psych 384 exam 1 wsu
Criterion
A bias that can affect the rate of hits and false alarms
Hyperpolarization
A change in the voltage of a neuron whereby the inside of the cell becomes more negative than it is in its resting state
Myopia
A condition causing an inability to focus clearly on far objects, also called nearsightedness; occurs because accommodation cannot make the lens thin enough
Hyperopia
A condition causing an inability to focus on near objects, also called farsightedness; occurs because accommodation cannot make the lens thick enough
Heterochromia
A condition in which a person has irises of two different colors
Presbyopia
A condition in which incoming light focuses behind the retina, leading to difficulty focusing on close-up objects; coming in older adults, in whom the lens becomes less elastic
Presbyopia
A condition in which incoming light focuses behind the retina, leading to difficulty focusing on close-up objects; common in older adults, in whom the lens becomes less elastic
Astigmatism
A condition that develops from an irregular shape of the cornea or the lens, which makes it impossible for the lens to accommodate a fully focused image
Cataracts
A condition that results from a darkening of the lens
Agnosia
A deficit in some aspect of perception as a result of brain damage
Retinal
A derivative of vitamin A that is part of a photopigment
Microelectrode
A device so small that it can penetrate a single neuron in the mammalian central nervous system without destroying the cell
Audiometer
A device that can present tones of different frequencies, from low in pitch to high in pitch, at different volumes from soft to loud
Macular Degeneration
A disease that destroys the macula and area around it
Electromagnetic Energy
A form of energy that includes light that is simultaneously both a wave and a particle
Audiogram
A graph that illustrates the thresholds for the frequencies as measured by the audiometer
Weber's Law
A just-noticeable difference between two stimuli is related to the magnitude or strength of the stimuli
Stevens' Power Law
A mathematical formula that describes the relationship between stimulus intensity and our perception; it allows for both response compression and expansion
D' (D-Prime)
A mathematical measure of sensitivity
Scoville Scale
A measure of our detection of the amount of an ingredient called capsaicin in chili peppers
Method of Adjustment
A method whereby the observer controls the level of the stimulus and "adjusts" it to be at the perceptual threshold
Method of Constant Stimuli
A method whereby the threshold is determined by presenting the observer with a set of stimuli, some above the threshold and some below it, in a random order
Photopigment
A molecule that absorbs light and by doing so releases an electric potential by altering the voltage in the cell
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
A neuroimaging technique that generates an image of the brain on the basis of the blood levels in different areas of the brain, which correlate with a activity levels in those regions
Forced-Choice Method
A psychophysical method in which a participant is required to report when or where a stimulus occurs instead of whether it was perceived
Magnitude Estimation
A psychophysical method in which participants judge and assign numerical estimates to the perceived strength of a stimulus
Center-Surround Receptive Field
A receptive field in which the center of the receptive field responds opposite to how the surround of the receptive field responds; if the center responds with an increase of activity to light in its area, the surround responds with a decrease in activity to light in its area
Receptive Field
A region of adjacent receptors that will alter the firing rate of a cell that is higher up in the sensory system; the term can also apply to the region of space in the world to which a particular neuron responds
Psychophysical Scale
A scale on which people rate their psychological experiences as a function of the level of a physical stimulus
Gestalt Psychology
A school of thought claiming that we view the world in terms of general patterns and well-organized structures rather than separable individual elements
Aftereffect
A sensory experience that occurs after prolonged experience of visual motion in one particular direction
Ascending Series
A series in which a stimulus gets increasingly larger along a physical dimension
Descending Series
A series in which a stimulus gets increasingly smaller along a physical dimension
Photon
A single particle of light
Audiologist
A trained professional who specializes in diagnosing hearing impairments
Optometrist
A trained professional who specializes in diagnosing visual impairments and diseases
Catch Trial
A trial in which the stimulus is not presented
Computation Approach
An approach to the study of perception in which the necessary computations the brain would need to carry out to perceive the world are specified
Fovea
An area on the retina that is dense in cones but lacks rods; when we look directly at an object, its image falls on the fovea (also referred to as the macula)
Pupillary Reflex
An automatic process by which the iris contracts or relaxes in response to the amount of light entering the eye; the reflex controls the size of the pupil
Stimulus
An element of the world around us that impinges on our sensory system
Retinitis Pigmentosa
An inherited progressive degenerative disease of the retina that may lead to blindness
Pupil
An opening in the middle of the iris
Ecological Approach to Perception
Another name for the Direct Perception View
Action
Any motor activity
Response Compression
As the strength of a stimulus increases, so does the perceptual response, but the perceptual response does not increase by as much as the stimulus increases
Response Expansion
As the strength of a stimulus increases, the perceptual responses increases even more
Size Arrival Effect
Bigger approaching objects are seen as being more likely to collide with the viewer than smaller approaching objects
Prosopagnosia
Face agnosia, resulting in a deficit in perceiving faces
Zonule Fibers
Fibers that connect the lens to the choroid membrane
Correct Rejection
In signal detection analysis, a correct rejection occurs when a nonsingular is dismissed as not present
False Alarm
In signal detection analysis, a false alarm is an error that occurs when nonsingular is mistaken for a target signal
Hit
In signal detection analysis, a hit occurs when a signal is detected when the signal is present
Miss
In signal detection analysis, a miss is an error that occurs when an incoming signal is not detected
Receiver-Operating Characteristic (ROC) Curve
In signal detection theory, a plot of false alarms versus hits for any given sensitivity, indicating all possible outcomes for a given sensitivity
Phenomenology
Our subjective experience of perception
Unconscious Inference
Perception is not adequately determined by sensory information, so an inference or educated guess is part of the process; this inference is not the result of active problem solving but rather a non-conscious cognitive process
Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Permanent hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea or auditory nerve
Rods
Photoreceptors at the periphery of the retina; they are very light sensitive and specialized for night vision
Cones
Photoreceptors in the fovea of the retina; they are responsible for color vision and our high visual acuity
Off-Center Receptive Fields
Retinal ganglion cells that decrease their firing rate (inhibition) when light is presented in the middle of the receptive field and increase (excitation) their firing rate when light is presented in the outside or surrounding of the receptive field
On-Center Receptive Fields
Retinal ganglion cells that increase their firing rate (excitation) when light is presented in the middle of the receptive field and decrease (inhibition) their firing rate when light is presented in the outside or surround of the receptive field
Receptors
Specialized sensory neurons that convert physical stimuli into neural responses
Method of Limits
Stimuli are presented in a graduated scale, and participants must judge the stimuli along a certain property that goes up or down
Neuroimaging
Technologies that allow us to map living intact brains as they engage in ongoing tasks
Sensitivity
The ability to perceive a particular stimulus; it is inversely related to threshold
Capsaicin
The active ingredient in chili peppers that provides the experience of hotness, piquancy, or spiciness
Lens
The adjustable focusing element of the eye, located right behind the iris of the eye; also called the crystalline lens
Direct Perception (Gibsonian Approach)
The approach to perception that claims that info in the sensory world is complex and abundant, and therefore the perceptual system need only directly perceive such complexity
Doctrine of Specific Nerve Energies
The argument that it is the specific neurons activated that determine the particular type of experience
Macula
The center of the retina; the macula includes the fovea but is larger than it
Cornea
The clear front surface of the eye that allows light in; it also is a major focusing element of the eye
Near Point
The closest distance at which an eye can focus
Iris
The colored part of the eye; it is really a muscle that controls the amount of light entering through the pupil
Electromagnetic Spectrum
The complete range of wavelengths of light and other electromagnetic energy
Wavelength
The distance between two adjacent peaks in a repeating wave; different forms of electromagnetic energy are classified by their wavelengths
Duplex Theory of Vision
The doctrine that there are functionally two distinct ways in which our eyes work, the photopic, associated with the cones, and the scotopic, associated with the rods
Sensitivity (Signal Detection Theory)
The ease or difficulty with which an observer can distinguish signal from noise
Time to Collision
The estimate that an approaching object will contact another
Anterior Chamber
The fluid-filled space between the cornea and the iris
Constructivist Approach
The idea that perceptions are constructed using information from our senses and cognitive processes
Conductive Hearing Loss
The inability of sound to be transmitted to the cochlea
Retinal Image
The light projected onto the retina
Two-Point Touch Threshold
The minimum distance at which two touches are perceived as two touches and not one
Convergence
The number of photoreceptors that connect to each ganglion cell; more convergence occurs for rods than for cones
Frequency
The number of waves per unit of time; frequency is the inverse of wavelength
Purkinje Shift
The observation that short wavelengths tend to be relatively brighter than long wavelengths in scotopic vision versus photopic vision
Scotopic Vision
The operation of the visual system associated with the rods; it has relatively poor acuity and no color ability but is very sensitive to light
Sclera
The outside surface of the eye; it is a protective membrane covering the eye that gives the eye its characteristic white appearance
Retina
The paper-thin layer of cells at the back of the eye were transduction takes place
Optic Disc
The part of the retina where the optic nerve leaves the eye and heads to the brain; along the optic disc, there are no receptor cells
Field of View
The part of the world you can see without eye movements
Crossover Point
The point at which a person changes from detecting to not detecting a stimulus vice versa
Dark Adaptation
The process in the visual system whereby its sensitivity to low light levels is increased
Accommodation
The process of adjusting the lens of the eye so that both near and far objects can be seen clearly
Transduction
The process of converting a physical stimulus into an electrochemical signal
Perception
The process of creating conscious perceptual experience from sensory input
Edge Detection
The process of distinguishing where one object ends and the next begins, making edges as clear as possible
Light Adaptation
The process whereby the visual system's sensitivity is reduced so that it can operate in higher light levels
Opsin
The protein portion of a photopigment that captures the photon of light and begins the processor transduction; it is the variation in opsin that determines the type of visual receptor
Lateral Inhibition
The reduction of a response of the eye to light stimulating one receptor by stimulation of nearby receptors, caused by inhibitory signals in horizontal cells
Sensation
The registration of physical stimuli on sensory receptors
Point of Subjective Equality (PSE)
The setting of two stimuli at which the observer experiences them as identical
Neural Response
The signal produced by receptor cells that can then be sent to the brain
Ciliary Muscles
The small muscles that change the curvature of the lens, allowing accommodation
Absolute Threshold
The smallest amount of a stimulus necessary to allow an observer to detect its presence
Difference Threshold (JND)
The smallest difference between two stimuli that can be detected
Posterior Chamber
The space between the iris and the lens; it is also filled with fluid, known as aqueous humor
Psychophysics
The study of the relation between physical stimuli and perception events
Neuropsychology
The study of the relation of brain damage to changes in behavior
Neuroscience
The study of the structures and processes in the nervous system and brain
Signal Detection Theory
The theory that in every sensory detection or discrimination, there is both sensory sensitivity to the stimulus and a criterion used to make a cognitive decision
Information-Processing Approach
The view that perceptual and cognitive systems can be viewed as the flow of information from one process to another
Photopic Vision
The vision associated with the cones; it is used in the daytime, has good acuity in the fovea, and has color vision
Intensity
When referring to waves, the height of a wave
34. A food company wants to develop a psychological measure to evaluate people's perception of sweetness. What should they do? a. Ask participants to rate a number of levels of sweetness on a numerical scale. b. Ask participants to indicate the sweetest food that they like to eat. c. Ask participants to judge the point at which a drink becomes too sweet. d. Ask participants to judge the amount of capsaicin in the foods they consume.
a
A condition in which incoming light focuses behind the retina, leading to difficulty focusing on close-up objects, common in older adults, in whom the lens becomes less elastic, is known as ______. a. presbyopia b. myopia c. cataracts d. macular degeneration
a
A marathon runner finishing a race can feel both pain and exhilaration because ______. a. senses are interpreted in the context in which they are experienced b. exhaustion causes the body to misinterpret sensory data c. pain can be either an internal or an external stimulus d. sense experience is altered by extreme physical exertion
a
A method whereby an observer controls the level of the stimulus and sets it at the perceptual threshold is known as the method of ______. a. adjustment b. constant stimuli c. thresholds d. limits
a
A plot of false alarms versus hits for any given sensitivity, indicating all possible outcomes for a given sensitivity, is known as ______. a. a ROC curve b. a noise plot c. criterion processing d. object-substitution masking
a
A psychophysical method in which a participant is required to report when or where a stimulus occurs instead of whether it was perceived is known as the ______. a. forced-choice method b. open response method c. free-choice method d. closed response method
a
A psychophysical method in which participants judge and assign numerical estimates to the perceived strength of a stimulus is known as ______. a. magnitude estimation b. response compression c. threshold sensitivity d. the signal detection axis
a
Animals such as antelope that have eyes on the sides of their head have the advantage of a ______. a. wider field of view b. better binocular vision c. better depth perception d. great perception of detail
a
Bob and Caroline are sitting next to each other while watching a tennis match. What is one reason that they might disagree on a judge's call, based on principles of perception? a. Because each is cheering for a different player, their perceptions of the match are affected. b. Because they see the play from very different angles, they interpret it differently. c. Because vision and emotion are casually linked, their visual experiences of the match are affected. d. Because watching sports causes different neurons to fire in male and female brains, they experience the event differently.
a
Carl notices that he has trouble keeping his balance in the dark. He is likely having a problem with his ______ system. a. vestibular b. proprioception c. auditory d. olfactory
a
Humans must choose which stimuli to focus on. Important or interesting stimuli that stand out to us are known as ______ stimuli. a. attended b. potential c. internal d. favored
a
In absolute threshold detection experiments, the crossover point is defined as the point at which ______. a. a person is first able to detect a stimulus b. a person ceases to detect a stimulus c. all stimuli in a sequence will be correctly detected d. the number of hits and false alarms doubles
a
In signal detection theory, if the cost of a miss is very high and the risk of a false alarm is very low, the criterion will be set ______. a. very low to maximize hits b. very low to maximize correct rejections c. very high to minimize false alarms d. very high to maximize hits
a
In the Aristotle illusion, two crossed fingers are touched by a pencil. Participants observe that ______. a. two points are perceived instead of one b. the pencil feels larger than it is c. the two touches cancel each other out d. the touch is felt only on the bottom finger
a
In two-point thresholds across the skin, one measures ______. a. the minimum distance at which two touches are perceived as two touches and not one b. the maximum distance at which two touches are perceived as two touches and not one c. the minimum distance at which one touch is perceived as two touches d. only the maximum distance for touches in the most sensitive areas of the skin
a
Masking experiments require participants to determine whether a stimulus is ______. a. present b. pleasant c. strong or weak d. increasing or decreasing
a
Permanent hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea or auditory nerve is called ______ hearing loss. a. sensorineural b. conductive c. innate d. bichromal
a
Retinal ganglion cells that increase their firing rate (excitation) when light is presented in the middle of the receptive field and decrease (inhibition) their firing rate when light is presented in the outside or surround of the receptive field are known as ______. a. on-center receptive fields b. off-center receptive fields c. mediated-center receptive fields d. switch-center receptive fields
a
Rocio enjoys star-gazing. When using a flashlight to look at her star chart on a dark but clear light, she should use a flashlight with ______. a. red light because red light least interferes with scotopic vision b. blue light because blue light has higher reflectance values c. a broad range of wavelengths to compensate for the low ambient light level d. green light, as green closely corresponds to the wavelengths emitted by stars
a
The identification of a stimulus with the help of context, previous knowledge, and/or expectations is called: a. top-down processing. c. materialism. b. bottom-up processing. d. phenomenal consciousness.
a
The registering of a physical stimulus on our sensory receptors is referred to as ______. a. sensation b. perception c. attention d. registration
a
The smallest difference between two stimuli that can be detected is known as the ______. a. difference threshold b. absolute threshold c. just observable difference d. remarkable difference
a
Time to collision is ______. a. the estimate of when an approaching object will contact another b. the likelihood that a moving object will self-destruct c. the idea that the further an object is away from you, the closer it appears d. the idea that when two objects collide, we perceive one as faster than the other
a
Visible light is usually measured by its ______. a. wavelength b. Angstrom units c. DeGrasse function d. amplitude
a
What is remarkable about Kanizsa's triangle? a. The triangle is seen because we perceive edges that are not present. b. The triangle is physically presented but masked so that it is not seen. c. The triangle appears to fade in and out when you stare at it. d. The triangle appears to be in motion even though it is not.
a
What is retinal? a. a derivative of vitamin A b. a protein found in cones c. a wall dividing the lens and the retina d. a muscle attaching the retina to the lens
a
Which neuroimaging technique uses electrodes to determine the time course of perceptual processes? a. EEG b. MEG c. fMRI d. TMS
a
Which of the following is TRUE of transmagnetic stimulation? a. It induces changes in brain function. b. It picks up continuous electric signal. c. It uses magnetic sensors to detect brain activity. d. It takes a picture every 30 milliseconds.
a
Which of the following statements about neuroscience is TRUE? a. It is interested in the cellular level. b. It envisions the brain as a giant computer. c. It focuses on the whole rather than its parts. d. It is primarily concerned with a single region of the brain.
a
Why is the location of the optic disc associated with the blind spot? a. Receptor cells are not present in this region. b. There are only cones and no rods in this region. c. The receptors cells do not connect to retinal ganglion cells. d. The retinal ganglion cells are non-functional in this region.
a
You are driving a car. As you prepare to turn, you see a motorcycle coming toward you. The motorcycle is likely to appear farther away than it is because it is ______. a. smaller than your car b. facing you directly c. moving faster than your car d. moving slower than your car
a
____ 64. What diagnosis might a patient receive after a test of visual acuity? a. presbyopia b. macular degeneration c. retinopathy d. conjunctivitis
a
According to evidence using Stevens' power law (the formula): a. The exponent for "brightness" sensing is greater than one c. Both a and b b. The exponent for "pain" sensing is greater than one d. None of the above
b
Agnosia is a deficit in ______ due to brain damage. a. memory b. perception c. a balance d. a sensation
b
Artist Bev Doolittle paints pictures of horses in snow. What do these painting show about human perception? a. We struggle to identify shapes if we are not told what to see. b. We use our knowledge to discern camouflaged shapes. c. Our perception is influenced by our biases, even when we try to be objective. d. Our ability to differentiate between objects is affected by our vantage point.
b
Cardinals are red because their feathers ______. a. absorb red light b. reflect red light c. absorb ultraviolet light d. reflect ultraviolet light
b
Dr. Wong is doing a psychophysical experiment to determine the smallest detectable concentration of coffee. He presents some coffee concentrations that are clearly detectable, others that cannot be detected, and some that are just detectable. These presentations are randomized. What method is Dr. Wong using? a. adjudication b. constant stimuli c. inverse thresholds d. limits
b
Harry is a 90-year-old man. He shows impaired visual acuity and color vision in both eyes, though his peripheral vision is unimpaired. He has difficulties reading even with powerful reading glasses. Your diagnosis? a. retinitis pigmentosa b. macular degeneration c. cataracts d. heterochromia
b
Hubel and Wiesel used single-cell recording to ______. a. uncover the basic organization of the olfactory system b. determine the function of individual neurons in mammalian visual cortex c. determine the rate at which information moves across synapses in the mammalian visual cortex d. uncover the role of dopamine and other neurotransmitters in perceptual processes
b
If a psychophysics measure is better at distinguishing the signal from noise (compared to a different measure), then sensitivity will be __________ and d' will be ____. a. Larger; smaller c. Smaller; smaller b. Larger; larger d. Smaller; larger
b
In order to design safer self-driving cars, it would be most useful for engineers to understand ______. a. the history of sensation and perception research b. how human eyes and brains work c. the systemic biases that human drivers share d. the relative sizes of different objects
b
Karin has trouble seeing at night. It is possible that she is suffering from a deficiency of ______. a. opsin b. vitamin A c. vitamin D d. photons
b
Keyon enjoys exploring caves. Upon emerging from a very dark cave, he squints at first, but then he adjusts to the bright sunshine. This process is known as ______ adaptation. a. dark b. light c. transition d. gradient
b
Molecules that absorb light, triggering events that alter the voltage in the cell, are known as ______. a. hyperoptonic chemicals b. photopigments c. neurotransmitters d. Zonule fibers
b
Professor Everdine has devised a scale to examine people's perception of saltiness. She finds that for every milligram of salt added, the perception of saltiness increases fourfold. That is, the perception of saltiness increases faster than the actual increase in salt. This finding illustrates response ______. a. compression b. expansion c. subtraction d. addition
b
Retinal ganglion cells that decrease their firing rate (inhibition) when light is presented in the middle of the receptive field and increase (excitation) their firing rate when light is presented in the outside or surround of the receptive field are known as ______. a. on-center receptive fields b. off-center receptive fields c. mediated-center receptive fields d. switch-center receptive fields
b
Robinson et al (2016) conducted a study of whether olfaction interacts with vision. What did they find? a. There was no measurable interaction between the two senses. b. Interaction between the two senses was more pronounced in women. c. Interaction between the two senses was more pronounced in men. d. There was a high degree of interaction between the senses.
b
The doctrine that there are functionally two distinct ways in which our eyes work, the photopic, associated with the cones, and the scotopic, associated with the rods, is known as the ______ theory of vision. a. Young-Helmholtz b. duplex c. inverse d. retinal-macular
b
The ecological approach to perception finds fault with experiments that ______. a. focus on audition because vision is more important b. use laboratory stimuli that do not correspond to real-world stimuli c. use neuroimaging technology to study perceptual phenomena d. focus on physiological rather than psychological processes
b
The inability of sound to be transmitted to the cochlea is known as ______ hearing loss. a. sensorineural b. conductive c. innate d. bichromal
b
The mathematical measure of sensitivity in signal-detection theory is known as ______. a. the cost coefficient b. d-prime c. alpha d. the ROC curve
b
The saying "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts" is most related to a. Structuralism c. Functionalism b. Gestalt psychology d. Direct perception
b
The wavelength distribution of visible light is ______. a. 100-850 nm b. 400-700 nm c. 50-2500 nm d. 20-20,000 nm
b
What is a receptive field? a. the range of wavelengths that a particular sensory neuron responds to b. the area in the visual world that a particular sensory neuron responds to c. the range of intensities that a particular sensory neuron responds to d. the range of speeds at which a particularly sensory neuron reacts
b
What is electromagnetic energy? a. the prions that make up visual particles b. a form of energy that includes light that is both a wave and a particle c. a form of energy that produces both visual and auditory experiences d. the neural basis for all sensation and perception
b
What is the goal of lateral inhibition? a. mediating on-center surround cells b. facilitating edge detection c. overriding illusory processes d. integrating figure and ground
b
What is the point of subjective equality? a. the point at which the method of limits generates the same responses as the method of adjustment b. the point at which observers experience two different stimuli as being identical c. the point at which subject estimates correspond to objective measures d. the point at which the sensation of piquancy transforms from pleasant to unpleasant
b
Which is NOT considered one of the five canonical senses but is, in fact, a human sensory ability? a. touch b. proprioception c. vision d. lateralization
b
Which of the following is the most likely application of sensation and perception research? a. developing a more efficient car engine b. inventing a safer self-driving car c. creating an alternative to gasoline d. building more fuel-efficient vehicles
b
Why is the Scoville scale considered a psychophysical scale? a. It measures the relation of velocity to loudness. b. It measures a psychological variable (piquancy) as a function of a physical dimension (the amount of capsaicin). c. It measures a physical variable (the amount of heat) as a function of a sensory dimensions (taste and touch). d. It focuses on the psychological, rather than the physical, experience of consuming hot peppers.
b
You stare at a downward-moving escalator for some time, then look at a black suitcase sitting stationary on the floor. Most likely, the suitcase will appear to be ______. a. colored b. moving upward c. moving downward d. wobbly
b
A central goal of our perceptual processes is producing a ______ representation. a. quick b. pleasing c. truthful d. creative
c
Damage to area V1 in patient DB's occipital cortex resulted in ______. a. a condition known as apraxia b. a condition known as visual agnosia c. blindness in certain parts of the visual field d. no behavioral changes
c
Dr. Chudnofsky is interested in the smallest differences in the wavelength of light and the ability of humans to detect these differences. He should therefore design an experiment that will look at ______. a. correct rejections b. absolute thresholds c. difference thresholds d. false alarms
c
In signal detection theory, an internal cutoff above which the observer makes one response and below which the observer makes another response is known as a ______. a. threshold b. limit c. criterion d. series
c
In the video "Sensation and Perception" from class (part of the Discovering Psychology video series), vision perception was described. Specifically, when you view a scene, is it represented upside down on your _________________ a. Pupil c. Retina b. Cornea d. Iris
c
Jaime is a participant in a psychophysical experiment on sound detection. He is asked to determine the softest sound he can hear at a particular frequency. That sound is his ______. a. motivational limit b. signal detection limit c. absolute threshold d. difference threshold
c
The adjustable focusing element of the eye, located right behind the iris of the eye, is known as the ______. a. cornea b. rods and cones c. lens d. zonule fibers
c
The greatest density of cones can be found in the ______. a. iris b. hypocratus c. fovea d. optic disc
c
The process of distinguishing where one object ends and the next begins, making edges as clear as possible, is known as ______. a. edge prediction b. edge continuation c. edge detection d. edge integration
c
The signal produced by receptor cells that can then be sent to the brain is known as the ______. a. perceptual attribute b. perceptual absolute c. neural signal d. transduction signal
c
The smallest amount of a stimulus necessary to allow an observer to detect its presence is known as the ______ threshold. a. complete b. partial c. absolute d. relative
c
This visual abnormality results from the clouding of the lens. It affects older adults more than younger adults but can occur in anyone at any age. What is it? a. macular degeneration b. presbyopia c. cataracts d. corneal contusions
c
Transduction is the process of ______. a. having a visual experience b. having an auditory experience c. converting physical energy into a neural signal d. converting a neural signal into physical energy
c
Wanda is smelling coffee. The receptor cells in Wanda's nose are ______. a. converting light waves into an olfactory experience b. responding to signals produced by the vestibular system c. transducing the presence of airborne chemicals into a neural signal d. interrupting the normal sequence of mental operations
c
What did Helmholtz and Hering disagree about? a. what should be considered perception and what should be considered sensation b. signal detection theory and just-noticeable differences c. the nature of color vision and whether perception involves unconscious inferences d. the doctrine of specific energy and the role of psychophysics in understanding perception
c
What is physicist Thomas Young (1773-1829) known for? a. the doctrine of specific nerve energies b. the discovery of the sensory experience known as motion aftereffect c. the view that three nerve fibers are responsible for color vision d. the first acuity test for vision
c
What is the Purkinje shift? a. the observation that photopic vision is less sensitive to color than scotopic vision b. the observation that long wavelength light excites the L-cone more than short-wavelength light does c. the observation that short wavelengths tend to be relatively brighter than long wavelengths in scotopic vision compared to photopic vision d. the observation that people with color deficiencies shift to greater dependence on scotopic at higher light levels than people with normal color vision
c
Which of the following is TRUE of visual acuity in infants? a. Most infants are born with 20/20 vision. b. Most infants develop 20/20 vision within the first year of life. c. Infants' vision is poor at birth but develops rapidly in the first year of life. d. Infants' vision is poor at birth and remains so throughout the first three years of life.
c
Which term describes a receptive field whose center responds in a way opposite to how the rest of the receptive field responds? a. annular receptive field b. oppositional receptive field c. center-surround receptive field d. off-center receptive field
c
Which term names the fovea and its surrounding area? a. foveal junction b. anterior chamber c. macula d. photon
c
Why are sensation and perception studied by psychologists? a. to understand how mood disorders arise from deficits in perception b. because biologists tend to shy away from neuroscience issues c. to understand how our brains make sense of the world around us d. because biology has little effect on sensation or perception
c
Zonule fibers and the ciliary muscles work to ______. a. stretch the retina to be thin enough to allow light to pass through it b. ensure that the cornea is clear of materials, such as hair and other debris c. change the curvature of the lens, allowing accommodation d. adjust the amount of fluid in the posterior chamber
c
A condition that develops from an irregular shape of the cornea or the lens, which makes it impossible for the lens to accommodate a fully focused image, is known as ______. a. retinitis pigmentosa b. macular degeneration c. presbyopia d. astigmatism
d
A graph that illustrates the thresholds for the frequencies as measured by the audiometer is known as a(n) ______. a. Snellen chart b. frequency curve c. acuity graph d. audiogram
d
According the size-arrival effect, smaller objects are perceived as ______. a. moving faster b. moving slower c. closer to the viewer d. farther from the viewer
d
An observer is asked to adjust the level of pressure on the skin until the person can just barely feel the lightest pressure on his or her skin. Then the observer starts again from a different starting level of pressure. Which technique does this best represent? a. magnitude estimation b. response compression c. signal-inverse method d. method of adjustment
d
Dr. Patel is doing an experiment on the softest volume humans can hear at a particular frequency. He asks participants to set a dial to the softest possible sound they can hear. What method is Dr. Patel using? a. control b. limits c. sensitivity d. adjustment
d
In what method are stimuli presented in a graduated scale, with participants asked to judge the stimuli along a certain property that goes up or down? a. the method of adjustment b. the method of repugnancy c. the magnitude method d. the method of limits
d
Karwan is a participant in a psychophysical experiment on visual detection. He is shown a mix of near-threshold stimuli with stimulus-absent catch trials. When Karwan indicates that he saw a light in a stimulus-absent catch trial, he is making a ______. a. hit b. correct rejection c. miss d. false alarm
d
Ricardo requires glasses to correct a problem in which his lens cannot become thin enough to focus light from more distant objects. What condition does Ricardo have? a. presbyopia b. hyperopia c. astigmatism d. myopia
d
The approach to perception that claims that information in the sensory world is complex and abundant, and therefore the perceptual systems need only directly perceive such complexity, is known as ______. a. the signal detection view b. the cognitive approach c. the unconscious inference approach d. the direct perception view
d
The clear front surface of the eye that allows light in, which is also a major focusing element of the eye, is known as the ______. a. retina b. macular loop c. iris d. cornea
d
The combination of positive signals coming from bipolar cells and inhibition coming from horizontal cells determines the strength of a signal to a retinal ganglion cell. What does this result in? a. center-surround orientation b. inhibitory excitation c. dark adaptation d. lateral inhibition
d
The outside surface of the eye, a protective membrane covering the eye that gives the eye its characteristic white appearance, is known as the ______. a. iris b. pupil c. zonule d. sclera
d
The study of the relation of brain damage to changes in behavioral and cognitive function is known as ______. a. functional neuroscience b. gestalt psychology c. psychophysics d. neuropsychology
d
The term "visual acuity" refers to the ______ of vision. a. direction b. depth c. range d. clarity
d
What is the name for the condition that causes an inability to focus clearly on far objects, which occurs because accommodation cannot make the lens thin enough? a. presbyopia b. amblyopia c. macular degeneration d. myopia
d
Which of the following is an example of cognitive penetration? a. wanting to listen to a favorite song when you are sad b. craving ice cream on a hot day c. having a car accident on an already-bad day d. thinking flowers look more vibrant when you are happy
d
