Question 1

Braden is a strict vegetarian. He is always on the alert in case a meal he eats as a restaurant might actually contain some meat. Last night he became convinced that a dish contained meat even when it did not. Which alternative best expresses this example in signal detection terms
A)Braden has an extreme response bias, resulting in many hits.
B)Braden has an extreme response bias, yielding many false alarms.
C)Braden has an extreme response bias, leading to many misses.
D)Braden is extremely sensitive, resulting in many hits.

Accepted Answer

Braden's belief that his meal contained meat when it did not is an example of a false alarm, which indicates an extreme response bias towards detecting meat even in its absence.

Question 2

Events that occur below the absolute threshold are termed _________ stimuli
A)subconscious
B)subthreshold
C)preliminal
D)subliminal

Accepted Answer

Subliminal stimuli are those that are below the threshold of conscious perception or awareness.

Question 3

Anna is reading her psychology text. The activation of receptors in her retina is called ________; her interpretation of the stimuli as particular words is termed _______.
A)perception; transduction
B)sensation; transduction
C)sensation; perception
D)transduction; perception

Accepted Answer

The activation of receptors in the retina is referred to as sensation, which is the initial process of detecting environmental stimuli. The interpretation of these stimuli, such as recognizing them as words, is known as perception.

Question 4

Your text reports a study by Karremans et al. (2006) in which students viewed letter strings on a screen. The strings were preceded either by the name of a popular beverage, or a nonsense anagram containing the same letters as the beverage's name. These stimuli were presented too quickly for the students to see them. Later, participants were asked if they would order the beverage at a café. What was the independent variable in the study What was the main result of the study
A)The independent variable was the stimulus preceding the letter string.Participants exposed to the name of the beverage were more likely to say they would order it than were participants exposed to nonsense anagrams.
B)The independent variable was the likelihood that participants would order the drink.Participants exposed to the name of the beverage were more likely to say they would order it than were participants exposed to nonsense anagrams.
C)The independent variable was the stimulus preceding the letter string.Participants exposed to the name of the beverage were no more likely to say they would order it than were participants exposed to nonsense anagrams.
D)The independent variable was the stimulus preceding the letter string.Participants exposed to the name of the beverage were less likely to say they would order it than were participants exposed to nonsense anagrams.

Accepted Answer

The independent variable was the type of stimulus (the name of a popular beverage or a nonsense anagram) presented before the letter strings. The main result was that participants exposed to the name of the beverage were more likely to express an intention to order it compared to those exposed to the nonsense anagrams.

Question 5

Dr. Breiland examines the influence of physical stimuli on sensory perceptions and mental states. Which of the following terms most accurately describes Dr. Breiland's field of study
A)sensation
B)psychophysics
C)perception
D)experimental psychology

Accepted Answer

Psychophysics is the branch of psychology that deals with the relationships between physical stimuli and the sensations and perceptions they produce. Dr. Breiland's examination of how physical stimuli influence sensory perceptions and mental states falls directly within this field.

Question 6

A snack manufacturer finds that it must increase the salt content of its chips by 8 percent 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):
A)absolute threshold
B)subliminal threshold
C)just noticeable difference
D)subliminal stimulus

Accepted Answer

The answer of A snack manufacturer finds that it must...

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)just noticeable difference
D)psychophysical minimum

Accepted Answer

The absolute threshold refers to the smallest amount of stimulus energy necessary for an observer to detect a stimulus. In this case, detecting a single drop of perfume in a large area represents the minimum intensity of scent that can be perceived, which aligns with the concept of an absolute threshold.

Question 8

The stimulus intensity that one can just barely detect is termed the _______ threshold.
A)difference
B)absolute
C)adaptation
D)Weber

Accepted Answer

The absolute threshold refers to the minimum intensity of a stimulus that one can detect 50% of the time. It is the point at which a stimulus goes from undetectable to detectable for an individual.

Question 9

For a given stimulus dimension, such as weight, a jnd is a:
A)fixed value
B)constant proportion
C)positive integer
D)variable proportion

Accepted Answer

A jnd (just noticeable difference) is a constant proportion of the stimulus dimension according to Weber's Law, not a fixed value, positive integer, or variable proportion.

Question 10

Regarding sensation and perception, which of the following statements is true
A)Perception generally precedes sensation in our processing of a stimulus.
B)Sensation and perception are essentially synonyms.
C)Sensation involves the interpretation of a stimulus, whereas perception does not.
D)Sensation involves the activation of sense receptors; perception involves interpretation.

Accepted Answer

Sensation is the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment. Perception is the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events. Thus, sensation is about the detection of physical stimuli, and perception involves the brain's interpretation of these sensory inputs.

Question 11

The field of psychophysics was founded by the German psychologist __________.
A)Weber
B)Wundt
C)Ebbinghaus
D)Fechner

Accepted Answer

Fechner is considered the founder of psychophysics, a field that investigates the relationship between physical stimuli and the sensations and perceptions they produce.

Question 12

The function relating the value of a stimulus along some dimension to the just noticeable difference is known as __________'s law.
A)Tichener
B)Wundt
C)Weber
D)Jung

Accepted Answer

Weber's law describes the relationship between the physical magnitude of a stimulus and the perceived change in magnitude necessary for the observer to notice a difference. This law states that the just noticeable difference is proportional to the initial stimulus intensity.

Question 13

Acme Foods wants to make its chips saltier, but it doesn't want to spend more than it has to on salt. A sample of consumers are asked to compare its current chip (saltiness = 100) with saltier versions and to say whether the new version is saltier. On average, sample consumers reliably say the new chip is saltier when its saltiness value is 108, but not when its saltiness value is below 108. Assuming Acme Foods' sample consumers are representative of people in general, which of the following best represents the JND for saltiness
A)8 percent
B)108
C)80 percent
D)100

Accepted Answer

The Just Noticeable Difference (JND) for saltiness in this case is the smallest change in saltiness level that the average consumer can reliably detect, which is from 100 to 108. This represents an 8 unit increase on a base of 100, which is an 8 percent increase.

Question 14

Arlene goes to her closet to look for her pink cashmere sweater. She looks but doesn't see it and says "my sweater isn't in the closet." Later, her roommate finds the sweater in the closet. In the language of signal detection analysis, Arlene's statement is a _________.
A)hit
B)false alarm
C)false rejection
D)miss

Accepted Answer

Arlene's statement is a "miss" because she failed to detect the presence of the sweater in the closet when it was actually there.

Question 15

Your text states that Trappey (1996) completed a statistical summary of the results of 23 studies on the influence of subliminal advertising. Recall Chapter 2 in your text: What is such a summary called What did Trappey find
A)Such a summary is called a meta-analysis.Trappey found that subliminal advertising had a dramatic effect on consumer choice.
B)Such a summary is called a meta-analysis.Trappey found that subliminal advertising had little if any effect on consumer choice.
C)Such a summary is called a meta-analysis.Trappey found that subliminal advertising had a moderate effect on consumer choice.
D)Such a summary is called a significance test.Trappey found that subliminal advertising had little if any effect on consumer choice.

Accepted Answer

A statistical summary of the results of multiple studies, like the one conducted by Trappey, is called a meta-analysis. Trappey's findings indicated that subliminal advertising had little if any effect on consumer choice.

Question 16

Which alternative pairs a signal detection outcome with the correct definition
A)hit; the observer responds "no" when the stimulus is not presented
B)miss; the observer responds "yes" when the stimulus is presented
C)false alarm; the observer responds "yes" when the stimulus is not presented
D)correct rejection; the observer responds "no" when the stimulus is presented

Accepted Answer

A "false alarm" in signal detection theory occurs when the observer incorrectly signals that they have detected the stimulus when it has not actually been presented.

Question 17

Which signal detection outcomes represent erroneous responses
A)misses and false alarms
B)misses and hits
C)misses and correct rejections
D)correct rejections and false alarms

Accepted Answer

Misses and false alarms are both types of errors in signal detection. A miss occurs when a signal is present but not detected, and a false alarm occurs when a signal is absent but the response indicates it was detected.

Question 18

The purpose of signal detection analysis is to:
A)identify the psychological effects of physical stimulation
B)determine a perceiver's cognitions
C)investigate an observer's subliminal perceptions
D)determine a perceiver's ability to distinguish true signals from background stimulation

Accepted Answer

Signal detection analysis is used to assess how well a perceiver can identify a signal amidst noise or background stimulation, focusing on the sensitivity to the presence of the signal rather than just the physical properties of the stimulus itself.

Question 19

In the visual system, ganglion cells convert the light detected by the retina into electrical impulses, which then travel to the brain. This example illustrates the process of _________.
A)translation
B)transduction
C)detection
D)transmission

Accepted Answer

Transduction is the process by which sensory stimuli are converted into electrical signals that can be processed by the nervous system. In this case, ganglion cells in the retina convert light into electrical impulses, exemplifying transduction.

Question 20

Which of the following best defines the difference threshold (jnd)
A)the minimum absolute threshold
B)the maximum absolute threshold
C)the change in a stimulus that can just barely be detected
D)the minimum likelihood of a false alarm

Accepted Answer

The difference threshold, also known as the just noticeable difference (jnd), refers to the smallest change in a stimulus that can be detected. It is the minimum amount by which stimulus intensity must be changed in order to produce a noticeable variation in sensory experience.

Quiz 4: Sensing and Perceiving

Braden is a strict vegetarian. He is always on the alert in case a meal he eats as a restaurant might actually contain some meat. Last night he became convinced that a dish contained meat even when it did not. Which alternative best expresses this example in signal detection terms

Events that occur below the absolute threshold are termed _________ stimuli

Anna is reading her psychology text. The activation of receptors in her retina is called __; her interpretation of the stimuli as particular words is termed _.

Dr. Breiland examines the influence of physical stimuli on sensory perceptions and mental states. Which of the following terms most accurately describes Dr. Breiland's field of study

A snack manufacturer finds that it must increase the salt content of its chips by 8 percent 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) :

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

The stimulus intensity that one can just barely detect is termed the _______ threshold.

For a given stimulus dimension, such as weight, a jnd is a:

Regarding sensation and perception, which of the following statements is true

The field of psychophysics was founded by the German psychologist __________.

The function relating the value of a stimulus along some dimension to the just noticeable difference is known as __________'s law.

Arlene goes to her closet to look for her pink cashmere sweater. She looks but doesn't see it and says "my sweater isn't in the closet." Later, her roommate finds the sweater in the closet. In the language of signal detection analysis, Arlene's statement is a _________.

Your text states that Trappey (1996) completed a statistical summary of the results of 23 studies on the influence of subliminal advertising. Recall Chapter 2 in your text: What is such a summary called What did Trappey find

Which alternative pairs a signal detection outcome with the correct definition

Which signal detection outcomes represent erroneous responses

The purpose of signal detection analysis is to:

In the visual system, ganglion cells convert the light detected by the retina into electrical impulses, which then travel to the brain. This example illustrates the process of _________.

Which of the following best defines the difference threshold (jnd)