Question 1

Prashanth is participating in a psychology experiment in which he is asked to gradually shrink the image of a square on his computer screen until he can just barely see that it is smaller than
A second square on the screen.Prashanth is trying to create a
A) signal detection.
B) absolute threshold.
C) just-noticeable difference.
D) sensory adaptation.

Accepted Answer

Prashanth is trying to determine the smallest difference in size between the two squares that he can still perceive, which is the definition of a just-noticeable difference (JND). This concept is part of Weber's Law, which deals with the smallest change in a stimulus that can be detected.

Question 2

The area where the optic nerve leaves the retina is referred to as the
A) pupil.
B) cone.
C) fovea.
D) blind spot.

Accepted Answer

The area where the optic nerve leaves the retina, creating a spot without photoreceptors, is referred to as the blind spot, resulting in a lack of visual detection in this small area.

Question 3

Taj wants to create a robot that has sensation but not perception.The robot should
A) react to light but not to the stimuli for taste,smell,or touch.
B) detect external physical energy but not interpret it.
C) understand what things are but be unable to respond to them.
D) construct useful information but be unable to remember it.

Accepted Answer

Detecting external physical energy without interpreting it aligns with having sensation without perception. Sensation involves the simple awareness of various stimuli, while perception involves the interpretation and understanding of what the stimuli mean.

Question 4

For which of the following pairs would it be easiest to detect a difference in weight?
A) a 2-liter bottle of water and a 2.1-liter bottle of water
B) a 5-pound free weight and a 5.5-pound free weight
C) a 20-pound child and a 22-pound child
D) a 1-pound bag of sugar and a 2-pound bag of sugar

Accepted Answer

The difference in weight between a 1-pound bag of sugar and a 2-pound bag of sugar is 100%, which is significantly larger in relative terms compared to the other options, making it the easiest to detect.

Question 5

Jasmine wants to get Uchenna's attention in the library.She whispers to avoid disturbing other students.However,she speaks so softly that Uchenna cannot hear.Jasmine's voice is
A) below Uchenna's absolute threshold.
B) below Uchenna's difference threshold.
C) above Uchenna's absolute threshold but below Uchenna's difference threshold.
D) below Uchenna's absolute threshold but above Uchenna's difference threshold.

Accepted Answer

Jasmine's voice is below Uchenna's absolute threshold because Uchenna cannot hear her at all. The absolute threshold refers to the minimum intensity of stimulus that can be detected, in this case, the softest sound level that Uchenna can hear.

Question 6

The ________ is a thin inner surface behind the eyeball and it contains sensory receptors.
A) lens
B) retina
C) rod
D) cone

Accepted Answer

The retina is the correct answer because it is the thin layer located at the back of the eye, which contains the cells sensitive to light (photoreceptors) that convert light into neural signals for vision.

Question 7

Anna is reading her psychology textbook.The light reflects off the words on the page and falls on the sensory receptors in her retina,which results in ________.Then her brain
Interprets the stimuli as particular words,which is called ________.
A) sensation;transduction
B) sensation;perception
C) perception;sensation
D) transduction;sensation

Accepted Answer

The process of detecting environmental stimuli or stimuli arising from the body is known as sensation. Perception refers to the process of interpreting sensory information. Therefore, when light reflects off the words and falls on the retina, it is the sensation that is occurring. The brain's interpretation of these stimuli as specific words is called perception.

Question 8

After transduction,the neural signals of vision,hearing,taste,and touch all pass through the
A) hypothalamus.
B) hippocampus.
C) thalamus.
D) amygdala.

Accepted Answer

The thalamus acts as a relay station for sensory information, including vision, hearing, taste, and touch, directing these signals to the appropriate areas of the brain for processing.

Question 9

Weber's law suggests that the size of a just-noticeable difference depends on the
A) amount of sensitivity to the stimulus.
B) degree of sensory adaptation.
C) size of the initial stimulus.
D) degree of absolute threshold.

Accepted Answer

Weber's law states that the just-noticeable difference (JND) for a stimulus is proportional to the magnitude of the initial stimulus. This means that the larger the initial stimulus, the larger the change needed to notice a difference.

Question 10

Which of the following explains that the greater the size of a chocolate bar,the more of it you will need to slice off before a customer notices that it is smaller?
A) absolute threshold
B) Weber's law
C) signal detection theory
D) sensory adaptation

Accepted Answer

Weber's law explains the concept of just noticeable difference, which is the minimum amount by which stimulus intensity must be changed in order to produce a noticeable variation in sensory experience. According to this law, the amount of change required to notice a difference is proportional to the original intensity of the stimulus. Therefore, for larger chocolate bars, a greater absolute amount needs to be removed before a change is noticed, aligning with Weber's law.

Question 11

Which of the following generates action potentials that are sent to the brain by the optic nerve?
A) cones
B) rods
C) ganglion cells
D) optic nerves

Accepted Answer

Ganglion cells generate action potentials that are sent to the brain via the optic nerve. Cones and rods are photoreceptors that detect light and send signals to bipolar cells, which then transmit signals to ganglion cells.

Question 12

When sensory receptors change physical stimuli into signals that the brain can understand, this is called
A) sensation.
B) absolute threshold.
C) sensory adaptation.
D) transduction.

Accepted Answer

Transduction is the process by which sensory receptors convert physical stimuli into signals that the brain can interpret.

Question 13

Mary's brain cannot directly process sound waves to hear what her boyfriend is saying.Instead, her sensory receptors detect sound waves and change them into signals that her brain can interpret
As words in a process called
A) absolute threshold.
B) signal detection.
C) transduction.
D) sensory adaptation.

Accepted Answer

Transduction is the process by which sensory receptors convert stimuli (like sound waves) into neural signals that the brain can interpret.

Question 14

Jason is participating in a psychology experiment in which he is seated in a completely dark room. An initially undetected point of light is gradually made brighter.With each increase,he is asked
If he can see the light.In this experiment,Jason's ________ is being measured.
A) difference threshold
B) absolute threshold
C) just-noticeable difference
D) transduction

Accepted Answer

The absolute threshold refers to the minimum intensity of a stimulus that one can detect 50% of the time. In this experiment, the point at which Jason first detects the light is being measured, which aligns with the concept of absolute threshold.

Question 15

The minimum intensity of sensory stimulation required before a sensation is detected 50 percent of the time is called
A) the absolute threshold.
B) signal detection.
C) the difference threshold.
D) sensory adaptation.

Accepted Answer

The absolute threshold refers to the minimum level of stimulus intensity needed for a stimulus to be detected at least half the time by an observer. It is a basic concept in sensory psychology, indicating the point at which a stimulus goes from undetectable to detectable to the senses.

Question 16

The sense organs' detection of external physical stimuli is called ________,whereas further processing,organizing,and interpreting of those stimuli in the brain is called ________.
A) sensation;perception
B) perception;sensation
C) transduction;perception
D) perception;transduction

Accepted Answer

Sensation refers to the initial detection of stimuli by the sense organs, while perception involves the brain's processing, organizing, and interpreting of those stimuli to form a coherent understanding of the world.

Question 17

Kendra loves spicy curry,but her husband prefers a mild curry.Starting with a mild curry, Kendra increases the spiciness every time she cooks.One day her husband complains that the
Curry is too spicy.After that,Kendra always makes the curry as spicy as the last time before
Her husband complained.With this exercise,Kendra assessed her husband's
A) difference threshold.
B) absolute threshold.
C) transduction.
D) signal detection.

Accepted Answer

Kendra assessed her husband's difference threshold, which is the minimum difference in stimulation that a person can detect 50% of the time. In this case, it's the smallest increase in spiciness that her husband could notice and find too spicy.

Question 18

The minimum amount of change required for a person to detect a difference between two stimuli is referred to as
A) transduction.
B) the signal detection.
C) the absolute threshold.
D) the difference threshold.

Accepted Answer

The difference threshold, also known as the just noticeable difference (jnd), is the minimum amount of change needed for a person to detect a difference between two stimuli.

Question 19

When Petra jumps into a cold lake,she feels as though she is freezing.After a few minutes, she no longer notices the cold and feels comfortable in the water.This change is best
Explained by
A) signal detection.
B) a just-noticeable difference.
C) sensory adaptation.
D) difference threshold.

Accepted Answer

This change is best explained by sensory adaptation, which is the process by which our sensory receptors become less sensitive to constant stimuli over time, allowing Petra to become comfortable in the cold water after initial discomfort.

Question 20

During transduction,most sensory information is transmitted first to the ________ before it is sent to the________,where it is interpreted as sight,sound,smell,touch,or taste.
A) thalamus;cortex
B) cortex;thalamus
C) thalamus;pons
D) pons;cortex

Accepted Answer

Most sensory information is first transmitted to the thalamus, which acts as a relay station, before it is sent to the cortex, where it is interpreted as sight, sound, smell, touch, or taste.

Quiz 5: Sensation and Perception

Prashanth is participating in a psychology experiment in which he is asked to gradually shrink the image of a square on his computer screen until he can just barely see that it is smaller than A second square on the screen.Prashanth is trying to create a

The area where the optic nerve leaves the retina is referred to as the

Taj wants to create a robot that has sensation but not perception.The robot should

For which of the following pairs would it be easiest to detect a difference in weight?

Jasmine wants to get Uchenna's attention in the library.She whispers to avoid disturbing other students.However,she speaks so softly that Uchenna cannot hear.Jasmine's voice is

The ________ is a thin inner surface behind the eyeball and it contains sensory receptors.

Anna is reading her psychology textbook.The light reflects off the words on the page and falls on the sensory receptors in her retina,which results in .Then her brain Interprets the stimuli as particular words,which is called .

After transduction,the neural signals of vision,hearing,taste,and touch all pass through the

Weber's law suggests that the size of a just-noticeable difference depends on the

Which of the following explains that the greater the size of a chocolate bar,the more of it you will need to slice off before a customer notices that it is smaller?

Which of the following generates action potentials that are sent to the brain by the optic nerve?

When sensory receptors change physical stimuli into signals that the brain can understand, this is called

Mary's brain cannot directly process sound waves to hear what her boyfriend is saying.Instead, her sensory receptors detect sound waves and change them into signals that her brain can interpret As words in a process called

Jason is participating in a psychology experiment in which he is seated in a completely dark room. An initially undetected point of light is gradually made brighter.With each increase,he is asked If he can see the light.In this experiment,Jason's ________ is being measured.

The minimum intensity of sensory stimulation required before a sensation is detected 50 percent of the time is called

The sense organs' detection of external physical stimuli is called ,whereas further processing,organizing,and interpreting of those stimuli in the brain is called .

The minimum amount of change required for a person to detect a difference between two stimuli is referred to as

When Petra jumps into a cold lake,she feels as though she is freezing.After a few minutes, she no longer notices the cold and feels comfortable in the water.This change is best Explained by

During transduction,most sensory information is transmitted first to the before it is sent to the,where it is interpreted as sight,sound,smell,touch,or taste.