Question 1

"Wow! I'm sorry! I didn't recognize you out of context!" you exclaim, excusing your blank stare when your accounting professor greets you in a café. This vignette illustrates the importance of _________ in perception.
A) transduction
B) adaptation
C) bottom-up processes
D) top-down processes Don't really like this as an indication of top-down processing. I think you could make a better case for it being perceptual set - a person doesn't recognize the professor outside the "set" of the classroom.

Accepted Answer

Top-down processes refer to the use of prior knowledge and expectations to interpret sensory information. In this situation, the person's prior knowledge of their accounting professor as a professor in a classroom setting led them to not recognize them out of that context.

Question 2

"It's so noisy! How can you stand it?" remarks Caitlyn as the thruway traffic screams past her friend Dave's ground floor apartment. "I don't even notice it anymore," Dave replies. This exchange best exemplifies the concept of _________.
A) adaptation
B) accommodation
C) adjustment
D) attenuation

Accepted Answer

The exchange suggests that Dave has adapted to the constant noise of the traffic, meaning that he has become used to it and no longer notices it.

Question 3

List the technical names for each of the five sensory systems.

Accepted Answer

Olfactory, gustatory, somatosensory, auditory, visual

Question 4

Olfaction and gustation emerged early in our evolutionary history.

Accepted Answer

Both olfaction (sense of smell) and gustation (sense of taste) are important sensory systems that help organisms identify and evaluate potential food sources as well as detect danger in their environment. These senses are believed to have evolved early in our evolutionary history, as they are present in many different animal species, including primitive ones.

Question 5

In what hair-like structures are the sensory receptors of the olfactory system located? Wording is awkward. Recommend changing to: The sensory receptors of the olfactory system are located in the hair-like structures called:
A) Nasal mucosa
B) Papillae
C) Odorants
D) Cilia

Accepted Answer

The sensory receptors of the olfactory system are located in the cilia, which are hair-like structures in the nasal cavity.

Question 6

Which of the following sentences expresses bottom-up processing?
A) You see what's in front of you.
B) You see what you want to see.
C) You see what you expect to see.
D) You see what you're conditioned to see.

Accepted Answer

Bottom-up processing refers to processing sensory information from the environment in a sequential and hierarchical manner, meaning that processing begins with the most basic features of a stimulus and gradually builds to more complex perceptions. Choice A, "You see what's in front of you," best represents this concept as it suggests that processing begins with the raw visual input. Choices B, C, and D all involve higher order cognitive processes that would involve top-down processing.

Question 7

We can detect a single drop of perfume diffused in an area the size of a one-bedroom apartment. This is a(n) ________.
A) absolute threshold
B) difference threshold
C) sensory minimum
D) just noticeable difference

Accepted Answer

The ability to detect a single drop of perfume in an area the size of a one-bedroom apartment reflects an individual's absolute threshold for smell. The absolute threshold is the minimum stimulation necessary for someone to detect a particular sensory experience (such as sound, light, taste, or smell) 50% of the time.

Question 8

The sensory system that responds to pressure or damage to the skin is called the __________ system.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The sensory system that responds to pressure...

Question 9

Which of the following statements most accurately expresses the relationship between top-down and bottom-up processing?
A) Some stimuli are processed in a bottom-up fashion, while others are processed in a top-down manner.
B) Bottom-up processing precedes top-down processing during the perception of most stimuli.
C) Top-down processes only contribute to perception when stimuli are highly novel, unexpected, or ambiguous.
D) Top-down and bottom-up processes occur simultaneously during the perception of many, if not all, stimuli.

Accepted Answer

Top-down and bottom-up processes occur simultaneously during the perception of many, if not all, stimuli. While bottom-up processing is driven by the physical features of the stimulus, top-down processing is influenced by an individual's expectations, beliefs, and prior knowledge. These two processes work together to create a cohesive perception of the world around us.

Question 10

If a light bulb does not cast a light that can be detected, what threshold has not been surpassed?
A) Difference
B) Absolute
C) Stimulus
D) Transduction

Accepted Answer

The threshold that has not been surpassed is the absolute threshold - this is the minimum amount of light required for a person to perceive it. If the light bulb is not emitting enough light to surpass the absolute threshold, it will not be detected. Choice A (Difference threshold) refers to the smallest detectable difference between two stimuli. Choice C (Stimulus threshold) is not a commonly used term in psychology. Choice D (Transduction) refers to the process by which sensory information is converted into neural signals.

Question 11

Bottom-up processing begins with previously acquired knowledge.

Accepted Answer

Bottom-up processing starts with sensory information and works its way up to higher levels of perception and understanding, without relying on prior knowledge or expectations.

Question 12

What type of perceptual processing begins with physical energies that enter the body from the environment?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What type of perceptual processing begins with...

Question 13

A snack manufacturer finds that it must increase the salt content of its chips by 8% in order for a sample of consumers to notice that the chips are saltier than they were before. This example most nearly illustrates the concept of a(n) _________ threshold.
A) transduction
B) difference
C) adaptation
D) absolute

Accepted Answer

The example illustrates the concept of a difference threshold, which is the minimum amount of change needed for a person to detect a difference in a sensory stimulus.

Question 14

Transduction is the process by which sensory receptor cells convert environmental stimuli into neural impulses.

Accepted Answer

Transduction is indeed the process by which sensory receptor cells convert environmental stimuli into neural impulses.

Question 15

Describe how top-down processing and bottom-up processing differ.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe how top-down processing and bottom-up processing...

Question 16

The physical stimuli used by the gustatory sensory system are called __________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The physical stimuli used by the gustatory...

Question 17

The conversion of environmental stimuli into neural impulses is called ________.
A) perception
B) translation
C) adaptation
D) transduction

Accepted Answer

The process of converting environmental stimuli into neural impulses is called transduction. This process occurs in sensory receptors, which convert physical, chemical, or other stimuli into electrical signals that can be transmitted to the brain. Perception refers to the interpretation of these signals by the brain, while adaptation refers to the process by which sensory systems adjust to prolonged exposure to a stimulus. Translation is not a commonly used term in the context of sensory processing.

Question 18

Why do we adapt after prolonged exposure to a constant stimulus?
A) so that we continue to respond to ongoing stimulation
B) so that we don't become distracted by irrelevant changes in the environment
C) so that we detect potentially important changes in what's going on
D) so that we don't become overstimulated by the environment

Accepted Answer

Adaptation allows us to become less sensitive to constant stimuli, enabling us to detect new and potentially important changes in our environment.

Question 19

What sensory process describes why the continual presence of a stimulus results in a decreased response to that stimulus over time?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What sensory process describes why the continual...

Question 20

Describe the difference between absolute threshold and difference threshold.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the difference between absolute threshold and...

Quiz 5: Sensation and Perception

"Wow! I'm sorry! I didn't recognize you out of context!" you exclaim, excusing your blank stare when your accounting professor greets you in a café. This vignette illustrates the importance of _________ in perception.

"It's so noisy! How can you stand it?" remarks Caitlyn as the thruway traffic screams past her friend Dave's ground floor apartment. "I don't even notice it anymore," Dave replies. This exchange best exemplifies the concept of _________.

List the technical names for each of the five sensory systems.

Olfaction and gustation emerged early in our evolutionary history.

In what hair-like structures are the sensory receptors of the olfactory system located? Wording is awkward. Recommend changing to: The sensory receptors of the olfactory system are located in the hair-like structures called:

Which of the following sentences expresses bottom-up processing?

We can detect a single drop of perfume diffused in an area the size of a one-bedroom apartment. This is a(n) ________.

The sensory system that responds to pressure or damage to the skin is called the __________ system.

Which of the following statements most accurately expresses the relationship between top-down and bottom-up processing?

If a light bulb does not cast a light that can be detected, what threshold has not been surpassed?