Question 1

Sensory adaptation is the result of:
A) a decrease in our attention to environmental stimuli.
B) a decrease in the responsiveness of sensory neurons.
C) a decline in the brain's ability to process sensory information.
D) an increase in noise in the environment.

Accepted Answer

Sensory adaptation occurs when sensory neurons become less responsive to constant stimuli, reducing the perception of the stimulus over time.

Question 2

When you first put your clothes on in the morning, you feel them on your skin. However, within minutes, you no longer notice them. What is this an example of?
A) accommodation
B) adaptation
C) habituation
D) sensory amnesia

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is an example of adaptation, where the nervous system reduces its response to a stimulus over time, such as the sensation of clothing on skin.

Question 3

Which of the following statements is/are TRUE regarding the architecture of the visual cortex?
A) Many neurons in the visual cortex respond only to very specific visual features or stimuli.
B) Some neurons in the cortex respond only to perception of human faces and some only respond to the sight of animals.
C) both of these
D) none of these

Accepted Answer

Both statements are true regarding the architecture of the visual cortex. Many neurons are indeed tuned to specific visual features, such as edges, colors, or motion. Additionally, there are neurons, particularly in areas like the fusiform face area, that are specialized in processing faces, and other areas where neurons are more responsive to the sight of animals.

Question 4

You're in the mall looking at a blue sweater. How do you know it's blue?
A) Blue/yellow opponent-process cells increase their rate of firing.
B) Cones responsive to blue light in the retina begin responding.
C) both of these answers
D) none of these answers

Accepted Answer

Both A and B are correct. Blue/yellow opponent-process cells in the visual system increase their firing rate in response to blue colors, and cones in the retina that are specifically responsive to blue light wavelengths also begin responding when they detect blue.

Question 5

How do trichromatic and opponent-process theories differ?
A) In opponent-process theory, the cells responsive to colour operate in opposition to each other rather than independently.
B) Opponent-process theory suggests that in addition to black and white, there are four, rather than three, primary colours.
C) both of these answers
D) none of these answers

Accepted Answer

Both theories explain color vision differently. Trichromatic theory posits three types of color receptors for red, green, and blue, while opponent-process theory suggests color perception is controlled by opposing responses between three pairs of colors: red-green, blue-yellow, and black-white. This means both A and B are correct, as opponent-process theory involves cells operating in opposition and suggests a different primary color structure.

Question 6

Sound waves cause the ________ to vibrate and pass the energy to the middle ear.
A) cochlea
B) basilar membrane
C) eardrum
D) auditory canal

Accepted Answer

Sound waves enter the ear through the auditory canal and cause the eardrum (tympanic membrane) to vibrate. This vibration is then transmitted to the middle ear. The cochlea and basilar membrane are involved in the process of hearing but are located in the inner ear, where the mechanical energy is converted into electrical signals for the brain to interpret.

Question 7

The observation that sounds of different frequencies cause the basilar membrane to vibrate in different places along its length is used to support the:
A) frequency theory of hearing.
B) frequency-volley theory of hearing.
C) place theory of hearing.
D) rate theory of hearing.

Accepted Answer

The place theory of hearing suggests that different parts of the basilar membrane are sensitive to sounds of different frequencies, which is directly supported by the observation mentioned.

Question 8

In auditory cortex, neurons that respond specifically to a sound's ________ have been discovered.
A) location
B) features
C) pattern
D) All of these

Accepted Answer

In the auditory cortex, neurons have been discovered that respond specifically to various aspects of a sound, including its location, features, and pattern. This indicates a complex processing system capable of distinguishing and interpreting a wide range of auditory information.

Question 9

What is the sense of smell called?
A) gustation
B) nasal expectancy
C) otoliths
D) olfaction

Accepted Answer

The sense of smell is called olfaction.

Question 10

We have ________ types of receptor cells for smell; we can distinguish more than ________ separate smells.
A) more than 1,000; more than 10,000
B) four or five; more than 10,000
C) more than 1,000; more than 1,000
D) four or five; more than 1,000

Accepted Answer

Humans have more than 1,000 types of receptor cells for smell and can distinguish more than 10,000 separate smells.

Question 11

The receptor cells for smell are called ________ cells.
A) nasal
B) gustation
C) olfactory
D) smell

Accepted Answer

The receptor cells for smell are specifically known as olfactory cells. These cells are located in the olfactory epithelium of the nasal cavity and are responsible for detecting odors.

Question 12

How many basic types of taste are there?
A) four
B) four, maybe five
C) five
D) five or six

Accepted Answer

The answer of How many basic types of taste are...

Question 13

Taste receptors that are sensitive to a meaty or savoury taste are categorized as ________
A) sour.
B) salty.
C) umami.
D) bitter.

Accepted Answer

Taste receptors that are sensitive to a meaty or savory taste are categorized as umami. This taste is often associated with foods that contain glutamate, a type of amino acid, and is considered one of the five basic tastes alongside sweet, sour, bitter, and salty.

Question 14

The skin senses include ________
A) pressure.
B) pain.
C) temperature.
D) all of these

Accepted Answer

The skin senses include pressure, pain, and temperature, making all of these correct choices.

Question 15

The "supertaster" phenomenon:
A) is largely genetic in origin.
B) is found in women more often than men.
C) reflects a larger-than-normal number of taste receptors.
D) all of these answers

Accepted Answer

The "supertaster" phenomenon is indeed largely genetic in origin, is more commonly found in women than in men, and reflects a larger-than-normal number of taste receptors on the tongue, making all of the provided options correct.

Question 16

Which of the following exemplifies a method of closing the pain gate?
A) listening to distracting music
B) undergoing acupuncture
C) both of these options
D) neither of these options

Accepted Answer

Both listening to distracting music and undergoing acupuncture are methods that can help close the "pain gate," a concept from the gate control theory of pain, which suggests that non-painful input closes the gates to painful input, thus preventing pain sensation from traveling to the central nervous system.

Question 17

You've had enough of your chronic headaches. Which of the pain management techniques described in your text is probably the most appropriate and effective remedy?
A) biofeedback/relaxation training
B) surgery
C) hypnosis
D) light therapy

Accepted Answer

Biofeedback/relaxation training is a non-invasive technique that helps individuals manage pain by teaching them to control physiological processes such as muscle tension and stress, which are often linked to chronic headaches.

Question 18

Which of the following does your text offer as a potential explanation for the phenomenon of synesthesia?
A) an unusually large number of excitatory connections between sensory areas of the brain
B) fewer inhibitory links between different sensory areas of the brain
C) both of these options
D) none of these options

Accepted Answer

Both an unusually large number of excitatory connections and fewer inhibitory links between different sensory areas of the brain are offered as potential explanations for synesthesia.

Question 19

The ability to perceive the depth and three-dimensional locations of objects in the world around us is known as:
A) perceptual constancy.
B) figure-ground perception.
C) depth perception.
D) top-down processing.

Accepted Answer

Depth perception is the visual ability to perceive the world in three dimensions (3D) and the distance of an object. It allows us to accurately judge distances and understand the spatial relationships between objects in our environment.

Question 20

When standing on a street corner, taxis way down the street project smaller images to your eye than the one parked next to you. Of course, you know they are not toy cars; they are just really far away. This example illustrates the ________ depth cue of ________.
A) monocular; relative size
B) binocular; relative size
C) monocular; texture gradient
D) binocular; texture gradient

Accepted Answer

The example illustrates the monocular depth cue of relative size, where objects farther away project smaller images on our retina than those that are closer, helping us perceive depth.

Quiz 3: Sensory Perception and Processing

Sensory adaptation is the result of:

When you first put your clothes on in the morning, you feel them on your skin. However, within minutes, you no longer notice them. What is this an example of?

Which of the following statements is/are TRUE regarding the architecture of the visual cortex?

You're in the mall looking at a blue sweater. How do you know it's blue?

How do trichromatic and opponent-process theories differ?

Sound waves cause the ________ to vibrate and pass the energy to the middle ear.

The observation that sounds of different frequencies cause the basilar membrane to vibrate in different places along its length is used to support the:

In auditory cortex, neurons that respond specifically to a sound's ________ have been discovered.

What is the sense of smell called?

We have types of receptor cells for smell; we can distinguish more than separate smells.

The receptor cells for smell are called ________ cells.

How many basic types of taste are there?

Taste receptors that are sensitive to a meaty or savoury taste are categorized as ________

The skin senses include ________

The "supertaster" phenomenon:

Which of the following exemplifies a method of closing the pain gate?

You've had enough of your chronic headaches. Which of the pain management techniques described in your text is probably the most appropriate and effective remedy?

Which of the following does your text offer as a potential explanation for the phenomenon of synesthesia?

The ability to perceive the depth and three-dimensional locations of objects in the world around us is known as:

When standing on a street corner, taxis way down the street project smaller images to your eye than the one parked next to you. Of course, you know they are not toy cars; they are just really far away. This example illustrates the depth cue of .