NSCI Learning Checks

Which of the below would be an encapsulated nerve ending? A. A receptor sensing the stretch of the skin B. A receptor sensing pain C. A receptor sensing cold D. More than one of the above

A. A receptor sensing the stretch of the skin

While brain area V1 has a retinotopic map with different areas of cortex representing different areas of the visual field, a similar map in the Primary Somatosensory Cortex (S1) is roughly organized based on _______. A. Body part B. Vibration frequency C. Depth of the receptors in the skin D. Pressure intensity

A. Body part

Double pain has been shown to be caused by different types of nerve fibers. Which type is thought to be responsible for the slower, aching pain? A. C fibers which are thinner and unmyelinated B. C fibers which are thicker and myelinated C. A-delta fibers which are thinner and unmyelinated D. A-delta fibers which are thicker and myelinated

A. C fibers which are thinner and unmyelinated

Last night, Dave could not get to sleep. As he was staring at his bookshelf in the dark, he noticed that he could see it more accurately as time went on. However, after about five minutes, this levelled off. What do you expect Dave will experience as he continues to look at the bookshelf? A. Dave's ability to see the bookshelf will increase, as his rods become more adapted to the darkness. B. Dave's ability to see the bookshelf will increase, as his cones become more adapted to the darkness. C. Dave will slowly lose his ability to see the bookshelf as his cones become less sensitive to darkness. D. Dave's ability to see the bookshelf will not change, as both his rods and cones have already adapted to the darkness

A. Dave's ability to see the bookshelf will increase, as his rods become more adapted to the darkness.

Which item below does not belong with the others? A. Lateral Geniculate Nucleus B. Striate Cortex C. Area V1 D. Primary Visual Cortex

A. Lateral Geniculate Nucleus

All of the following describe the cones as compared to rods EXCEPT for which? A. Lower acuity B. Greater number of types C. Lower sensitivity D. Can see color

A. Lower acuity

You are participating in a study on the relationships between stimuli and perceptions. In the study, you are asked to adjust a stimulus until you can barely detect it any further. What method is this study utilizing and what type of threshold is it looking for? A. Method of adjustment, absolute threshold B. Method of forced choice, difference threshold C. Method of limits, absolute threshold D. Method of adjustment, difference threshold E. Method of limits, absolute threshold

A. Method of adjustment, absolute threshold

What is one likely reason people see "the dress" differently? A. Our minds are automatically removing different wavelengths of ambient lighting from the image. B. We have different numbers of each type of opponent neuron. C. We have different color preferences that bias us toward one color or another. D. Our 3 cone types are firing in different ratios.

A. Our minds are automatically removing different wavelengths of ambient lighting from the image.

You are looking at the Pittsburgh Zoo Logo seen here. If you are currently perceiving the white lion and gorilla on a solid black background. Which of the below would be TRUE? A. The white animals are more memorable. B. The contour separating them belongs to the black shape. C. The black tree is seen as being in front of the white.

A. The white animals are more memorable.

If you close your left eye and adapt your right eye to a grating of vertical lines, which of the below statements would be TRUE, and why? A. You would NOT show the adaptation effect for horizontal lines; because the effect is happening in the cortical cells. B. Your left eye would NOT show the adaptation effect; because the effect is happening in the cortical cells. C. Your left eye WOULD still show the adaptation effect; because adaption is happening in LGN cells. D. You WOULD also show the adaptation effect for horizontal lines; because adaptation is happening in the LGN cells.

A. You would NOT show the adaptation effect for horizontal lines; because the effect is happening in the cortical cells.

Which of the below images depicts corresponding points on the two retinas? A. both same orientation and side B. opposite orientation and opposite side (mirror) C. different orientations and random locations D. Both A & B

A. both same orientation and side

Trying to read a note written by someone with poor handwriting involves _____. A. both top-down and bottom-up processing B. only top-down processing C. only bottom-up processing

A. both top-down and bottom-up processing

Neurons in the LGN have _____ receptive fields. A. center-surround B. ill-defined C. ambiguous D. side-by-side columnar

A. center-surround

Patient DF ________ align a card correctly with the proper orientation. She _______ place a card through a slot. She was suffering from _______. A. could not; could; agnosia B. could; could not; ataxia C. could not; could; ataxia D. could; could not; agnosia

A. could not; could; agnosia

The motile response occurs due to the _____ hair cells and serves to ____ the movements of the basilar membrane. A. outer, amplify B. inner, amplify C. outer, soften D. inner, soften

A. outer, amplify

Which of the following most accurately describes the main function of the ossicles? A. Protection of the inner ear from harsh sounds by dampening the signal B. Amplification of vibrations (sound waves) during transfer to the inner ear C. Support for the tympanic membrane to prevent rupturing in response to high amplitude sound waves D. Transduction of physical stimuli into electrical

B. Amplification of vibrations (sound waves) during transfer to the inner ear

Ahmad and Mustafa argue over whether a tree falling in the forest makes a sound if no one is there to hear it. Ahmad claims that it does not make a sound, since there was no one around to hear it. Mustafa claims that there is sound regardless of whether someone could hear it or not. Who's correct? A. Both are incorrect; there would be no sound regardless since the tree would need a stronger medium for the wave to travel through B. Both are correct; each claim represents a different definition for sound C. Mustafa is correct; the physical mechanism of sound waves causing pressure changes throughout the air happens regardless of perception D. Ahmad is correct; if there is no perception of the sound, there is no sound

B. Both are correct; each claim represents a different definition for sound

The fovea of the eye contains which of the following? A. Rods B. Cones C. The Lens D. Cornea E. More than one above

B. Cones

Primary colors can be combined to produce any other color. What are the true primary colors if you are mixing paint? A. Red, Yellow, & Blue B. Cyan, Magenta, & Yellow C. White & Black D. Red, Green, & Blue

B. Cyan, Magenta, & Yellow

On a piano, going from low A, to middle A, to high A while maintaining a consistent volume would change what aspect of the sound? A. Tone chroma B. Frequency C. Amplitude D. More than one above

B. Frequency

For which of the following types of sounds is the acoustic shadow effect most likely to occur? A. Lower frequency sound B. Higher frequency sound C. Louder sound D. Quieter sound

B. Higher frequency sound

How would a Pacinian corpuscle fiber respond to a pressure stimulus that remained on the skin for an extended period of time? A. It would fire until the pressure was removed. B. It would respond at first and then stop. C. The fiber would not respond at all. D. There would be a delay before it began firing.

B. It would respond at first and then stop.

Which of the below accurately describes a functional difference between a rod monochromat and a cone monochromat? A. Cone monochromats have poorer visual acuity than rod monochromats. B. Rod monochromats have poorer visual acuity than cone monochromats. C. Cone monochromats can see a small range of colors, while rod monochromats can see only shades of grey. D. Rod monochromats can see a small range of colors, while cone monochromats can see only shades of grey.

B. Rod monochromats have poorer visual acuity than cone monochromats.

Brightness is to Amplitude as________ is to _________. A. Vision; Hearing B. Saturation; Purity C. Wavelength; Color D. Color; Saturation

B. Saturation; Purity

Maysie has been having problems hearing recently. She goes to the otolaryngologist to see what is wrong. It seems that she is having trouble hearing only high frequencies. Which of the following is likely the type of hearing loss that Sally is experiencing? A. Presbyopia B. Sensory Neural Hearing Loss C. Conductive Hearing Loss D. Prosopagnosia

B. Sensory Neural Hearing Loss

With binocular depth perception, the ________ the disparity between the images on the two retinas, the ________ ____ the Horoptor the object is. A. Larger; closer to B. Smaller; closer to C. Worse; further from D. Better; further from

B. Smaller; closer to

Which of these areas will NOT experience blindness if there is damage to the temporal optic nerve in your left eye and the temporal optic nerve in your right eye? A. The left Visual Field of your right eye. B. The right Visual Field of your right eye. C. The middle of your vision D. The right Visual Field of your left eye.

B. The right Visual Field of your right eye.

Which is the best explanation of cortical magnification? A. As the information moves down the processing stream, neurons get more particular so more space in the cortex is needed for processing. B. We process much more detailed information about things in the fovea and have less convergence of cones- therefore there is more input from those ganglion cells. C. The cortex is larger than the retina, so the image on the cortex just becomes a larger image of what we are looking at.

B. We process much more detailed information about things in the fovea and have less convergence of cones- therefore there is more input from those ganglion cells.

Wavelength is to color in light perception as ______ is to ______ in sound perception. A. purity; saturation B. frequency; pitch C. timbre; waveform D. waveform; volume

B. frequency; pitch

Retinitis Pigmentosa results in problems with _________ vision; Macular Degeneration results in problems with ________ vision. A. central; peripheral B. peripheral; central C. central; central D. peripheral; peripheral

B. peripheral; central

A certain ganglion cell is shown to receive signals from many receptor cells. A second ganglion cell receives signals from only 1 receptor cell. The first ganglion cell is most likely receiving signals from ______, while the second ganglion cell is likely receiving signals from ______. A. cones, rods B. rods, cones C. cones, cones D. rods, rods

B. rods, cones

Solve for the dB SPL when the absolute pressure of the sound stimulus is 200. A. 200 dB SPL B. 10 dB SPL C. 20 dB SPL D. 140 dB SPL

C. 20 dB SPL

If the fundamental frequency of a sound is 900 Hz, which of the following could be a harmonic of the sound? A. 2000 Hz B. 2500 Hz C. 3600 Hz D. 300 Hz E. More than one of the above

C. 3600 Hz

Which of the following is the LEAST likely stimulus to activate the FFA? A. A face (for any normally developing person) B. A Greeble (after an extended time learning how to recognize Greebles) C. An apple (for a teacher) D. An x-ray image (for a radiologist with many years on the job)

C. An apple (for a teacher)

Which of the following correctly compares simple and complex cells? A. Simple cells respond to stationary stimuli while complex cells respond to movement B. Simple cells and complex cells both have preferred orientations that cause higher rates of firing. C. Both A and B D. Neither A nor B

C. Both A and B

If someone is holding a piece of string in front of a speaker and the speaker is moving towards the string then this is a demonstration of ________ and results in a(n) _____ pressure. A. Rarefaction; Decrease B. Condensation; Decrease C. Condensation; Increase D. Rarefaction; Increase

C. Condensation; Increase

Although the tree branches were all overlapping, So Yeon was able follow and group 2 parts of a partially occluded branch because they made a smooth line. Which Gestalt law allowed her to do this? A. Common Region B. Synchrony C. Good Continuation D. . Common Fate

C. Good Continuation

Which choice does NOT explain why the fingertip of the index finger has better tactile acuity than a region of the body with less tactile acuity? less tactile acuity does A. It has a higher density of Merkel Discs B. It has greater representation in the somatosensory cortex than a body region with C. It has a greater variety of mechanoreceptors D. It has smaller receptive fields

C. It has a greater variety of mechanoreceptors

Which best describes the process in which the pressure of sound waves changes into an electrical signals in the auditory system? A. The pressure built by the fluid in the inner ear B. The beating of the eardrum C. The bending of the cilia in hair cells D. The vibration of the hammer, anvil and stirrup

C. The bending of the cilia in hair cells

Which is an example of a reflectance edge? A. The line of light projected on the wall from Eden's sparkling ring B. A lamp lighting a room C. The boarder between the dark chalkboard and white wall D. The edge of a shadow cast on a wall

C. The boarder between the dark chalkboard and white wall

If you illuminate the outside ring region of an on-center, off-surround ganglion cell, how does the response compare to the spontaneous level of activity without any light on any part of the cell? A. The level of activity is the same as baseline B. The level of activity fluctuates above and below baseline C. The level of activity decreases from baseline D. The level of activity increases from baseline

C. The level of activity decreases from baseline

Susan complains of not being able to see things that are far away from her. Her optometrist told her that her eyeballs are longer than others. This would mean that Susan has _______. A. astigmatism B. cataracts C. myopia D. hyperopia

C. myopia

The receptive field for a ganglion cell would be found __________. The receptive field for a simple cell would be found __________. A. in the right visual field; in the left visual field B. on the left visual field; in the right visual field C. on the retina; on the retina D. on the retina; in the LGN

C. on the retina; on the retina

In the "Multiple Personalities of a Blob" example, participants recognized the exact same blob as many different objects in a blurred image, including a shoe and a car. This study showed the importance of _________ in object recognition. A. the retina B. visual clarity C. scene schema D. color

C. scene schema

In Hermann's grid, a possible explanation for why gray areas appear at the intersections in the periphery is because _____. A. the amount of inhibition right at the intersections is much less than the inhibition in the "hallways" between each square B. the superior colliculus responds maximally as you move your eye from intersection to intersection C. the amount of inhibition right at the intersections is twice as great as the inhibition in the "hallways" between each square D. moving the eye creates a blur at all the intersections

C. the amount of inhibition right at the intersections is twice as great as the inhibition in the "hallways" between each square

If something is located beyond what you are focusing on at the time, it will have _________ on the retinas. A. no disparity B. crossed disparity C. uncrossed disparity

C. uncrossed disparity

Administering Naloxone can ________________. A. reverse a heroin overdose B. decrease the placebo effect C. increase the placebo effect D. A & B E. A & C

D. A & B

Which is the best explanation of the moon illusion? Hint: Think about the Ponzo Illusion! A. As the moon becomes closer to the horizon, it looks like it is closer, so it appears to be bigger. B. As the moon becomes closer to the horizon, it looks like it is further away, so it appears to be smaller. C. As the moon becomes closer to the horizon, it looks like it is closer, so it appears to be smaller. D. As the moon becomes closer to the horizon, it looks like it is further away, so it appears to be bigger.

D. As the moon becomes closer to the horizon, it looks like it is further away, so it appears to be bigger.

Horseshoe crabs, or Limulus, are often used to illustrate the effects of lateral inhibition because their eyes are made up of very large lenses and receptors, called Ommatidia, that can easily be stimulated individually. According to lateral inhibition, what happens when one Ommatidia (A) is not stimulated, but its neighboring Ommatidia (B) does have light shown on it and is stimulated? A. Ommatidia A decreases its firing rate B. Ommatidia B increases its firing rate C. Ommatidia A increases its firing rate D. Both A & B

D. Both A & B

Which best describes the current thoughts on how color vision occurs? A. Color vision depends on the relative firing of each of the 3 cone types B. Color vision depends on opponent neurons with one color giving an excitatory response and an opponent color giving an inhibitory response. C. Color vision depends of the cones firing in synchrony with the peak of the wavelength of light being absorbed. D. Both A and B E. Both B and C

D. Both A and B

Samantha turned on the shower and hopped in only find it was scalding hot (120+ degrees). Steven has dual shower heads and when he got in the shower, one stream of water was warm, while the other was still cold. Which of the following is/are likely true? A. Samantha and Steven had similar sets of thermoreceptors activated. B. Samantha only had heat sensing thermoreceptors activated, while Steven had both heat and cold sensing thermoreceptors activated. C. Steven and Samantha both likely hopped out of the shower feeling like they were getting burned. D. Both A and C are true. E. Both B and C are true.

D. Both A and C are true.

Which of the following depth cues depends critically on the muscles of the eye? A. Linear Perspective B. Stereopsis C. Motion parallax D. Convergence E. More than one above

D. Convergence

Which of the following would not lead to conductive hearing loss? A. Otosclerosis B. Malformation of the ear canal C. Rupture of tympanic membrane D. Deterioration of hair cell E. C & D

D. Deterioration of hair cell

What is the name for someone who is missing one type of cone? A. Monochromat B. Ishihara C. Trichromat D. Dichromat

D. Dichromat

What is the main problem with the application of a cochlear implant for deaf individuals? A. The frequencies on everyone's cochlea are arranged in a different order so it is difficult to replicate. B. It only works for conductive hearing loss. C. The sensitivity of the hair cells is not perfectly replicated and therefore many everyday sounds are too quiet to hear. D. It stimulates only a finite number of frequency locations, making sounds choppy and hard to interpret.

D. It stimulates only a finite number of frequency locations, making sounds choppy and hard to interpret.

Which would likely be true of a baby who has only seen horizontal lines since birth? A. He would not be able to see vertical lines B. He would not have any V1 neurons that respond to vertical lines C. He would not have lateral inhibition D. More than one above

D. More than one above

Which depth cue is most closely related to Amodal Completion? A. Binocular disparity B. Familiar Size C. Motion Parallax D. Occlusion

D. Occlusion

Which is true regarding differences between place codes and timing codes? A. Place code works for only low frequencies, while timing code works for all frequencies. B. Place code works for only high frequencies while timing code only works for low frequencies. C. Place code and timing code have no differences in terms of frequency. D. Place code works for all frequencies while timing code only works for lower frequencies.

D. Place code works for all frequencies while timing code only works for lower frequencies.

When we looked at "the dress" in class and reported seeing different colors, this demonstrates which of the following? A. Top-down processing can affect perception B. Our perceptions are a product of the brain and may not always match the actual environmental stimulus C. We all have varying amounts of each color cone leading to varying color perception D. a and b E. b and c

D. a and b

The _____ does most of the focusing of light as it enters the eye, and the _____ transforms the light into neural signals. A. lens; ganglion cells B. rods; cones C. pupil; iris D. cornea; retina

D. cornea; retina

In the Primary Visual Cortex, every _______ has a full set of ________. A. ocular dominance; hypercolumns B. location column; hypercolumns C. orientation column; hypercolumns D. hypercolumn; orientation columns

D. hypercolumn; orientation columns

Jan is a right-handed violin player -they bow with their right hand and finger the strings with their left. The cortical representation for the fingers on their left hand is likely _____. A. equal to the area for the fingers on the left hand of a non-musician B. equal to the area for the fingers on their right hand C. smaller than the area for the fingers on the left hand of a non-musician D. larger than the area for the fingers on the left hand of a non-musician

D. larger than the area for the fingers on the left hand of a non-musician

Compared to that of a neuron earlier in the visual pathway, the ideal stimulus for a neuron further in visual pathway will be A. more complex and confined to a smaller area of the visual field B. more simple and confined to a smaller area of the visual field C. more simple and occurring anywhere within a large portion of the visual field D. more complex and occurring anywhere within a large portion of the visual field

D. more complex and occurring anywhere within a large portion of the visual field

The Purkinje shift _____. A. occurs when blues and greens appear brighter than or equally as bright as reds in well-lit conditions, but reds appear brighter than blues and greens in dim conditions B. occurs when details that are easily seen in well-lit conditions become more difficult to see in low-light conditions C. demonstrates the importance of eye movements in visual pigment regeneration D. occurs when reds appear brighter than or equally as bright as blues and greens in well-lit conditions, but blues and greens appear brighter than reds in dim conditions

D. occurs when reds appear brighter than or equally as bright as blues and greens in well-lit conditions, but blues and greens appear brighter than reds in dim conditions

While brain area V1 has a retinotopic map with different areas of cortex representing different areas of the visual field, a similar map in the Primary Auditory Cortex (A1) is roughly organized based on _______. A. loudness B. location of the sound in space C. complexity of the tone D. pitch/tone

D. pitch/tone

A pair of 3D glasses provide the illusion of depth in a 2-D images by _____. A. rapidly alternating between two images B. presenting an image to each eye that have slightly different sized items in them C. presenting an image to each eye at different distances from the retina D. presenting an image to each eye that are from slightly different perspectives

D. presenting an image to each eye that are from slightly different perspectives

The game "Whack-a-Mole," in which the player must "whack" randomly appearing moles with a hammer as quickly as possible when they peek their heads out, is best described as a _____ task. A. magnitude estimation B. description C. recognition D. reaction time

D. reaction time

Interestingly, studies have shown emotional pain can be reduced by __________! A. being hot B. taking a nap C. being cold D. taking Tylenol

D. taking Tylenol

Which of the following would be most likely to be the reflectance curve for a block of cheese (not very saturated yellowish)? A. one tall peak to the right B. one tall peak to the left C. flat horizontal line D. w line

D. w line

Which of the following would most likely occur if there was a lack of amacrine and horizontal cells in the retina? A. Edges wouldn't be emphasized as much B. There would be no lateral inhibition C. The blind spot would grow larger D. Bipolar cells would not be able to send their messages to ganglion cells. E. A & B

E. A & B

During the processes of neural communication, the electrical current travels passively in which part of the neuron? A. The soma B. The dendrites C. Myelinated sections of axon D. A and B E. All of the above

E. All of the above

In which stage of the perceptual process does top-down processing play a role. A. Perception B. Processing C. Recognition D. A and C E. All of the above

E. All of the above

Mixing _______ is additive color mixing, while mixing _______ is subtractive. A. paint; light B. light; paint C. light; ink D. paint; ink E. More than one above

E. More than one above

Your friend, Penny, blindfolds you and asks you to point in the direction she is standing making noises. Both of you are standing at relatively the same height, making it an even plane of elevation. What sound localization cues will you primarily use to decide where Anna is standing relative to your position? A. Spectral cues B. Interaural intensity/level difference C. Interaural time difference D. All of the above E. Only B & C

E. Only B & C