Deck 4: Sensation and Perception

Question 1

Rachel is walking in the woods and feels a sudden pain in the back of her neck.Due to the nature of the pain she recognizes that she has been stung by a bee.In this scenario,which of the following processes has most likely helped her identify the source of her pain?

A)photoreception
B)perception
C)incubation
D)transduction

Answer 1

perception

Question 2

The process of receiving stimulus energy from the environment and transforming it into neural energy is called

A)sensation.
B)consciousness.
C)perception.
D)cognition.

Answer 2

sensation.

Question 3

Which of the following statements is true of sensory receptors?

A)They all conduct the same type of energy.
B)They convey the intensity of a stimulus by the number of neurotransmitters released per firing.
C)They follow Weber's law in deciding the direction of flow of information.
D)They all follow the all-or-nothing principle.

Answer 3

They all follow the all-or-nothing principle.

Question 4

Which of the following receptors is most activated when a person is watching a silent movie?

A)thermoreceptors
B)chemoreceptors
C)mechanoreceptors
D)photoreceptors

Question 5

Jimmy hears an insect buzzing in front of him.He locates the insect and decides to swat it with a rolled up magazine.In this scenario,Jimmy's decision to swat the fly is a result of

A)backward processing.
B)top-down processing.
C)transduction processing.
D)bottom-up processing.

Question 6

Which of the following statements is true of sensation?

A)It differs from perception in that it does not require receptor cells.
B)It is the process of transmitting neural energy into the external environment.
C)It is the process of organizing information so that it makes sense.
D)It is given meaning by the brain through perception.

Question 7

When shopping for their brother,Jack and James are presented with a red shirt by the sales person.While Jack likes the shirt,James dislikes the shirt.In this scenario,even though the color of the shirt is the same,Jack and James disagree because of differences in their _____ of the shirt.

A)perception
B)sensation
C)transduction
D)definition

Question 8

In the context of sensation and perception,the detection of pressure by sensory receptors is called

A)thermoreception.
B)chemoreception.
C)mechanoreception.
D)photoreception.

Question 9

In psychology,the process of organizing and interpreting incoming sensory information is called

A)perception.
B)sensation.
C)awareness.
D)arousal.

Question 10

Lionel steps on a jellyfish as he walks barefoot on the beach.At the moment of contact,the physical pain he experiences most accurately exemplifies

A)sensation.
B)perception.
C)incubation.
D)photoreception.

Question 11

Jeremy decides to watch a documentary on sensation and perception.He learns that the two processes of sensation and perception are essentially inseparable.In this scenario,Jeremy has used

A)backward processing.
B)top-down processing.
C)forward processing.
D)bottom-up processing.

Question 12

In the context of sensory receptors,the intensity of the stimulus is communicated to the brain by varying the _____ of the action potential sent to the brain.

A)strength
B)frequency
C)intensity
D)lucidity

Question 13

In the context of sensation and perception,specialized cells that detect stimulus information and transmit it to afferent nerves and the brain are called

A)ganglion cells.
B)sensory receptors.
C)sensory effectors.
D)barrier cells.

Question 14

Teresa,a young woman,sees words in colors and sees shapes whenever she hears a sound.In the context of sensory receptors and the brain,Teresa's experiences best illustrate the phenomenon of

A)extra sensory perception.
B)synaesthesia.
C)phantom limb pain.
D)incubation.

Question 15

Robert loves watching action films.While watching an old action film,he notices that he may have already watched that film.He confirms this by predicting the sequence of events in the movie.In this scenario,Robert is using

A)forward processing.
B)top-down processing.
C)backward processing.
D)bottom-up processing.

Question 16

As Mike gets up to go to his kitchen,the lights go out.Despite not being able to see in his house,he is still able to go to his kitchen.In this scenario,Mike's ability to use his knowledge of the layout of his house to find his way is an example of

A)top-down processing.
B)bottom-up processing.
C)exhaust processing.
D)backward processing.

Question 17

In the context of sensation,which of the following receptors is most activated when a person is tickled?

A)thermoreceptors
B)chemoreceptors
C)mechanoreceptors
D)photoreceptors

Question 18

Which of the following sensory processes is most activated when a person is listening to a song?

A)thermoreception
B)chemoreception
C)mechanoreception
D)photoreception

Question 19

In the context of perception,_____ processing involves starting with a sense of what is happening and then applying that framework to incoming information from the world.

A)forward
B)top-down
C)backward
D)bottom-up

Question 20

The factor that differentiates top-down processing from bottom-up processing is that top-down processing

A)starts with cognitive processing in the brain.
B)begins with the external world.
C)means taking in information and trying to make sense of it.
D)cannot happen in the absence of a stimulus.

Question 21

If a person hears two sounds that fluctuate in intensity,the point at which he or she can detect the contrast in the sounds is referred to as the

A)difference threshold.
B)amplitude.
C)absolute threshold.
D)saturation.

Question 22

Rachel jogs in the morning.Her friend,who is jogging behind her,only has a 50 percent chance of calling out to her when she is 15 feet away from her.In this scenario,Rachel's _____ for detecting her friend's call is at a distance of 15 feet.

A)absolute threshold
B)frequency
C)amplitude
D)perceptual set

Question 23

The _____ theory of perception states that detection of sensory stimuli depends on a variety of factors besides the physical intensity of the stimulus and the sensory abilities of the observer.

A)opponent process
B)trichromatic
C)signal detection
D)activation-synthesis

Question 24

Jonathan has a plate that holds 20 cup cakes.He would notice if one of them went missing.However,on a table with 200 cup cakes,he would notice only if five cup cakes went missing.This phenomenon is best explained by

A)the Ponzo illusion.
B)Weber's law.
C)Throndike's law.
D)the Stroop effect.

Question 25

Josh,a teenager,is attending his first party.He wants to ask a girl,Fiona,to dance but does not know whether she will say yes.He notices that Fiona is pretty,a little shy,and wants to dance.He also sees that she is not surrounded by friends.Which component of the signal detection theory is Josh illustrating by gathering these details about Fiona?

A)information acquisition
B)criterion
C)false alarm
D)sensory failure

Question 26

Jenny detects a change in brightness when a 25W light bulb is replaced with a 100W light bulb but not when it is replaced with a 50W light bulb.However,she detects a change if the same 50W light bulb is replaced with a 200W light bulb.The differences in Jenny's ability to perceive these changes can be explained by

A)the Stroop effect.
B)Thorndike's law.
C)the Ponzo illusion.
D)Weber's law.

Question 27

Which of the following statements is true of difference thresholds?

A)They increase as a stimulus becomes stronger.
B)They are irrelevant and competing stimuli.
C)They are the minimum amount of stimulus energy that a person can detect.
D)They increase the ability to perceive information below the level of conscious awareness.

Question 28

Mary requests her neighbor to turn down the volume of his television so that Mary does not hear it.The volume at which Mary cannot hear the television most of the time is

A)below her absolute threshold.
B)above her difference threshold.
C)above the level of noise.
D)below her expected level of noise.

Question 29

Craig likes to add two spoons of sugar to his coffee.When he adds three spoons of sugar to his coffee,he does not notice a difference.Craig also likes to add two spoons of sugar to his milk.In this case,however,he notices a difference when he adds three spoons of sugar.This phenomenon is best explained by

A)the Ponzo illusion.
B)the Stroop effect.
C)Weber's law.
D)Thorndike's law.

Question 30

Thomas,a war veteran,still experiences occasional aches in the arm that was amputated when he was injured in a war.In the context of sensory receptors and the brain,Thomas's condition best illustrates the phenomenon of

A)extra sensory perception.
B)synaesthesia.
C)phantom limb pain.
D)incubation.

Question 31

In the context of sensation and perception,_____ is the minimum amount of stimulus energy that a person can detect.

A)noise
B)amplitude
C)perceptual set
D)absolute threshold

Question 32

Gary lives near an intersection.In his hall,he can hear cars honking.However,in his bedroom,he cannot hear any cars honking.In this scenario,the volume of car honks in Gary's bedroom fall below his

A)expectation.
B)arbitrary value.
C)absolute threshold.
D)upper limit.

Question 33

Daniel wants to find out if he can notice the difference in light intensity when he adds some lit candles to a set of lit candles.When he adds 24 candles to his set,he notices the difference in intensity half the time.When he adds 11 candles to his set,he notices the difference a quarter of the time.In this scenario,Daniel's absolute threshold for detecting the change in light intensity is at _____ candles.

A)11
B)35
C)13
D)24

Question 34

_____ is the term given to irrelevant and competing stimuli.

A)Noise
B)Pinna
C)Threshold
D)Saturation

Question 35

While eating dinner,Steve tries to overhear the conversation in his neighbouring booth.However,he is unable to hear the conversation.In this scenario,the conversation in Steve's neighbouring booth likely falls below Steve's

A)absolute threshold.
B)perceptual set.
C)saturation point.
D)amplitude ratio.

Question 36

In the context of sensory receptors and the brain,a person's ability to sense future events is known as

A)antipathy.
B)levitation.
C)precognition.
D)telekinesis.

Question 37

Subliminally presented stimuli

A)can sometimes be subconsciously perceived.
B)have a strong effect on the brain.
C)can reverse the flow of information in a neuron.
D)cause absolute thresholds to increase.

Question 38

In the context of sensory receptors and the brain,a person's ability to read another person's mind is known as

A)telekinesis.
B)levitation.
C)antipathy.
D)telepathy.

Question 39

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

A)Subliminal perception
B)Selective attention
C)Inattentional blindness
D)Emotion-induced blindness

Question 40

Which of the following examples best illustrates extrasensory perception (ESP)?

A)George sleeps through a meeting.
B)Tony runs faster than the others in a race.
C)Jeff reads another person's mind.
D)Richard reads a book.

Question 41

A person's predisposition or readiness to perceive something in a particular way is known as

A)subliminal perception.
B)an optic illusion.
C)sensory adaptation.
D)a perceptual set.

Question 42

Peter who lives in the United States has been offered a job in India.Before he makes his decision,he reads books on India and likes what he reads.He believes that according to his personal criteria,India will suit him very well.A few months after his move to India,Peter realizes that he cannot adapt to the weather or the culture in India and regrets his decision.According to the signal detection theory,this outcome can best be labeled as a

A)hit.
B)miss.
C)false alarm.
D)correct rejection.

Question 43

_____ is the process of focusing awareness on a narrow aspect of the environment.

A)Convergence
B)Binding
C)Proprioception
D)Attention

Question 44

In the visual system,the opening in the center of the iris is known as the

A)pupil.
B)cornea.
C)sclera.
D)lens.

Question 45

Which of the following statements is true of the stroop effect?

A)It represents a failure of selective attention.
B)It explains the reasons for color blindness.
C)It proves that selective attention is unshiftable.
D)It shows that humans can ignore automatic perceptions easily.

Question 46

The act of focusing on a specific aspect of experience while ignoring others is called

A)selective attention.
B)parallel processing.
C)subliminal perception.
D)sensory adaptation.

Question 47

When Carlos first arrives at his friend's party,the music is so loud that he covers his ears.After a few hours,even though the music is still at the same volume,it stops bothering him.This change in his reaction to the volume of the music illustrates

A)perceptual constancy.
B)sensory adaptation.
C)transduction.
D)saturation.

Question 48

In the visual system,the major purpose of the iris of the eye is to

A)stimulate the sclera into refracting light.
B)control the pupil size.
C)change the wavelength of light entering the eye.
D)produce rods and cones.

Question 49

_____ refers to the failure of a person to detect unexpected events when he or she is focused on another task.

A)Parallel processing
B)Inattentional blindness
C)Top-down processing
D)Subliminal perception

Question 50

Peter is driving down the highway.While trying to find his exit,he fails to notice the sign stating the detour sign near his exit.In this scenario,Peter is exhibiting

A)emotion-induced blindness.
B)color blindness.
C)subliminal perception.
D)inattentional blindness.

Question 51

Donna is writing a test.She is so focused on writing the test that she does not hear the invigilator remind her that she only has five minutes to complete her test.In this scenario,Donna has engaged in

A)saturation.
B)selective attention.
C)inoculation.
D)sensory adaptation.

Question 52

The _____ of the wavelengths of a visual stimulus determines the perceived saturation,or richness,of the stimulus.

A)height
B)width
C)purity
D)strength

Question 53

In the visual system,the clear membrane just in front of the eye is the

A)retinA.
B)lens.
C)cornea.
D)roD.

Question 54

George is looking at the colors on a paint swatch card to select the right shade of red for his wall.He is able to differentiate between the various shades of red on the card and makes a quick decision.His perception of the differences in the shades can be attributed to the _____ of light reflecting from the shades.

A)gradients
B)timbres
C)frequencies
D)wavelengths

Question 55

Lauren and her friend are at a crowded tourist destination.Despite the noise of the crowd,Lauren and her friend have no trouble speaking to each other.In this scenario,this phenomenon is known as

A)the cocktail party effect.
B)the Stroop effect.
C)the volley principle.
D)Weber's law.

Question 56

Which of the following statements is true of perceptual sets?

A)They act as psychological filters in processing information about the environment.
B)They are visual stimuli that induce color blindness.
C)They enable children to pick up stimuli that are below their absolute threshold.
D)They reduce the difference threshold between competing stimuli.

Question 57

In the visual system,the _____ of the eye is filled with a gelatinous material that helps focus light.

A)pupil
B)lens
C)iris
D)fovea

Question 58

Jenna hears construction noise while studying.Even though the noise distracts her from her studies initially,she is able to focus on her studies after some time.In this scenario,Jenna is demonstrating

A)perceptual constancy.
B)saturation.
C)amplification.
D)sensory adaptation.

Question 59

Nathan is being tutored by one his classmates,Sarah.Nathan wants to ask Sarah to the prom but does not know whether she is interested in him.He looks out for signals of encouragement from her and realizes that she does not have a date for the prom.He also notes that she often calls him on the telephone just to talk and joins him for lunch on most days.This encourages Nathan to ask Sarah out and when he does,she says yes. According to the signal detection theory,this outcome can best be labeled as a

A)hit.
B)miss.
C)false alarm.
D)correct rejection.

Question 60

Inattentional blindness is more likely to occur when

A)a person is color blind.
B)a task is difficult and occupying.
C)the distracting stimulus is similar to the relevant stimuli of the task at hand.
D)the distracting stimulus is below the absolute thresholD.

Question 61

The place on the retina that contains neither rods nor cones is where the

A)lens becomes cloudy.
B)retina degenerates.
C)optic nerve leaves the eye.
D)ciliary muscle is locateD.

Question 62

_____ are individual neurons or groups of neurons in the brain's visual system that respond to particular characteristics of a stimulus.

A)Pinnae
B)Stirrups
C)Basilar cells
D)Feature detectors

Question 63

In the context of the structure of the eye,the axons of the ganglion cells make up the

A)olfactory epithelium.
B)blind spot.
C)vestibular canal.
D)optic nerve.

Question 64

Which of the followings statements is true of the rods in the eye's retina?

A)They are found in the foveA.
B)They are very useful for color vision.
C)They require a smaller amount of light to respond than the cones do.
D)They are insensitive to light.

Question 65

In the context of the visual system,which of the following scenarios best illustrates the need for the functioning of rods in the retina?

A)Shelby is window-shopping on her favorite street during the day.
B)Ray is reading under a bright light in the library.
C)Marcus is trying to find his seat in the dark in a movie theater.
D)Andrew is watching football on the television in his living room.

Question 66

In the visual system,_____ are the receptors in the retina of the eye that are sensitive to light but are not very useful for color vision.

A)rods
B)cones
C)bipolar cells
D)ganglion cells

Question 67

In the context of the structure of the eye,the area toward the center of the retina that contains only cones is called the

A)corneA.
B)fovea.
C)optic chiasm.
D)optic nerve.

Question 68

In the visual system,the main function of rods and cones is to

A)maintain the shape and structure of the eye.
B)reduce the amount of light entering the fovea.
C)transmit light energy to the iris and the pupil.
D)convert light into electrochemical impulses.

Question 69

In the context of visual processing in the brain,the simultaneous distribution of sensory information across different neural pathways is referred to as

A)amplification.
B)bottom-up processing.
C)transduction.
D)parallel processing.

Question 70

Which of the following statements is true of the cones of the eye's retina?

A)They are used for color perception.
B)They require a smaller amount of light to respond than the rods do.
C)They give us the ability to detect fainter spots of light on the peripheral retina than at the fovea.
D)They convert electrochemical impulses into light.

Question 71

The _____,located in the occipital lobe at the back of the brain,is the part of the cerebral cortex involved in sight.

A)pinna
B)visual cortex
C)cochlea
D)tectorial membrane

Question 72

In the context of visual processing in the brain,the purpose of parallel processing is to

A)see and process all information about sensory qualities at once.
B)ensure that the bending power of the cornea is sufficient to keep things in focus.
C)prevent the misinterpretation of colors.
D)use binocular and monocular cues to perceive depth.

Question 73

The crossover point in the eye,where the visual information originating in the right halves of the two retinas is transmitted to the right side of the occipital lobe is called the

A)foveA.
B)optic nerve.
C)cornea.
D)optic chiasm.

Question 74

Jane was in a car accident,which caused severe damage to her head.As a result,Jane's vision was affected. Although her eyes are able to detect visual stimuli and form images on her retina,her brain is not receiving the visual information.This problem with Jane's vision is most likely due to improper functioning of the

A)optic nerve.
B)lens.
C)sclera.
D)blind spot.

Question 75

The blind spot is the area on the retina that contains

A)rod cells.
B)neither rods nor cones.
C)epithelial cells.
D)squamous cells.

Question 76

Which of the following statements is true of the retina in the eye?

A)It is transparent,disklike the structure that changes the size of the pupil.
B)It is the part of the eye that lacks receptor cells.
C)It is the white part of the eye that maintains the shape of the eye.
D)It is the light-sensitive surface that records electromagnetic energy.

Question 77

Stimuli in the left field are registered in the right half of the retina in both eyes because

A)light travels in a straight line.
B)rods are more sensitive to light than cones.
C)the fovea has the highest concentration of rods in the eye.
D)the optic fibre is indivisible.

Question 78

Which of the following statements is true of the structure of the eye?

A)The curved surface of the cornea does most of the bending of the light.
B)The lens of the eye is a translucent,inflexible structure.
C)The iris is the white part of the eye that maintains the shape of the eye.
D)The sclera is the colored part of the eye that fine-tunes things.

Question 79

Timothy's vision is a focus of interest for many ophthalmologists.He is able to see well when there is low illumination but not so well when there is a lot of light,for instance,if he is outdoors during the day.He is also unable to detect most colors during the day.Which poorly-functioning structure of the eye is most likely causing Timothy's unusual vision?

A)rods
B)cones
C)optic nerve
D)sclera

Question 80

The multilayered light-sensitive surface in the eye that records electromagnetic energy and converts it into neural impulses for processing in the brain is known as the

A)retinA.
B)cornea.
C)blind spot.
D)optic chiasm.