed to have increased the sale of popcorn and Coca-Cola at a New Jersey movie theater when the owner used subliminal messages to flash "Eat popcorn" and "Drink Coke" on the movie screen during the movie.

Accepted Answer

James Vicary did make this false claim in 1957, but it was later revealed to be a hoax. No actual increase in sales was found to be associated with the subliminal message experiment.

Question 6

The finding that repeated exposure to a particular stimulus leads to increased liking for that stimulus is called sensory adaptation.

Accepted Answer

The finding that repeated exposure to a particular stimulus leads to increased liking for that stimulus is actually called the mere exposure effect, not sensory adaptation. Sensory adaptation refers to the decrease in sensitivity to a constant or repetitive stimulus over time.

Question 7

The process by which physical energy is converted into a coded neural signal that can be processed by the nervous system is called transduction.

Accepted Answer

This is a correct definition of transduction.

Question 8

There are two kinds of sensory thresholds for each sense: the absolute threshold and the difference threshold.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. The absolute threshold refers to the minimum amount of stimulation needed for a person to detect a sensory stimulus, while the difference threshold refers to the minimum amount of change in stimulation necessary to detect a difference between two stimuli.

Question 9

Subliminal images in advertising have been shown to influence consumer decisions.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that subliminal messages have little to no effect on consumer behavior, as they are often too subtle to be consciously perceived and processed.

Question 10

Sensation refers to the response of sense organs to environmental stimuli and the transmission of that information to the brain. Perception refers to the active process of organizing and interpreting sensory information.

Accepted Answer

Sensation and perception are different processes. Sensation refers to the initial detection of stimuli through the sensory organs, while perception involves the organization and interpretation of this sensory information in the brain.

Question 11

Another term for difference threshold is just noticeable difference.

Accepted Answer

The statement is true. The terms "difference threshold" and "just noticeable difference" are used interchangeably to refer to the smallest difference between two stimuli that a person can detect.

Question 12

Weber's law refers to the equation that is used to calculate the absolute threshold for visual and auditory stimuli.

Accepted Answer

Weber's law states that the difference threshold (or just noticeable difference) between two stimuli is proportional to the magnitude of the stimuli. It does not provide an equation for calculating the absolute threshold.

Question 13

Recent research using subliminal perception demonstrated conclusively that faces paired with a pleasant subliminal odor receive the lowest likeability ratings, while faces paired with an unpleasant subliminal odor receive the highest likeability ratings.

Accepted Answer

This statement is false. There is no conclusive evidence to support this claim, and further research is needed to fully understand the effects of subliminal perception on likeability ratings.

Question 14

Transduction is the perceptual process of organizing and interpreting coded neural messages.

Accepted Answer

Transduction is the process of converting physical energy into neural signals, not the organization and interpretation of these signals.

Question 15

Sensation and perception can be unambiguously distinguished.

Accepted Answer

Sensation refers to the process of receiving information from the environment through our sensory organs, while perception refers to the process of interpreting and making sense of that information. The two processes are closely linked and often occur simultaneously, making it difficult to completely distinguish between the two.

Question 16

Recent research using subliminal perception has shown that faces paired with a pleasant subliminal odor receive the highest likeability ratings, while faces paired with an unpleasant subliminal odor receive the lowest likeability ratings.

Accepted Answer

Recent research has indeed shown that faces paired with a pleasant subliminal odor receive the highest likeability ratings, while faces paired with an unpleasant subliminal odor receive the lowest likeability ratings.

Question 17

Sensory receptors respond only when stimulated by electromagnetic energy or sound waves.

Accepted Answer

Sensory receptors respond to a variety of stimuli including mechanical pressure, temperature, and chemical stimuli in addition to electromagnetic energy or sound waves.

Question 18

The absolute threshold refers to the reduced sensitivity that occurs in response to a constant stimulus, such as a constant smell.

Accepted Answer

The absolute threshold refers to the minimum amount of stimulation needed for a person to detect a stimulus 50% of the time, not a reduced sensitivity to a constant stimulus.

Question 19

The absolute threshold is the smallest possible strength of a stimulus that can be detected half the time.

Accepted Answer

This is the definition of absolute threshold in psychology.

Question 20

The mere exposure effect holds true for exposure to subliminal stimuli as well as exposure to nonsubliminal stimuli.

Accepted Answer

The mere exposure effect is a psychological phenomenon where people tend to develop a preference for things simply because they are familiar with them. This effect has been found to hold true for exposure to subliminal stimuli (stimuli presented below the threshold of conscious awareness) as well as exposure to nonsubliminal stimuli (stimuli presented above the threshold of conscious awareness).

Quiz 3: Section 3: Sensation and Perception