SENSATION AND PERCEPTION TEST

Not everything that is sensed is perceived. Do you think there could ever be a case where something could be perceived without being sensed?

-claims of extrasensory perception -phantom limb phenomenon experienced by amputees

Please generate a novel example of how just noticeable difference can change as a function of stimulus intensity.

-the detection of weight differences. If two people are holding standard envelopes and one contains a quarter while the other is empty, the difference in weight between the two is easy to detect. However, if those envelopes are placed inside two textbooks of equal weight, the ability to discriminate which is heavier is much more difficult.

The audible range for humans is

20-20,000 dB

The visible spectrum includes light that ranges from about

400-700 nm

refers to the minimum amount of stimulus energy required to be detected 50% of the time.

Absolute Threshold

Cues that require two ears are referred to as ________ cues

Binaural

depth cues require the use of both eyes

Binocular

Our tendency to perceive things as complete objects rather than as a series of parts is known as the principle of ________.

Closure

Color is not a physical property of our environment. What function (if any) do you think color vision serves?

Color vision Differentiates between food, items, etc. more easily.

Hearing aids might be effective for treating

Conductive hearing loss

operate best under bright light conditions

Cones

Do you think women experience pain differently than men? Why do you think this is?

Debate over physical differences... -Women do experience different things in life: *Child Birth *socialization (raised 'gentle'....men are told to toughen up in comparison)

If you heard someone say that they would do anything not to feel the pain associated with significant injury, how would you respond given what you've just read?

Defense Mechanism -Senses Damaged -Perception effect

The main point of focus in a visual display is known as the

Figure

The ________ is a small indentation of the

Fovea

serve as sensory receptors for temperature and pain stimuli

Free nerve endings

Why do you think humans are especially sensitive to sounds with frequencies that fall in the middle portion of the audible range?

Given that the human voice falls in this middle range and the importance of communication among humans, one could argue that it is quite adaptive to have an audible range that centers on this particular type of stimulus.

According to the law of ________, we are more likely to perceive smoothly flowing lines rather than choppy or jagged lines.

Good continuation

Hair cells located near the base of the basilar membrane respond best to ________ sounds.

High-frequency

The electromagnetic spectrum includes

Infrared light

Why do you think other species have such different ranges of sensitivity for both visual and auditory stimuli compared to humans?

Other species have evolved to best suit their particular environmental niches. For example, the honeybee relies on flowering plants for survival. Seeing in the ultraviolet light might prove especially helpful when locating flowers. Once a flower is found, the ultraviolet rays point to the center of the flower where the pollen and nectar are contained. Similar arguments could be made for infrared detection in snakes as well as for the differences in audible ranges of the species described in this section.

occurs when sensory information is organized, interpreted, and consciously experienced

Perception

Chemical messages often sent between two members of a species to communicate something about reproductive status are called ________.

Pheromones

How can temporal and place theories both be used to explain our ability to perceive the pitch of sound waves with frequencies up to 4000 Hz?

Pitch of sounds below this threshold could be encoded by the combination of the place and firing rate of stimulated hair cells. So, in general, hair cells located near the tip of the basilar membrane would signal that we're dealing with a lower-pitched sound. However, differences in firing rates of hair cells within this location could allow for fine discrimination between low-, medium-, and high-pitch sounds within the larger low-pitch context.

According to the principle of ________, objects that occur close to one another tend to be grouped together.

Proximity

If you were to stare at a green dot for a relatively long period of time and then shift your gaze to a blank white screen, you would see a ________ negative afterimage.

Red

Decreased sensitivity to an unchanging stimulus is known as

Sensory adaptation

Given what you've read about sound localization, from an evolutionary perspective, how does sound localization facilitate survival?

Sound localization facilitates survival in case one of the senses is hindered, like sight, then hearing can be used as a way of understanding surroundings. Sound localization facilitates survival by helping prey help locate predators through hearing their direction.

Compare the two theories of color perception. Are they completely different?

The trichromatic theory of color vision and the opponent-process theory are not mutually exclusive. Research has shown they apply to different levels of the nervous system. For visual processing on the retina, trichromatic theory applies: the cones are responsive to three different wavelengths that represent red, blue, and green. But once the signal moves past the retina on its way to the brain, the cells respond in a way consistent with opponent-process theory.

Many people experience nausea while traveling in a car, plane, or boat. How might you explain this as a function of sensory interaction?

The vestibular organs are fluid-filled and have hair cells, similar to the ones found in the auditory system, which respond to movement of the head and gravitational forces. When these hair cells are stimulated, they send signals to the brain (vestibular nerve). Although we may not be consciously aware of our vestibular system sensory information, its importance is apparent when we experience motion sickness/ dizziness related to infections of the inner ear.

The central tenet of Gestalt psychology is that the whole is different from the sum of its parts. What does this mean in the context of perception?

This means that perception cannot be understood completely simply by combining the parts. Rather, the relationship that exists among those parts (which would be established according to the principles described in this chapter) is important in organizing and interpreting sensory information into a perceptual set.

The quality of a sound that is affected by frequency, amplitude, and timing of the sound wave is known as

Timbre

involves the conversion of sensory stimulus energy into neural impulses

Transduction

Which taste is associated with monosodium glutamate?

Umami

Which of the following is involved in maintaining balance and body posture?

Vestibular system

Which of the following correctly matches the pattern in our perception of color as we move from short wavelengths to long wavelengths?

Yellow to orange to red

The three ossicles of the middle ear are known as

malleus, incus, stapes, hammer, anvil, and stirrup