Question 1

A mother tells her teenage son to turn down his music.The son tells his mom that he will do so and turns the volume down slightly.A minute later,the mother cannot tell that her son complied with her request,so she yells at him.Apparently,the decrease in volume did not meet the mother's:

Accepted Answer

The difference threshold refers to the minimum change in a stimulus that can be detected. The mother's inability to notice the change in volume suggests that the decrease did not exceed her difference threshold.

Question 2

Which study would constitute one that is psychophysical?

Accepted Answer

A psychophysical study involves measuring the relationship between physical stimuli and the perceptual experiences they produce. Determining the smallest amount of sugar required for a person to report tasting something sweet is an example of a psychophysical study because it is measuring a perceptual experience (taste) in relation to a physical stimulus (amount of sugar added to water). Options A and B are more closely related to physiology and acoustics, respectively. Option D is more closely related to psychology and emotion.

Question 3

The minimal intensity needed to just barely detect a stimulus is called the:

Accepted Answer

The absolute threshold refers to the minimum intensity of a stimulus needed for it to be detected. Just noticeable difference refers to the smallest difference in stimulation that can be detected between two stimuli. Receptive field refers to the specific region of sensory space that can elicit responses from a sensory receptor cell. Difference threshold is another term for just noticeable difference. Therefore, the correct answer is C, as it refers specifically to the minimal intensity needed for detection.

Question 4

Methods that measure the strength of a stimulus and the observer's sensitivity to the stimulus are called:

Accepted Answer

Psychophysics is the branch of psychology that deals with the relationships between physical stimuli and the sensations and perceptions they produce.

Question 5

Stimuli that are presented at the absolute threshold will be detected _____% of the time.

Accepted Answer

Stimuli presented at the absolute threshold will be detected 50% of the time. This means that half of the time the stimuli will be detected and the other half the stimuli will not be detected.

Question 6

The just noticeable difference (JND)is the:

Accepted Answer

The just noticeable difference (JND) refers to the smallest detectable difference between two stimuli that can be perceived by an observer. It is the minimal change in a stimulus that can just barely be detected, making option B the correct choice. Option A refers to the phenomenon of sensory adaptation, in which sensitivity to a stimulus decreases over time. Option C describes the absolute threshold, which is the minimum intensity needed to detect a stimulus. Option D describes the concept of signal detection theory, which refers to an observer's ability to detect a stimulus in the presence of noise.

Question 7

The approximate absolute threshold for taste is being able to detect a teaspoon of sugar dissolved in two gallons of water.Given that information,which statements is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

The absolute threshold is the minimum stimulus level that an individual can detect 50% of the time. Therefore, a person will not detect the sugar 50% of the time.

Question 8

Stimuli that are presented slightly below the absolute threshold will:

Accepted Answer

Stimuli presented slightly below the absolute threshold are at a level where they can be detected some of the time, but not consistently. Therefore, they will be detected less than 50% of the time.

Question 9

Robert lightly taps the student sitting in front of him on the shoulder.The student doesn't notice,so Robert taps harder.The minimum pressure Robert must tap such that the other student notices half of the time is called:

Accepted Answer

The absolute threshold is the minimum amount of stimulation needed for a person to detect a stimulus half of the time. In this scenario, Robert is trying to determine the minimum pressure needed for the other student to detect the tap half of the time, which aligns with the concept of the absolute threshold.

Question 10

Early structuralist psychologists attempted to study perception using:

Accepted Answer

Early structuralist psychologists, such as Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener, believed that the best way to study perception was through introspection. Introspection involved having trained participants describe their own conscious experiences of sensory stimuli, such as visual or auditory sensations.

Question 11

Fifty percent of the time,a person with normal hearing will be able to detect a clock's ticking 20 feet away when all is quiet.This illustrates the approximate _____ for hearing.

Accepted Answer

The question is asking for the "approximate threshold for hearing." The definition of threshold is the level of intensity or strength that is required for a person to detect a stimulus. In this case, the stimulus is the sound of a ticking clock. The fact that a person with normal hearing can detect the sound 50% of the time at a distance of 20 feet suggests that there is a certain level of sound intensity that is needed for the person to detect it. This level is known as the absolute threshold. Therefore, the correct answer is D.

Question 12

The field of psychophysics was FIRST developed by:

Accepted Answer

Psychophysics was first developed by Gustav Fechner in the early 19th century. He explored the relationship between physical stimuli and the sensation they produce in humans, laying the foundation for this field.

Question 13

Tammy and Chad sent their toddler to time-out 10 minutes ago,and ever since,the boy has been crying.Tammy notes that the crying just decreased in volume ever so slightly and comments that perhaps he is beginning to settle down.From Chad's perspective,however,the boy is crying just as loudly as before.Tammy and Chad differ in the _____ threshold for detecting a sound.

Accepted Answer

Tammy and Chad differ in their ability to detect a difference in the sound level. Tammy has a lower difference threshold and is able to detect a slight decrease in volume, whereas Chad has a higher difference threshold and is not able to detect the same decrease in volume. This is not related to absolute or minimal thresholds for sound detection or auditory abilities.

Question 14

The absolute threshold is the:

Accepted Answer

The absolute threshold is defined as the minimal intensity of a stimulus that can just barely be detected by a sensory system. Therefore, choice B is the correct answer.

Question 15

The approximate absolute threshold for hearing is a clock's tick from 20 feet away when all is quiet.Given that information,which statements is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

The absolute threshold is the minimum stimulus intensity needed for detection 50% of the time, meaning a person will not hear the clock tick 50% of the time.

Question 16

On a clear,dark night,a person with normal vision can detect a candle flame 30 miles away 50% of the time.This illustrates the approximate _____ for vision.

Accepted Answer

The ability to detect the candle flame 30 miles away at a certain level of intensity represents the person's absolute threshold for vision. The other choices do not accurately reflect this scenario.

Question 17

Noel wants to measure her cat's auditory threshold.She quietly whispers Ernie's name and slowly increases her volume until the cat turns and looks at her.Over the course of several days,she whispers ten times at each volume.The volume at which Ernie responds five times is called:

Accepted Answer

The volume at which Ernie responds five times is called the absolute threshold, which is the minimum stimulation necessary for detection 50% of the time. The just noticeable difference is the smallest difference in stimulation that can be detected 50% of the time, and Weber's law states that the degree of difference between two stimuli required for detection of a difference is proportional to the magnitude of the stimuli. The relative threshold is not a commonly used term in psychology.

Question 18

People are MOST sensitive to the range of tones corresponding to:

Accepted Answer

Humans are most sensitive to the range of tones corresponding to human conversation, which typically covers frequencies ranging from 250-4000 Hz. This is the range where our ears are most sensitive and where we can distinguish speech sounds most clearly. While low notes on a pipe organ and the sound of a tuning fork may be audible and distinguishable, they are not the range of tones that our ears are most sensitive to. High-frequency dog whistles are often outside the range of human hearing and therefore not relevant to human sensitivity to sound.

Question 19

_____ states that the just noticeable difference of a stimulus is a constant proportion despite variations in intensity.

Accepted Answer

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

Question 20

Which study would constitute one that is psychophysical?

Accepted Answer

Psychophysics is the study of the relationship between physical stimuli and their psychological effects. Determining the lowest-decibel sound that can be reliably detected in humans falls within this realm as it involves measuring the physical properties of a sound and how it is perceived by humans.

Quiz 4: Sensation and Perception-Part A

A mother tells her teenage son to turn down his music.The son tells his mom that he will do so and turns the volume down slightly.A minute later,the mother cannot tell that her son complied with her request,so she yells at him.Apparently,the decrease in volume did not meet the mother's:

Which study would constitute one that is psychophysical?

The minimal intensity needed to just barely detect a stimulus is called the:

Methods that measure the strength of a stimulus and the observer's sensitivity to the stimulus are called:

Stimuli that are presented at the absolute threshold will be detected _____% of the time.

The just noticeable difference (JND) is the:

The approximate absolute threshold for taste is being able to detect a teaspoon of sugar dissolved in two gallons of water.Given that information,which statements is TRUE?

Stimuli that are presented slightly below the absolute threshold will:

Robert lightly taps the student sitting in front of him on the shoulder.The student doesn't notice,so Robert taps harder.The minimum pressure Robert must tap such that the other student notices half of the time is called:

Early structuralist psychologists attempted to study perception using:

Fifty percent of the time,a person with normal hearing will be able to detect a clock's ticking 20 feet away when all is quiet.This illustrates the approximate _____ for hearing.

The field of psychophysics was FIRST developed by:

The absolute threshold is the:

The approximate absolute threshold for hearing is a clock's tick from 20 feet away when all is quiet.Given that information,which statements is TRUE?

On a clear,dark night,a person with normal vision can detect a candle flame 30 miles away 50% of the time.This illustrates the approximate _____ for vision.

Noel wants to measure her cat's auditory threshold.She quietly whispers Ernie's name and slowly increases her volume until the cat turns and looks at her.Over the course of several days,she whispers ten times at each volume.The volume at which Ernie responds five times is called:

People are MOST sensitive to the range of tones corresponding to:

_____ states that the just noticeable difference of a stimulus is a constant proportion despite variations in intensity.

Which study would constitute one that is psychophysical?