Question 1

The optic chiasm is the point at which the optic nerves from both eyes meet.

Accepted Answer

The optic chiasm is indeed the point at which the optic nerves from both eyes meet and cross over to the opposite sides of the brain.

Question 2

Provide an example of when you would have to rely on bottom-up processing more heavily than top-down processing.

Accepted Answer

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Question 3

If you were unable to explain to your friends what causes color afterimages by using the trichromatic color theory of vision, you could tell them about opponent-process theory, which should help to explain this phenomenon.

Accepted Answer

Opponent-process theory suggests that color vision is based on three opponent pairs of colors: red-green, blue-yellow, and black-white. According to this theory, afterimages occur because when we look at a color for a prolonged period, the neurons responsible for that color become fatigued and the opponent neurons become more active, creating an afterimage of the opposite color. This theory can help explain why we see afterimages, even though the trichromatic theory cannot fully account for this phenomenon.

Question 4

The trichromatic color theory of vision does not adequately explain color afterimages.

Accepted Answer

The trichromatic color theory of vision explains how the eye detects colors by using three types of color receptors (cones). However, it does not fully explain why we experience color afterimages, which occur when we stare at a color and then immediately look away and see the complementary color. This phenomenon is better explained by the opponent process theory, which proposes that the visual system processes color in terms of three pairs of opponents: red-green, blue-yellow, and black-white.

Question 5

Describe the main principles of the trichromatic theory of color vision.

Accepted Answer

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Question 6

Perceptual sets reflect top-down influences on perception.

Accepted Answer

Perceptual sets refer to preconceived expectations that influence how we perceive stimuli. These expectations are based on prior experiences, beliefs, and knowledge. Therefore, they are considered top-down influences because they originate from higher-level cognitive processes and shape the way sensory information is processed.

Question 7

When light comes into your eye, it first passes through the lens of your eye.

Accepted Answer

Light first passes through the cornea, which is the eye's outermost layer, before reaching the lens.

Question 8

The minimal change in stimulation that is required to detect a difference between two stimuli is a "just noticeable difference."

Accepted Answer

This statement is true.

Question 9

The fan on your air filtering unit runs very quietly. From the next room, you cannot hear the sound. Checking whether it is running or not, you move toward it until you can hear it. The point at which the sound is loudest and clearest to you is the absolute threshold.

Accepted Answer

The absolute threshold is the minimum level of stimulus intensity needed for a person to detect a stimulus 50% of the time, not the point where it is loudest and clearest.

Question 10

You smell a flower. While receptors in your nose register a stimulus, the actual process of recognizing the stimulus as a flower's fragrance and interpreting it as pleasant is known as perception.

Accepted Answer

Perception refers to the process of interpreting and recognizing sensory information, including identifying and assigning meaning to a particular stimulus. In this case, the act of recognizing the fragrance as that of a flower and interpreting it as pleasant involves the process of perception.

Question 11

What are rods and cones, and what are their functions in the eye?

Accepted Answer

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Question 12

Explain the main difference between an absolute threshold and a difference threshold.

Accepted Answer

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Question 13

Describe the phenomenon of phantom limb pain.

Accepted Answer

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Question 14

Explain how even though images appear on the retina in two-dimensional space, we are able to perceive objects in three-dimensions.

Accepted Answer

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Question 15

The primary function of the pupil is to bend or refract light as it passes through the eye.

Accepted Answer

The primary function of the pupil is not to bend or refract light, but rather to regulate the amount of light entering the eye by adjusting its size. The bending or refracting of light is primarily done by the cornea and lens of the eye.

Question 16

Give examples of each of the five gestalt principles that are found in everyday life.

Accepted Answer

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Question 17

Describe the difference between bottom-up processing and top-down processing.

Accepted Answer

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Question 18

Bill works in an office where a very noisy air conditioner is always on. Whenever people visit Bill's office, they comment on the noise and ask how Bill can work with such a distraction. Bill replies that he does not even notice the noise. How would you explain Bill's response using the framework of sensory adaptation?

Accepted Answer

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Question 19

The cocktail party effect could be easily demonstrated in a crowded bar.

Accepted Answer

The cocktail party effect refers to the phenomenon where individuals are able to focus their attention on a specific aspect of their environment, such as a conversation, even amidst distracting background noise. A crowded bar would provide the perfect setting to demonstrate this effect.

Question 20

Describe the three aspects of perceptual constancy.

Accepted Answer

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Quiz 4: Sensation and Perception