Question 1

By studying absolute thresholds, psychologists have found that our senses are very sharp. If you have normal sensory abilities, you will be able to do all of the following EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

While our senses are sharp, it is not physically possible to see a candle flame from 30 kilometres away.

Question 2

A condition in which sensory stimulation of one sense simultaneously evokes another is called ________. This condition is more prevalent in ________ than in ________.

Accepted Answer

The condition described is synesthesia. Research suggests that it is more prevalent in females than in males. Therefore, option A is the correct choice. Option B is incorrect as it suggests that synesthesia is more prevalent in males. Option C is incorrect as it describes a different concept (sensation) rather than synesthesia. Option D is incorrect as it suggests that specific nerve energy is a condition that varies by gender, which is not the case.

Question 3

The authors compare communication in the sensory system to the activities on a battle field. The sensory neurons in the peripheral nervous system, likened to "field officers":

Accepted Answer

The answer of The authors compare communication in the sensory...

Question 4

It has been found that humans:

Accepted Answer

Humans have the ability to see a candle flame from a distance of up to 50 kilometers on a clear, dark night due to the sensitivity of the human eye to light.

Question 5

A man has trouble hearing and is being tested for a hearing aid. He is presented with tones of various intensities and is asked to indicate whenever he detects a sound. This procedure is most similar to that used by researchers who study:

Accepted Answer

The procedure described is used to measure the lowest level of intensity at which an individual can detect a stimulus (in this case, sound), which is known as the absolute threshold. Researchers who study absolute thresholds typically use this method. Choice B (response biases) and C (just noticeable difference) refer to different concepts in perception research and are not directly related to the procedure described. Choice D (difference thresholds) is somewhat related, as it refers to the smallest detectable difference between two stimuli, but it is not the best choice as it doesn't specifically match the procedure described in the question.

Question 6

Another term for the difference threshold is:

Accepted Answer

The term "jnd" stands for "just noticeable difference" and is often used interchangeably with "difference threshold." It refers to the smallest amount of change in a stimulus that can be detected by an observer.

Question 7

Marcy is seated in a dark room facing a wall. She is shown flashes of light that vary in brightness and is asked to say whether or not she sees a flash. Marcy is having her ________ measured.

Accepted Answer

Marcy is being tested for her ability to detect the minimum amount of brightness required for her to perceive a flash. This is known as the absolute threshold for brightness.

Question 8

The difference threshold is defined as the:

Accepted Answer

The difference threshold, also known as the just noticeable difference (JND), is the smallest difference in stimulation that can be detected by an observer when two stimuli are compared. It is a measure of sensitivity to differences between stimuli.

Question 9

The smallest quantity of physical energy that can be reliably detected by an observer is called the:

Accepted Answer

The absolute threshold refers to the minimum intensity of a stimulus that can be detected by an observer. It is the smallest quantity of physical energy that can be reliably detected by an observer. The other options (A, C, and D) refer to different thresholds or concepts related to sensory perception, but do not specifically address the smallest detectable quantity of physical energy.

Question 10

The purpose of studying absolute thresholds is to determine the:

Accepted Answer

The answer of The purpose of studying absolute thresholds is...

Question 11

Although the human senses are very sensitive:

Accepted Answer

The human senses respond only to a narrow band of physical energy, such as a limited range of sound frequencies (20 Hz to 20 kHz) and light wavelengths (400 nm to 700 nm). This means that we cannot detect energy outside of these ranges, making our senses less versatile than some other animals.

Question 12

The ________ is a measure of the smallest amount of energy a person can reliably detect.

Accepted Answer

The absolute threshold refers to the minimum amount of energy that can be detected by a person's sensory system. It is the lowest level of stimulation that can be reliably detected (e.g., the quietest sound or the faintest touch).

Question 13

Functional coding, as opposed to anatomical coding, helps explain:

Accepted Answer

Functional coding refers to how the brain interprets and processes sensory information based on the context and meaning, rather than simply the physical attributes of the stimuli. Anatomical coding, on the other hand, refers to how different sensory modalities are processed in separate areas of the brain. Therefore, functional coding helps explain variations of experience within a particular sense, such as how two people may perceive the taste of a food differently.

Question 14

Which of the following could be thought of as the neurological equivalent of the Morse code?

Accepted Answer

The functional code is the neurological equivalent of the Morse code because it is a system of communication that uses different patterns of neural activity to represent different messages.

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT related to functional codes?

Accepted Answer

Functional codes in neuroscience typically relate to the pattern, rate, and identity of neuronal firing, not the reason behind why cells are firing.

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT true with regard to anatomical coding?

Accepted Answer

Anatomical coding can explain synesthesia, as it involves cross-activation of different sensory pathways in the brain. The other options are true - it can be difficult to isolate distinct nerve pathways for different skin sensations, pressure on the eye causing a flash of light has to do with the anatomy of the eye and optic nerve, and variations in experience within a particular sense may be due to factors like individual differences in receptor density or brain processing.

Question 17

Neil is seated in a dark room and asked to look at a screen. He watches as flashes of light, varying in brightness, are flashed one at a time. Whenever he notices a flash he informs the researchers. What are the researchers measuring?

Accepted Answer

The researchers are measuring Neil's ability to detect the presence of a stimulus, which is his absolute threshold for brightness.

Question 18

________ is sensory crossover where stimulation of one sense also evokes a sensation in another.

Accepted Answer

Synesthesia is a condition where stimulation of one sense leads to an automatic, involuntary experience in another sense. For example, some people may see colors when they hear music, or taste certain flavors when they see specific colors.

Question 19

________ is concerned with how the physical properties of stimuli are related to our psychological experience of them.

Accepted Answer

Psychophysics is the branch of psychology concerned with the study of the relationships between physical stimuli and psychological experiences. It examines how our psychological experiences are related to the physical properties of stimuli.

Question 20

________ codes rely on the fact that sensory receptors and neurons fire, or are inhibited from firing, only in the presence of specific sorts of stimuli.

Accepted Answer

Functional codes refer to the specific patterns of neural activity that are associated with particular sensory stimuli. This is in contrast to anatomical codes, which rely on the physical characteristics of the sensory receptor, and temporal codes, which rely on the precise timing of neural firing. Utilitarian codes are not a recognized type of sensory coding.

Quiz 6: Sensation and Perception