Chapter 3 learning curve & mastery activity

absolute threshold

the minimum stimulus energy needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time.

embodied

You are looking for a new roommate. You invite a person who you really hope will agree to be your new roommate to meet you in your apartment. Your mother, who is a real estate agent, tells you to bake cookies and make hot tea just before your prospective roommate arrives. She explains that the hot drink and smell of the cookies will affect this person's judgment of you. This is an example of a(n) _____ cognition.

monocular cues

a depth cue, such as interposition or linear perspective, available to either eye alone.

perceptual set

a set of mental tendencies and assumptions that affects, top-down, what we hear, taste, feel, and see.

signal detection theory

a theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus (signal) amid background stimulation (noise). Assumes there is no single absolute threshold and that detection depends partly on a person's experience, expectations, motivation, and alertness

Correct: telepathy

"We can practically read each other's minds and feel each other's emotions!" Tim exclaims in describing his relationship with his longtime partner. Tim is attributing the extrasensory perception ability of _____ to the relationship. precognition telepathy clairvoyance psychokinesis

constancy

A door casts an increasingly trapezoidal image on our retinas as it opens, yet we still perceive it as rectangular. This illustrates shape _____.

binocular cues

a depth cue, such as retinal disparity, that depends on the use of two eye

Correct: sensory adaptation.

After listening to her high-volume car stereo for 15 minutes, Marcy fails to realize that the music is too loud. This BEST illustrates: Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. sensory adaptation. accommodation. Weber's law. signal detection.

phantom

Amanda is convinced she smells rotten eggs, but no one in the house can smell the odor. Amanda's sensation is known as _____ smells.

Correct: occipital

Bart was struck by a two-by-four to the back of his head. He is having severe difficulties with his vision because the injury he sustained was to his _____ lobe. Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. parietal frontal occipital temporal

Correct: high amplitude

Denise wears an extremely bright safety yellow sweatshirt when she cycles to the gym after dark. The sweatshirt's brightness reflects the _____ of the light it reflects. Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. low amplitude long wavelength short wavelength high amplitude

Correct: the signal detection theory.

Dennis, a nurse, notes that some parents of asthmatic children respond to very small changes in their children's breathing and seek care accordingly. However, other parents do not notice the same small changes. This type of difference in reaction to stimuli is BEST explained by: Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. the signal detection theory. the effects of priming. the threshold between the two groups of parents. the processing of subliminal stimulation.

relative size.

Drivers sometimes overestimate the distance between their own vehicles and pedestrians who are short, because they rely on the distance cue known as: Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. linear perspective. relative size. interposition. . convergence.

Correct: umami.

Happy Moon Restaurant uses monosodium glutamate in most of its dishes to enhance the flavor. This also stimulates the fifth taste of: sweet. umami. bitter. salty.

Correct: precognition.

In a song inspired by the classic television show The Twilight Zone, an American vocal group sang the lines, "Unpretentious girl from Memphis saw the future through her third eye." These lines underscore a specific extrasensory perception ability called: Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. telepathy. precognition. clairvoyance. psychokinesis.

Correct: dependent

In an experiment described in the textbook, preschool children preferred the taste of french fries served in a McDonald's bag to the taste of identical fries served in a plain white bag. Taste preference is a(n) _____ variable in this study. Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. control dependent independent random

pain

Laurie has a persistent itch on her arm. This is MOST likely caused by the action of _____ receptors.

cochlea; rods and cones

Making an analogy between hearing and vision, the auditory hair cells in the _____ are similar to the _____ in the retina. Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. eardrum; rods and cones cochlea; rods and cones cochlea; ganglion cells eardrum; ganglion cells

Correct: sensation; perception

Marc is driving his 12-year-old car. He notices a sound coming from the engine, which involves _____ processing. He immediately starts thinking that the sound is similar to the sound his car made the last time he had it repaired, which involves _____ processing. Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. transduction; sensation perception; sensation perception; transduction sensation; perception

Correct: Her pupils are dilating.

Mia is attracted to a man she is chatting with in a nightclub. What is probably happening to her eyes? Her irises are constricting. Her lenses are stiffening. Her pupils are dilating. Her corneas are expanding.

Correct: fovea.

Pat turns to look directly at a brightly colored bird her friend has spotted in the garden. Pat is ensuring that the bird's image falls directly on her: Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. fovea. iris. rods. cornea.

top-down

Perceptual analysis that is guided by higher-level mental processes such as expectations is called _____ processing. Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. subliminal bottom-up top-down adaptive

Correct: Opponent-process cells activated by red light become fatigued.

Suppose someone stares at an illustration of the American flag for a while and then glances at a blank white page. Why do the red stripes look green when the person glances at the blank page? Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. Cones responsive to red light stop firing. Opponent-process cells activated by green light begin adapting. Cones responsive to green light begin firing. Opponent-process cells activated by red light become fatigued.

accommodate

Talia is 45 years old. She has started to notice that newspaper print is too small for her to read. Talia needs reading glasses because the lenses of her eyes are less able to adjust, or _____.

pupil

The adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters is called the _____.

Correct: perceptual constancy.

The fact that we recognize objects as having a consistent form, regardless of how the viewing angle changes, illustrates: Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. interposition. perceptual set. binocular cues. perceptual constancy.

Correct: transduction.

The local fire department sounds an alarm. The conversion of the siren's sound waves into neural impulses exemplifies the process of: Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. conduction. transmission. detection. transduction.

sensation is necessary for perception.

There is no scientific support for extrasensory perception (ESP). With respect to the distinction between sensation and perception, that means that: perception may occur in the absence of sensation. sensation always yields perception. sensation is necessary for perception. sensation and perception can operate independently.

Correct: The temporal theory cannot explain the perception of high-pitched sounds.

To what extent can the temporal and place theories explain the perception of high- and low-pitched sounds? Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. The temporal theory cannot explain the perception of low-pitched sounds. Neither the temporal nor the place theory can explain the perception of low-pitched sounds. The temporal theory cannot explain the perception of high-pitched sounds. The place theory cannot explain the perception of high-pitched sounds.

Closure

We fill in gaps to create a complete, whole object. Thus we assume that the circles on the left are complete but partially blocked by the (illusory) triangle. Add nothing more than little line segments to close off the circles and your brain stops constructing a triangle.

Correct: opponent-process theory

What theory is MOST useful for explaining the characteristics of afterimages? Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. place theory Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theoryopponent-process theory frequency theory

adaptation

When Ryan arrived at the gym Tuesday morning, he noticed the musty odor of the showers in the locker room. As he finished changing, he did not notice the smell. This is probably the result of sensory _____.

Sensory adaptation

When constantly exposed to an unchanging stimulus, we become less aware of it because our nerve cells fire less frequently.

Correct: 60

When two friends talk over lunch, the amplitude of their conversation is about _____ decibels. Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. 20 60 85 110

Correct: organization; sensation; identification

Which set contains a discrepant element? Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. sensation; registration; stimulation perception; interpretation; organization organization; sensation; identification Incorrect: identification; perception; interpretation identification; perception; interpretation

transduction

conversion of one form of energy into another. In sensation, the transforming of stimulus energies, such as sights, sounds, and smells, into neural impulses our brain can interpret.

sensorineural hearing loss

hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea's receptor cells or to the auditory nerves; the most common form of hearing loss, also called nerve deafness

frequency theory / temporal theory

in hearing, the theory that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone, thus enabling us to sense its pitch. (Also called temporal theory.) combining with volley principle nueron's combined firing frequency makes up for the fact that an individual neuron cannot fire faster than 1000 times per second.

extrasensory perception

the controversial claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input; includes telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition

embodied cognition

the influence of bodily sensations, gestures, and other states on cognitive preferences and judgments

opponent-process theory

theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, yellow-blue, white-black) enable color vision. For example, some cells are stimulated by green and inhibited by red; others are stimulated by red and inhibited by green.

a posthypnotic suggestion.

A hypnotist instructed Juanita that when she came out of hypnosis she would be unable to spell her own name. This is an example of: Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. a pseudomemory. hyperthesia. age regression. a posthypnotic suggestion.

binocular

Amber is participating in a local psychology experiment in which the research assistant asks Amber to hold two pencils in front of her and touch the tips together. She then asks Amber to do this with one eye closed. Amber finds this terribly difficult, which demonstrates the importance of _____ cues to depth perception.

Correct: iris.

As you walk into a brightly lit room, the black structure in the center of your eye seems to shrink to a tiny black dot. This response is caused by the action of the eye structure called the: Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. lens. iris. fovea. cornea.

cornea, pupil, lens

As you watch a dog play in the park, light reflected from the dog's fur first passes through three structures of your eye. In what order does the light pass through these structures? cornea, iris, pupil fovea, iris, pupil pupil, iris, lens cornea, pupil, lens

Correct: sensorineural hearing loss.

Billy Bob works at the airport as a member of the ground crew. He typically takes off his hearing protection as he finds it cumbersome. Prolonged exposure to the roars of the jet engines will result in: Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. sensorineural hearing loss. conduction hearing loss. vestibular problems. sensory adaptation.

Correct: sensation; perception

Carlos was just touched on his cheek, which is a(n) _____. In order for Carlos to know if he was kissed or slapped, Carlos needs a(n) _____. sensation; perception touch; sound organization; interpretation perception; sensation

Correct: audition.

Damage to the basilar membrane is MOST likely to affect one's: Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. vision. vestibular sense. audition. sense of smell.

Correct: Red apples on a tree seem to be the same color as the surrounding green leaves

Damon, who is among the 8 percent of males with colorblindness, suffers from the most common form of colorblindness. Which statement BEST illustrates Damon's experience of color? . Red apples on a tree seem to be the same color as the surrounding green leaves. Everything looks black, gray, or white. A pound of butter looks to be the same color as the blue dish on which it is resting. The blue sky and green grass appear to be the same color.

Correct: sensation; perception

Experiencing sudden pain is to _____ as recognizing that you are suffering a heart attack is to _____. Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. perception; sensation transduction; sensation perception; transduction sensation; perception

a shared room with a television that is near a window.

Given what is known about the relationship between distraction and pain, if Charlene is trying to pick the BEST hospital room for a loved one who is in a great deal of pain, she should pick: Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. any room because the type of room doesn't matter. a quiet room with no window. a single room with a window facing a brick wall. a shared room with a television that is near a window.

Correct: five

How many basic types of taste are there? Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. four six five three

Correct: loudness

In vision, the amplitude of a light wave relates to people's perception of the brightness of a stimulus. To which perceptual dimension does the amplitude of a sound wave correspond in hearing? Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. frequency hue pitch loudness

Correct: are always turned on.

Janet suffers from arthritis and is in constant pain. It is likely that her nociceptors: Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. travel to the wrong part of her brain. are always turned on. fail to turn off. cannot control her pain.

Correct: vision is partly an acquired sense.

Jay is 48 years old. He recently had his sight restored after 45 years of blindness. He could associate people with their distinct features (for example, hair color) but could not recognize their faces. He was also not good at judging the size of objects as their distance from him changed. His case suggests that: Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. vision can be restored completely, even if a person was blind from an early age. there is no critical period for normal visual development. vision does not involve experience or learning. vision is partly an acquired sense.

Correct: vestibular

Kiara excels at gymnastics, especially at balance beam routines. Her skill depends in large part on her _____ sense. vestibular auditory gustatory olfactory

interaction

Marty and Becky are in the mood to have a hamburger for lunch. Marty wants to grill the hamburger outside instead of cooking it on top of the stove because he says he likes the taste of a grilled hamburger more than one cooked on top of the stove. The difference in taste Marty prefers is actually caused by the smell of the charcoal embedded into the hamburger. This is an example of sensory _____.

Correct: didn't feel any pain until after the game.

Max is a catcher for a professional baseball team. Last week he injured his groin while playing, but finished out the game. It is MOST likely that Max: knows he will feel better after the game. was distracted by the pain. was never in pain. didn't feel any pain until after the game.

synethesia

Mila sees the sound of a drum as a large round shape. Mila's experience BEST exemplifies a conditioned called _____.

Correct: To savor a taste, we need to breathe the aroma through our nose.

Morrie has had a cold for five days, and his nose is so stuffy that he cannot smell anything. When he drinks his coffee, he finds that it is tasteless. What is the MOST likely reason for this? A chemical reaction has occurred between the caffeine and the cold medicine. The coffee was too hot to taste. To savor a taste, we need to breathe the aroma through our nose. Morrie's cold has affected his taste buds.

Correct: consciousness.

Our awareness of ourselves and our environment is referred to as: Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. behaviorism. tinnitus. consciousness. the endocrine system.

Correct: perceptual sets.

Professor Brandt shows his study participants a picture of an adult-child pair. He tells half of the participants that they are looking at a parent and her child. He tells the other half that they are looking at a day-care worker and a child in the day-care center. The group that thinks the pair is related rates them as looking more alike than the group that thinks they are not related. Professor Brandt is MOST likely conducting a study on: sensory adaptation. subliminal sensation. perceptual sets. Weber's law.

Correct: perceptual set.

Racial and ethnic stereotypes can sometimes bias the way one sees others' behaviors. This BEST illustrates the impact of: Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. retinal disparity. perceptual set. interposition. relative luminance.

There is no scientific support for ESP.

Regarding the scientific status of extrasensory perception (ESP), which statement is MOST accurate? There is no scientific support for ESP. There is some scientific support for ESP. The scientific evidence on ESP is mixed. There is substantial scientific support for ESP.

Correct: middle

The hammer, anvil, and stirrup are three tiny bones that make up the _____ ear. Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. outer inner middle tympanic

Correct: high-frequency; low-frequency

You are waiting for your friend to give you a ride on his new motorcycle. As your friend pulls up the driveway, the brakes squeal loudly. You get on, and then your friend steps on the gas. As the motorcycle accelerates, the engine roars loudly. The high-pitched squeal of the brakes was caused by _____ sound waves, and the equally loud but low-pitched roar of the engine was caused by _____ sound waves. Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. high-frequency; low-frequency low-amplitude; high-amplitude high-amplitude; low-amplitude low-frequency; high-frequency

linear perspective

You read about an accident at a railroad crossing and wonder about the cause. Perhaps the car's driver overestimated the distance of the train because the parallel tracks stimulated the monocular depth cue of _____.

retinal disparity

a binocular cue for perceiving depth. By comparing retinal images from the two eyes, the brain computes distance—the greater the disparity (difference) between the two images, the closer the object

conduction hearing loss

a less common form of hearing loss, caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea.

Correct: absolute

A person can detect a single drop of perfume diffused in an area the size of a one-bedroom apartment. This is a(n) _____ threshold. Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. absolute adaptation difference subliminal

Proximity

We group nearby figures together. We see not six separate lines, but three sets of two lines.

Continuity

We perceive smooth, continuous patterns rather than discontinuous ones. This pattern could be a series of alternating semicircles, but we perceive it as two continuous lines—one wavy, one straight.

top-down processing

constructs perceptions from this sensory input by drawing on your experience and expectations.

place theory

in hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea's membrane is stimulated

Bottom-up processing

starts at your sensory receptors and works up to higher levels of processing.

Young-Helmholtz trichromatic (three-color) theory.

the theory that the retina contains three different types of color receptors—one most sensitive to red, one to green, one to blue—which, when stimulated in combination, can produce the perception of any color