sensation and perception 1
Name and briefly describe the five categories of the perceptual process.
1. environmental stimulus (information about trees, building is carried by light-distal stimulus) 2. light is reflected and focused (light is transformed by cornea and lens in the retina- proximal stimulus) 3. receptor processes (sensory receptors transforms environmental energy to electrical energy and then it shapes our perception) 4.neural processing (interactions b/w the electrical signals traveling networks) 5. perception (conscious awareness) 6. recognition (placing object in category) 7. action (requires motor activities)
(a) Define "top-down" and "bottom-up" processing. (b) Discuss how the "rat-man" demonstration is used to exemplify the distinction between these two types of processing.
Bottom-up processing- is processing that is based on the stimuli reaching the receptors. Top - down processing- processing that is based on knowledge. The ratman demonstration shows how recently acquired knowledge ("that pattern is a rat") can influence perception. Those who are shown a picture of a rat say they see a rat but those who are shown man are more likely to say they see a man.
Which of the following is NOT a category of the stages in the perceptual process? a. Serendipity b. Stimuli c. Neural Processing d. Behavioral Responses
a. Serendipity
Which of the following best describes the steps of the perceptual process? a. The sequence of steps is dynamic and constantly changing. b. The steps are unidirectional, starting at the environmental stimulus and ending at perception. c. The steps are unidirectional, starting at the environmental stimulus and ending at knowledge. d. The steps are unidirectional, starting at transduction and ending at recognition.
a. The sequence of steps is dynamic and constantly changing.
The difference between the method of limits and the method of adjustment is that, in the method of adjustment, stimulus intensity is changed in a _______ manner. a. continuous b. discrete c. stepwise d. bivariate
a. continuous
One of the important limitations of the knowledge derived from determining thresholds is that _____. a. perception includes far more than just what happens at the threshold b. the methods are based fundamentally on introspection c. the outcomes are of extremely limited reliability d. generalization from the laboratory to real life is not possible
a. perception includes far more than just what happens at the threshold
The major dependent variable used in the visual search method is ____ a. reaction time. b. attention span. c. color. d. brightness level.
a. reaction time.
Trying to find your friend's face in a crowd is related to the method of ____ a. visual search. b. adjustment. c. limits. d. constant stimuli.
a. visual search.
_____ processing is based on the stimuli reaching the receptors. a. Bottom-up b. Oblique c. Top-down d. Receptor
a. Bottom-up
If a person sees the unambiguous "rat" stimulus, and then views the ambiguous "rat-man" figure, the person will most likely report seeing _____. a. a rat, because of the effect of knowledge b. a man, because we tend to see things that match our species c. a rat, because of the effect of action d. a rat or a man equally
a. a rat, because of the effect of knowledge
Classical psychophysical methods opened the way for the founding of scientific psychology by providing methods to measure _____. a. an aspect of the mind b. neurological activation c. response bias d. multicultural effects
a. an aspect of the mind
Fechner's and Weber's methods not only made it possible to measure the ability to detect stimuli, but also made it possible to _____. a. determine mechanisms responsible for experiences b. identify the subconscious rationales for the responses c. provide scientific justification for introspection d. localize brain lesions responsible for poor performance
a. determine mechanisms responsible for experiences
The psychophysical method in which stimuli of varying intensities are presented in ascending and descending orders in discrete steps is called the method of _____. a. limits b. constant stimuli c. searching d. scaling
a. limits
As a part of the interview process for his dream job - quality control at a small, luxury chocolate manufacturer - Tony is asked to taste small pieces of chocolate and then describe what he tastes. Tony is most likely being asked to provide a(n) _____. a. phenomenological report b. magnitude estimation c. adaptation curve d. absolute thresholds
a. phenomenological report
Ilsa recently had a stroke that has damaged her ability to name objects. Her neurologist shows Ilsa a pen and asks her to name what it is. This is best described as a test of _____. a. recognition b. Magnitude c. reaction time d. description
a. recognition
Michaela lives near the railroad tracks and often hears the loud bangs associated with cars being added to trains. When a friend of hers is visiting, the friend becomes alarmed at the sounds, wondering what they are but Michaela is able to reassure her friend that it is a normal train-related sound. Michaela's _____ skills, at least in this situation, are superior to her friend's. a. recognition b. detection c. search d. adjustment
a. recognition
The image projected on the retina is best described as a(n) ______ of the actual stimulus. a. representation b. environmental stimulus c. replication d. scale model
a. representation
Which of the following is the first category of the stages in the perceptual process? a. stimuli b. neural Processing c. serendipity d. behavioral responses
a. stimuli
Abdel works for a company that designs adapted products to help people who have trouble grasping items. Today he is meeting with children who have difficulty grasping as a result of traumatic brain injury and has provided them with a supply of crayons that have been adapted in various ways. Abdel watches as the children color with the crayons. Which question is he most likely asking? a. How quickly do the children react to the crayons? b. How do the children interact with the crayons? c. How do the children describe the crayons? d. Can the children identify the crayons?
b. How do the children interact with the crayons?
Which brain structure is responsible for creating perceptions and producing other "high" level functions such as language, memory, and thinking? a. brain stem b. cerebral cortex c. hypothalamus d. occipital lobe
b. cerebral cortex
The smallest difference between two stimuli that enables us to tell the difference between them is called the _____. a. necessary difference b. difference threshold c. discriminant equation d. determinant level
b. difference threshold
The method of magnitude estimation yields a measure of _____ magnitude. a. objective b. perceived c. difference d. absolute
b. perceived
The process of transforming energy in the environment into electrical energy in the neurons is called _____. a. refraction b. transduction c. reduction d. Construction
b. transduction
The method of limits takes into account the variability of human perception by_____. a. consistently presenting subliminal stimuli to avoid bias b. using deception to hide the true purpose c. averaging the results of a number of trials d. measuring brain activity concurrently
c. averaging the results of a number of trials
Cognitive influences affect _____ level of analysis. a. only the physiological b. only the psychophysical c. both the physiological and psychophysical d. neither the physiological nor psychophysical
c. both the physiological and psychophysical
Trying to read a note written by someone with poor handwriting involves _____. a. only top-down processing b. only bottom-up processing c. both top-down and bottom-up processing d. only data-based processing
c. both top-down and bottom-up processing
The _____ spectrum is a band of energy ranging from gamma rays at the short-wave end of the spectrum to AM radio and AC circuits at the long-wave end. a. light b. sound c. electromagnetic d. perceptual
c. electromagnetic
Based on the dark adaptation curve, you would expect the absolute threshold to _____ as time in a darkened room increases. a. get larger b. remain unchanged c. get smaller d. vary unpredictably
c. get smaller
Nelia is riding in a car and notices that stationary objects closer to her move faster than stationary objects that are further. Nelia is using the _____ technique regarding perception of a stimulus. a. detection b. search c. phenomenological d. magnitude estimation
c. phenomenological
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. recognition b. magnitude c. reaction time d. Description
c. reaction time
The question "What is it?" is asking about _____. a. sensation b. discrimination c. recognition d. perception
c. recognition
Kimmy is casting shadows on the wall and watching whether her cat Tiger jumps at the shadows or not. She uses different hand motions to see if there is a difference in whether Tiger jumps or not. Kimmy is informally studying which relationship? a. the stimulus-physiology relationship b. the physiology-perception relationship c. the stimulus-perception relationship d. the perception-behavior relationship
c. the stimulus-perception relationship
According to Ludy Benjamin, if changes in physical stimuli always resulted in similar changes in perception of those stimuli, _____. a. the world would be unbearably complex b. remediation of sensory deficits would be impossible c. there would be no need for psychology d. the neurophysiology of perception would be clear
c. there would be no need for psychology
Justin forgot to wear his glasses to class so the writing he sees on the chalk board is blurry. Even so, he is sure it says "Pop Quiz!" because he knows that there are pop quizzes in the class and he can read the "P" and the "Q". What allows him to read the board? a. bottom-up processing b. oblique processing c. top-down processing d. compression
c. top-down processing
The specific term for the "stimulus on the receptors" in visual processing is the _____. a. transduced image b. environmental stimulus c. visual image d. perception
c. visual image
The study of perception can overlap with _______ a. medicine. b. computer science. c. philosophy. d. all of these.
d. all of these.
To double the perceived brightness of a light, you need to multiply the physical intensity of the light by about 9. This is an example of response _____ a. inversion. b. linearity. c. expansion. d. compression.
d. compression.
A soup company wants to develop a "reduced-salt" version of their traditional minestrone. Which of the following would be the best first step to take? a. measure the amount of "cross-talk" using the method of adjustment b. determine the absolute threshold for salty taste using the method of limits c. find taste-testers who have agnosia d. determine the Weber's fraction for salty taste
d. determine the Weber's fraction for salty taste
"perceiving machines" that can negotiate the environment with humnalike ease _____. a. were developed by computer scientists in the 1960s b. were developed by computer scientists in the 1970s c. were developed by computer scientists in the 1990s d. have yet to be developed
d. have yet to be developed
Steven's auditory receptors were damaged failing to use hearing protection when working in a loud environment. As a result, we can expect that _____. a. the areas of his brain associated with auditory perception will have diminish considerably in size b. he is almost certainly permanently and completely disabled and likely to require assistance to live independently c. he will be unable to work without special support, such as the use of hearing aids d. his auditory experiences will differ from those of an individual whose receptors have not been damaged
d. his auditory experiences will differ from those of an individual whose receptors have not been damaged
Which statement best describes the steps of the perceptual process? a. The steps are unidirectional, starting at the environmental stimulus and ending at perception. b. The steps are unidirectional, starting at the environmental stimulus and ending at knowledge. c. The steps are unidirectional, starting at transduction and ending at recognition. d. The sequence of steps is dynamic and constantly changing.
d. The sequence of steps is dynamic and constantly changing.
______ is the step in the perceptual process that is analogous to what happens during an ATM withdrawal, when pressure from button press becomes electrical energy, and then becomes a mechanical response resulting in the dispensing of money. a. Knowledge b. Transference c. Action d. Transduction
d. Transduction
The only way to see, hear, taste, smell, and feel what you want to experience is by _____. a. identifying stimulus inputs b. discriminating among similar stimuli c. developing necessary cognitive constructs d. activating sensory receptors
d. activating sensory receptors
Fechner's psychophysical methods _____. a. are important from a historical perspective only b. were developed in the early 1960s c. showed that mental activity cannot be measured quantitatively d. are currently used to test a person's hearing and vision
d. are currently used to test a person's hearing and vision
The physiological level of analysis involves the relationship between _____. a. stimulus-and-physiology only b. physiology-and-perception only c. stimulus-and-perception only d. both stimulus-and-physiology and physiology-and-perception
d. both stimulus-and-physiology and physiology-and-perception
Which methods are used to measure the quantitative relationship between the stimulus and perception? a. description b. the phenomenological methods c. reflection d. classical psychophysical methods
d. classical psychophysical methods
Because perception is something you experience _____, knowing about how it works is interesting in its own right. a. Intermittently b. when necessary c. when important d. constantly
d. constantly
Tina is a medical laboratory worker who is being trained to read the results of certain laboratory tests. In this phase of her training, she looks at prepared slides and then writes a summary of what she sees. This task is best described as a(n) _____ task. a. recognition b. magnitude c. reaction time d. description
d. description
The first step in the procedure for _____ is to present the participant a "standard stimulus" and assign a numerical value to that stimulus. a. Recognition b. Description c. phenomenological method d. magnitude estimation
d. magnitude estimation
The question "What do you see?" is asking about _____. a. sensation b. discrimination c. recognition d. perception
d. perception
Visual form agnosia is a problem of the _____ step of the perceptual process. a. action b. attention c. transduction d. recognition
d. recognition
When using the method of limits, the absolute threshold is determined by calculating _____. a. the stimulus intensity detected 66% of the time b. the stimulus intensity detected 75% of the time c. the stimulus intensity detected 100% of the time d. the average of the "cross-over" values
d. the average of the "cross-over" values
Explain why the "action" step of the perceptual process is vital to an organism's survival.
perception often leads to action—such as a person's deciding to interact with an object or just look more closely at something that looks interesting—making a "picture" helps navigate movement control which is how interaction happens
Discuss four reasons why it is important to study perception.
studying perception is beneficial for future careers such as grad school. Understanding perception is the base for everything we do. Language, depth, color blindness and etc. are all part of perception and those topics are encounter everyday by humans. Perception is applied in medical devices such as for hearing and vision.
