Chapter 4 Sensation & Perception
extrasensory perception (ESP)
Perceptual, or "psychic," abilities that supposedly go beyond the known senses (e.g., telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, and psychokinesis)
subliminal
Pertaining to stimuli presented below conscious awareness
outer ear
Pinna, auditory canal, and eardrum, which funnel sound waves to the middle ear
Explain how place theory differs from frequency theory.
Place theory explains pitch perception according to the place where the cochlea's basilar membrane is most stimulated. Frequency theory says pitch perception occurs when nerve impulses sent to the brain match the frequency of the sound wave.
blind spot
Point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye; contains no receptor cells for vision—thus creating a "blind spot"
sensation
Process of detecting, converting, and transmitting raw sensory information from the external and internal environments to the brain
perception
Process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting sensory information into meaningful patterns
perceptual sets
Readiness to perceive in a particular manner based on expectations
Explain why "horizontal cats" can jump only onto horizontal surfaces.
"Horizontal cats" reared in a horizontal world fail to develop potential feature detectors for vertical lines or objects.
aerial perspective
Distant objects appear hazy and blurred compared to close objects because of intervening atmospheric dust or haze.
Ponzo illusion
Do you perceive the top black line as being much larger than the one on the bottom? Both lines are the exact same size, but the converging lines provide depth cues telling you that the top dark, horizontal, line is farther away than the bottom line and therefore much larger.
place theory
Explains that pitch perception is linked to the particular spot on the cochlea's basilar membrane that is most stimulated
frequency theory
Explains that pitch perception occurs when nerve impulses sent to the brain match the frequency of the sound wave
illusion
False or misleading perception
selective attention
Filtering out and attending only to important sensory messages
middle ear
Hammer, anvil, and stirrup, which concentrate eardrum vibrations onto the cochlea's oval window
opponent-process theory
Hering's theory that color perception is based on three systems of color opposites—blue-yellow, red-green, and black-white
Explain how illusions differ from delusions and hallucinations.
Illusions are false or misleading perceptions of the physical world produced by actual physical distortions. Delusions are false beliefs. Hallucinations are imaginary sensory perceptions that occur without an external stimulus.
bottom-up processing
Information processing beginning "at the bottom," with raw sensory data that are sent "up" to the brain for higher-level analysis; data-driven processing that moves from the parts to the whole
top-down processing
Information processing starting "at the top," with higher-level cognitive processes (such as, expectations and knowledge), and then working down; conceptually driven processing that moves from the whole to the parts
nerve deafness
Inner-ear deafness resulting from damage to the cochlea, hair cells, or auditory nerve
texture gradient
Nearby objects have a coarser and more distinct texture than distant ones.
monochromats
People who are sensitive to only the black-white system
trichromats
People with normal color vision perceive three different colors—red, green, and blue
Which of the following statements regarding food preferences is TRUE? a. Children have more abundant taste buds than adults and therefore often dislike foods with strong and unusual tastes. b. Many food preferences result from childhood experiences and cultural influences. c. Humans evolved to prefer sweet foods that are generally nonpoisonous, good sources of food. d. All of the above are true.
d. All of the above are true.
How did the researchers confirm what subjects weren't lying in this research on wishful seeing? a. They checked the subject's hormone levels. b. They used validity surveys. c. They looked at the brain using MRI scans. d. They used hidden cameras to trace eye movements.
d. They used hidden cameras to trace eye movements
Which of the following is an example of pitch? a. You switch the sound on your telephone from low to high. b. Your mother speaks louder when you ignore her. c. You can barely hear your television because of the traffic noise outside. d. Your neighbor's car alarm alternates between high and low tones.
d. Your neighbor's car alarm alternates between high and low tones.
The smallest magnitude of a particular stimulus energy that can be detected is called its _____ threshold. a. detection b. signal c. difference d. absolute 26
d. absolute
The skin senses include ________. a. pressure b. pain c. warmth and cold d. all of these
d. all of these
When we view a scene, the images alone a. tell the whole story. b. include direct views of 3-dimensions. c. are only processed passively. d. are interpreted based on past experience.
d. are interpreted based on past experience
What are sound waves? a. electromagnetic energy b. noises made by the crowd in a stadium c. neural impulses d. changes in air pressure
d. changes in air pressure
Benny uses his______ receptors more during the day to see fine detail; but at night uses his _______ more since they are the visual receptors responsible for dim light vision. a. hair cells, cilia b. rods, cones c. lens, cornea d. cones, rods
d. cones, rods
Luria's research on the Gestalt Laws of Perception led him to believe that his subjects perceived the stimuli differently based on their experiences with: a. sublimation b. depth c. accommodation d. education
d. education
Light is a form of ___________ energy. a. mechanical b. chemical c. neural d. electromagnetic
d. electromagnetic
Researchers found that subjects could learn to detect smells if they were a. pleasant b. noxious c. pungent d. familiar
d. familiar
The relative brightness of an object we are viewing a. is a feature determined in the retina of our eye. b. is dependent on the color, or hue, of the stimulus object. c. is an optical illusion created by a camera. d. is a feature judged using our perceptual system.
d. is a feature judged using our perceptual system
A subliminal stimulus refers to any stimulus that _____. a. goes undetected in more than 50% of its presentations b. is presented during a person's motivational need state c. manipulates people without their knowing about it d. is presented below the threshold of a person's conscious awareness 30
d. is presented below the threshold of a person's conscious awareness
Posture, orientation, and body movements are part of the _____. a. vestibular system b. cerebellular sense c. skin senses d. kinesthetic sense 147
d. kinesthetic sense
Shape constancy is: a. instinctive. b. impossible. c. inherited. d. learned through experience.
d. learned through experience.
Subliminal messages, those messages presented below threshold, can affect behavior in which of the following ways? a. They can help you learn while asleep. b. They can change consumer behavior or who you vote for. c. They can improve your memory for things that you learn while awake. d. None of the above.
d. none of the above
Neighboring receptor cells in the retina pass along their impulses to neighboring cells in what lobe of the brain? a. temporal b. parietal c. frontal d. occipital
d. occipital
What were subjects who saw the letter "B" told they would get if they saw a letter? a. pizza b. strawberries c. chocolate d. orange juice
d. orange juice
When the brain is sorting out and attending only to the most important messages from the senses, it is engaged in the process of _____. a. sensory habituation b. selective sorting c. sensory adaptation d. selective attention 152
d. selective attention
The visual system: a. can transmit images but not process them. b. does not play a role in gathering raw sensation. c. functions just like a camera. d. selects, organizes, and interprets stimuli.
d. selects, organizes, and interprets stimuli.
What process occurs as specialized receptor cells in the retina respond to only some features (movement, colors, or edges) of each stimulus? a. reversal b. nearsightedness or farsightedness c. illumination d. sensory reduction
d. sensory reduction
Looking over a field of sunflowers, Tashia perceives that the rows which have greater detail are closer to her. This is an example of: a. interposition b. retinal disparity c. linear perspective d. texture gradient
d. texture gradient
The blind spot is_____. a. related to how large the pupil in any given moment b. due to damage to the eye and not something everyone has c. the part of the retina that is clogged with receptors d. the area where blood vessels and the optic nerve exit the eye 67
d. the area where blood vessels and the optic nerve exit the eye
What is the function of the outer ear? a. to carry sound waves through bone b. to turn changes of air pressure into changes in fluid pressure c. to hold the hammer, anvil, and stirrup d. to channel sound waves toward the eardrum
d. to channel sound waves toward the eardrum
Concerning ESP (extrasensory perception), the research indicates that people should be _________________. a. developing their own ESP b. believers c. doing more research to support ESP d. very skeptical of ESP claims
d. very skeptical of ESP claims
The weightlessness experienced by space travelers from zero gravity has its greatest effect on the ________ senses. a. visceral b. reticular c. somasthetic d. vestibular
d. vestibular
Optical illusions are made possible by our: a. lower intelligence quotient. b. visual sensory system. c. gullability as children. d. visual perceptual system
d. visual perceptual system
The key functions of sensation and perception are, respectively,
detection and interpretation
Humans have only five senses.
false
Most color-blind people can only see the world in black and white.
false
Subliminal advertising is very effective.
false
There are discrete spots on our tongues for specific tastes.
false
There is strong scientific evidence for ESP.
false
Specialized cells in the brain called ________ respond only to certain types of sensory information.
feature detectors
Receptors located in the muscles, joints, and tendons of the body provide _________ information to maintain bodily posture, orientation, and movement.
kinesthetic
Repeated exposure to loud noise may cause _____ deafness.
nerve
Delusions
refer to false beliefs, often of persecution or grandeur, which may accompany drug or psychotic experiences.
The principle of ________ is at work when, as your brother walks away from you, you don't perceive him to be shrinking.
size constancy
gustation__(taste)__(absolute threshold
stimulus: ,molecules dissolved on tongue receptors: taste buds on tongue's surface absolute threshold: one teaspoon of sugar in two gallons of water
vision__(sight)__absolute threshold
stimulus: light waves receptors: light-sensitive rods and cones in eye's retina absolute threshold: a candle flame seen from 30 miles away on a clear, dark night
olfaction__(smell)__absolute threshold
stimulus: molecules dissolved on nose's mucous membranes receptors: neurons in the nose's olfactory epithelium absolute threshold: one drop of perfume spread throughout a six-room apartment
audition___(hearing)__absolute threshold
stimulus: sound waves receptors: pressure-sensitive hair cells in ear's cochlea absolute threshold: the tick of a watch at 20 feet
body senses__absolute threshold
stimulus: variety of stimuli receptors: variety of receptors absolute threshold: a bee's wing falling on your cheek from a height of about half an inch
The supposed ability to read other people's minds is called _______, perceiving objects or events that are inaccessible to the normal senses is known as _______, predicting the future is called _______, and moving or affecting objects without touching them is known as _______.
telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, psychokinesis
wavelength
the distance between successive peaks
wave amplitude
the height from peak to trough
range of wavelengths
the mixture of waves
A major criticism of studies that indicate the existence of ESP is that they____________.
usually cannot be replicated
visual field
what is in front of our eyes
habituation
The brain's reduced responsiveness to unchanging stimuli
Nearsightedness (myopia)
The eyeball is too long and incoming light waves focus in front of the retina, which blurs the images for distant objects.
Farsightedness (hyperopia)
The eyeball is too short and incoming light waves focus behind the retina, blurring the image for nearby objects.
normal vision
The image is focused on the retina.
Describe the path of sound waves through the ear.
The outer ear (pinna, auditory canal, eardrum) funnels sound waves to the middle ear. Bones in the middle ear (hammer, anvil, stirrup) amplify and send along the eardrum's vibrations to the cochlea's oval window, which is part of the inner ear. Vibrations from the oval window cause ripples in the fluid, which, in turn, cause bending of the hair cells in the cochlea's basilar membrane.
The horizontal-vertical illusion
Which is longer, the horizontal (flat) or the vertical (standing) line? People living in areas where they regularly see long straight lines, such as roads and train tracks, perceive the horizontal line as shorter because of their environmental experiences.
Why can't you smell your own perfume or aftershave after a few minutes?
Your sensory receptors for smell adapt and send fewer messages to your brain.
At about what age does the "sensitive period" end? a. 5 b. 2 c. 4 d. 3
a. 5
What is the optimal age to address language problems in young children? a. 6 months b. 1 year c. 2 years d. 5 years
a. 6 months
_____________ is the result of stimulation of receptor cells in the nose when you smell a cheese burger or a gardenia. a. Olfaction b. Vestibular sense c. Audition d. Pheromones
a. Olfaction
Which of the following statements about extrasensory perception (ESP) is TRUE? a. The most important criticism of experimental claims of ESP is the lack of replicablity. b. Very few people actually believe in ESP. c. In 2011 Dr. Bem reported strong evidence for psychokinesis, but not other forms of ESP. d. All of the above statements are true.
a. The most important criticism of experimental claims of ESP is the lack of replicablity.
Enrique had his right leg amputated below the knee. Long after surgery, he continues to be bothered by phantom limb pain. Enrique feels that the amputated leg is present and is itching or cramping. What is the best explanation for this phenomenon? a. The phantom pain occurs because the brain interprets neural activity from the area of the spinal cord responsible for pain signaling. b. The phantom pain is produced by too much dopamine in the occipital lobes. c. The phantom pain is produced by a problem in the pituitary gland. d. Enrique has schizophrenia and is hallucinating.
a. The phantom pain occurs because the brain interprets neural activity from the area of the spinal cord responsible for pain signaling.
We use what we have learned about the world, such as size constancy: a. an image can be smaller due to our distance from the object, not necessarily because the object is smaller. b. the size of an object is constantly apparent because of the size of its image on our retina. c. the human eye constantly interprets the size of objects regardless of the individual's experience. d. the true size of an object can only be correctly perceived by ignoring everything around it.
a. an image can be smaller due to our distance from the object, not necessarily because the object is smaller
The cones on the retina are sensitive to _____. a. color and fine detail b. dim light and color c. fine detail and dim light d. color, fine detail, and dim light 64
a. color and fine detail
Vision and hearing are a result of our perception of __________________. a. light and sound waves b. sound waves and vibrations c. smells and tastes d. olfaction and lights 46
a. light and sound waves
Your companion on a train ride through Illinois notices that telephone poles near the tracks are passing by very quickly, while telephone poles in the distance are passing by much more slowly. This is an example of _____. a. motion parallax b. speed constancy c. accomodation d. speed perception 202
a. motion parallax
The most common cause of _____ is continuous exposure to loud noise. a. nerve deafness b. conduction deafness c. auditory hallucinations d. auditory illusions 112
a. nerve deafness
Information from all sensory systems comes together in the _____ of the brain to generate knowledge of where our body is located relative to a target. a. parietal lobe b. visual cortex c. occipital lobe d. brainstem
a. parietal lobe
The tendency for the environment to be perceived as remaining the same even with changes in sensory input is called _____. a. perceptual constancy b. Gestalt's primary principle c. the constancy of expectation d. an illusory correlation 177
a. perceptual constancy
If only neurons in the left visual cortex are receiving information about an object, that object must be located in the _________. a. right side of the visual field b. middle of the visual field c. area behind the person's head d. left side of the visual field
a. right side of the visual field
When you first put your clothes on this morning you felt them on your skin, but within minutes you no longer noticed them. This is an example of _____. a. sensory adaptation b. the fabric of your life c. habituation d. sensory accommodation 35
a. sensory adaptation
Experiments on subliminal perception have ________. a. supported the existence of the phenomenon, but it has little or no effect on persuasion b. shown that subliminal perception occurs only among children and some adolescents c. shown that subliminal messages affect only people who are highly suggestible d. failed to support the phenomenon
a. supported the existence of the phenomenon, but it has little or no effect on persuasion
If a researcher were testing to determine the dimmest light a person could perceive, the researcher would be measuring the
absolute threshold
Hallucinations
are false sensory experiences that occur without an external stimulus, such as hearing voices during a psychotic episode or seeing "pulsating flowers" after using LSD [lysergic acid diethylamide] and other hallucinogenic drugs
Which perceptual principle of organization suggests that you are more likely to believe that a group of people who look alike will act alike? a. Evaluation b. Similarity c. Attractiveness d. Proximity 171
b. Similarity
Receptor cells for hearing are located in the _______. a. middle ear b. cochlea c. ossicle d. pinna
b. cochlea
Jessie is convinced that he influenced Katherine to call him, with that homework question; because he had been having intense day dreams about her. This is an example of which form of faulty reasoning used to support ESP. a. the "vividness" problem b. confirmation bias c. transformation d. illusion
b. confirmation bias
In David Dunning's research he checked to see if an individual's ___________ influence what they physically see. a. energy b. desires c. attitude d. intelligence
b. desires
When moving from her apartment, Cindy took one last look around and was surprised at how much larger the rooms looked now that they were completely empty. The perceptual factor that best explains her perception is: a. perceptual set b. frame of reference c. perceptual adaptation d. individual motivation
b. frame of reference
The ________ theory of pain helps explain why it sometimes helps to rub or massage an injured thumb. a. sensory adaptation b. gate-control c. just noticeable difference d. Lamaze
b. gate-control
Car alarms that change from a siren to a honking horn and back again are attempting to prevent _____. a. your sanity b. habituation c. dishabituation d. selective attention 161
b. habituation
As Tara is riding on a train, she notices that closer objects seem to be moving past the train window very rapidly while objects further away, such as houses, seem to be moving by much more slowly. This effect is known as: a. convergence b. motion parallax c. retinal disparity d. depth perception
b. motion parallax
Mitch has suffered a hearing loss from being exposed to loud noises at construction sites over the years. This type of hearing loss is called: a. congenital deafness b. nerve deafness c. mechanical deafness d. conduction deafness
b. nerve deafness
Which theory of color vision best explains the negative color afterimage? a. trichromatic theory b. opponent-process theory c. both of these theories d. neither of these theories
b. opponent-process theory
Suddenly Wendy heard a loud sound and realized that her daughter Kayla was crying for help. Thankfully ________ occurred and Wendy ran to assist. a. integration b. perception c. sensation d. detection
b. perception
What is perception? a. recognizing that different people are different sizes b. selecting, organizing, and interpreting sensory information c. the process of receiving, converting and transmitting raw sensory information d. organizing photo images so they match our sensations
b. selecting, organizing, and interpreting sensory information
Sam is at a party surrounded by music, dancing, and various conversations. Though he has been enjoying and listening to the music, suddenly he attends to his friend's voice as she mentions Sam's name in conversation. This process of filtering out some messages and attending to others is: a. habituation b. selective attention c. perceptual constancy d. convergence
b. selective attention
When a bug crawls on you and your receptors detect the impulse and then convert and transmit a neural message to the brain it is called _____. a. integration b. sensation c. perception d. detection
b. sensation
When you look at a chair from the back or front, it has a rectangle shape. However, when you see it from the side, it has an "h" shape, but still you recognize it as a chair because of _____. a. sensory adaptation b. shape constancy c. size constancy d. sensory habituation
b. shape constancy
We know from studies on sensations that a. smell and taste are distinct sensations b. smell and taste are linked c. people inherit their sense of taste d. people inherit their sense of smell
b. smell and taste are linked
What is the "sensitive period" in child language development? a. the time when a child first starts to speak with others b. the time when a child is most receptive to language c. a period of development where myelination occurs rapidly d. a period of development where things can go very wrong
b. the time when a child is most receptive to language
Tight rope walkers rely on their __________ sense for survival when they are performing. a. kinesthetic b. vestibular c. auditory d. gustatory
b. vestibular
Since Jolly Roger, the pirate, lost one eye in a fight, he can no longer use ________ as a cue for the perception of depth and distance.
binocular cues
Dunning's research confirm which of the following? a. The eyes are always right. b. Beauty is not in the eye of the beholder. c. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. d. Pessimists see the glass as half empty
c. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Scientists sometimes find that one person will demonstrate ESP in one laboratory, but not in another. This suggests that _________________. a. the researcher or the participant was biased against ESP b. the studies were probably not valid c. ESP is not a reliable phenomenon d. replication of studies is a waste of time
c. ESP is not a reliable phenomenon
Al is forty-five, and his eye doctor told him that he now needs reading glasses. His eyesight has always been perfect. What is the most likely reason that he needs reading glasses now? a. The retinas have become less efficient over the years. b. The corneas have become cloudy over the years. c. The lenses have begun to be less flexible and the ability to accommodate for near vision d. The shape of his eyes has changed over the years.
c. The lenses have begun to be less flexible and the ability to accommodate for near vision
What is shape constancy? a. Because suitcases are modified cubes, they are the same shape from all directions. b. The perceived size of an object stays the same even though the size of its retinal image changes. c. We perceive objects as maintaining a single shape, even when our orientation to them changes. d. Objects do not change shape because of the universal constant.
c. We perceive objects as maintaining a single shape, even when our orientation to them changes.
What is perceptual constancy? a. a constant irritation caused by fluctuations in brightness b. a visual illusion c. a tendency to perceive things in the environment as remaining the same even with changes in sensory input d. a tendency to seek out what is consistent and familiar to us
c. a tendency to perceive things in the environment as remaining the same even with changes in sensory input
By comparing the ___________ and _________ between the two ears, our brain can locate the source of a sound. a. cochlea, ossicles b. changes in air pressure, changes in fluid pressure c. arrival times, relative loudness d. tympanic membrane, oval window
c. arrival times, relative loudness
Where in the nervous system do auditory nerve impulses from the two ears first come together? a. cochlea b. temporal lobe c. brainstem d. eardrum
c. brainstem
When you hear any sound, the sound waves hit the tympanic membrane and it vibrates, thereby, causing the ossicles to vibrate also. The stirrup presses on the oval window causing it to vibrate. The movement of the oval window creates waves in the fluid that fills the ___________, which contains the basilar membrane. As the waves travel through the fluid, the hair cells bend, and the energy of the wave will then transduce into electro-chemical impulses that are carried by the _______ nerve to the brain. a. hammer; auditory b. anvil; occipital c. cochlea; auditory d. cochlea; occipital
c. cochlea; auditory
What is transduction? a. a problem in vision when the lens is unable to focus images clearly on the retina, because of the shape of the eyeball b. a response of specialized receptor cells to only some features (movement, colors, or edges) of each stimulus c. conversion of raw sensory information (such as electromagnetic energy, or light) into neural impulses (electrochemical energy) d. receiving, converting and transmitting raw information from the outside world into our brain
c. conversion of raw sensory information (such as electromagnetic energy, or light) into neural impulses (electrochemical energy)
The visual cliff is an apparatus designed to study ________ in young children and animals. a. color discrimination b. shape constancy c. depth perception d. monocular vision
c. depth perception
Jose twists his ankle quite badly in the last ten minutes of his school's championship soccer game. He continues to play and does not notice the pain in his ankle. This is probably because of an increase in his _____ levels. a. epinephrine b. testosterone c. endorphin d. adrenalin 40
c. endorphin
What does the lens of the eye do? a. changes the shape of the eyeball b. determines the person's eye color c. focuses light onto the retina d. transduces light energy into neural impulses
c. focuses light onto the retina
You write a reminder of an appointment on a Post-it and stick it on the door, where you see it every day. A month later, you forget your appointment because of your brain's tendency to ignore constant stimuli. This is known as ________. a. sensory adaptation b. selective perception c. habituation d. selective attention
c. habituation
Perceptual skills such as size, shape, brightness, and color constancy a. are instinctive operations of the eyeball, whereas visual sensations are learned. b. are irrelevant in most real-life situations but can be studied in a laboratory. c. help us organize visual stimuli to make sense of the world we see. d. are so complex they required advanced study such as a college degree
c. help us organize visual stimuli to make sense of the world we see.
Dawn is working on her ___________ sense when she takes yoga classes to improve her body posture and movement ability of her joints and muscles. a. audition b. habituation c. kinesthetic d. station
c. kinesthetic
Sensory images coming from the same object a. are always the same regardless of its location. b. are always the same over time. c. may change somewhat but through perceptual constancy we adjust. d. play no role in our interpretation of a scene.
c. may change somewhat but through perceptual constancy we adjust.
The sense of smell is called _____. a. kinesthesis b. gustation c. olfaction d. pheromonation 119
c. olfaction
Neural impulses travel from receptor cells in the retina to the brain by way of the: a. auditory nerve b. image c. optic nerve d. lens
c. optic nerve
Where in the eye are specialized receptor cells located? a. lens b. front c. retina d. image
c. retina
The _____ provide the brain with information about balance, and in particular information about the rotation of the head. a. hairs in the cochlea b. myelinated fibers in the olfactory system c. semicircular canals d. none of the above
c. semicircular canals
What do we call the process of receiving, converting and transmitting raw information from the outside world into our brain? a. coding b. transduction c. sensation d. reception
c. sensation
In addition to size constancy, people also learn to perceive: a. blinking the eyelid to avoid objects coming toward the eyeball. b. movement constancy. c. shape constancy. d. day vs night.
c. shape constancy
Eighteen-month-old Danielle thinks that her daddy is getting smaller and smaller as he walks away from her. This child has not yet developed the principle of _____. a. optical illusions b. retinal disparity c. size constancy d. perceptual differences 179
c. size constancy
Why can't people taste as well when they have a cold? a. fever inhibits both taste and smell b. fever inhibits the sense of taste c. the smell system is not working effectively d. the taste system is not working effectively
c. the smell system is not working effectively
Avita believes that people who share an astrological sign are compatible. When she met Gary, whose sign was compatible with hers, she immediately saw him as "perfect" for her. This is an example of _____ processing. a. crazy b. astrological c. top-down d. bottom- up 10
c. top-down
Antonio is using __________ to interpret a current abstract painting during a gallery viewing. He looks for similarities in this style, and how it compares, to previous artists from different cultural backgrounds during economically challenging times. a. sensory reduction b. Bottom-up processing c. Top-down processing d. transduction
c. top-down processing
When you listen to music, the sound waves are converted into neural impulses for your brain to process. This is called _____. a. perceptual transduction b. sensory transmission c. transduction d. transformation 18
c. transduction
If you can perceive depth or distance with only one eye, this means you are _____. a. using a binocular cue b. uni-dimensional c. using a monocular cue d. using convergence 188
c. using a monocular cue
The color coming from an object in the environment: a. objects do not actually have color, it is a hallucination created by our perception. b. is always exactly the same, a phenomenon known as color constancy. c. will vary depending on the amount of light on that object. d. is determined by the objects around it.
c. will vary depending on the amount of light on that object
gate-control theory
Theory that pain sensations are processed and altered by mechanisms within the spinal cord
difference threshold
Minimal difference needed to notice a stimulus change; also called the "just noticeable difference" (JND)
absolute threshold
Minimum amount of a stimulus that an observer can reliably detect
Describe the normal path of light waves through the eye.
After light waves enter the eye through the cornea (which helps focus incoming light rays) and the pupil (muscles in the iris allow the pupil to dilate or constrict in response to light intensity or emotional factors) the lens focuses the incoming light into an image onto the retina, (the lens reverses the image from the right to left and top to bottom when it is projected onto the retina -- the brain later reverses the visual input into the final "right-side up image) the eye's light-sensitive back surface. in the retina, light waves are detected and transduced into neural signals by Special receptor cells in the retina, the rods__(detect white, black, gray & for peripheral vision) and cones__(detect color, daytime and detailed vision - maximally sensitive to red, green or blue) , and the fovea, a tiny pit filled with cones, is responsible for our sharpest vision the rods and cones then project backwards to interneurons which communicate with the ganglion cells in the retina. the ganglion cells then send visual input (messages) from the retina to the brain via the optic nerve.
pheromones [FARE-oh-mones]
Airborne chemicals that affect behavior, including recognition of family members, aggression, territorial marking, and sexual mating
accommodation
Automatic adjustment of the eye, which occurs when muscles change the shape of the lens so that it focuses light on the retina from objects at different distances
retinal disparity
Binocular cue to distance in which the separation of the eyes causes different images to fall on each retina
convergence
Binocular depth cue in which the closer the object, the more the eyes converge, or turn inward
light and shadow
Brighter objects are perceived as being closer than darker objects.
relative size
Close objects cast a larger retinal image than distant objects
inner ear
Cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs, which generate neural signals sent to the brain
Explain how the modern dual-process theory explains color vision.
Color is processed in a trichromatic fashion in the retina, and in an opponent-process fashion in the brain.
retina
Light-sensitive inner surface of the back of the eye, which contains the receptor cells for vision (rods and cones)
conduction deafness
Middle-ear deafness resulting from problems with transferring sound waves to the inner ear
relative height
Objects positioned higher in our field of vision are perceived as farther away.
interposition
Objects that obscure or overlap other objects are perceived as closer.
linear perspective
Parallel lines converge, or angle toward one another, as they recede into the distance.
vestibular sense
Sense of body movement and position, also called the sense of balance
olfaction
Sense of smell
gustation
Sense of taste
audition
Sense or act of hearing
kinesthesis
Sensory system for detecting body posture, orientation, and movement of individual body parts
sensory adaptation
Sensory system's reduced responsiveness to unchanging stimuli
feature detectors
Specialized neurons that respond only to certain sensory information
psychophysics
Studies the link between the physical characteristics of stimuli and the sensory experience of them
perceptual constancies
Tendency for the environment to be perceived as remaining the same even with changes in sensory input
depth perception
The ability to perceive three-dimensional space and to accurately judge distance
Müller-Lyer illusion__(muller)
The two vertical lines are the same length, but psychologists have learned that people who live in urban environments normally see the one on the right as longer. This is because they have learned to make size and distance judgments from perspective cues created by right angles and horizontal and vertical lines of buildings and streets.
trichromatic theory
Theory stating that color perception results from three types of cones in the retina, each most sensitive to either red, green or blue. Other colors result from a mixture of these three
dichromats
Those who perceive only two colors
cochlea [KOK-lee-uh]
Three-chambered, snail-shaped structure in the inner ear containing the receptors for hearing
fovea
Tiny pit in the center of the retina filled with cones; responsible for sharp vision
monocular cues
Visual input from a single eye alone that contributes to perception of depth or distance
binocular cues
Visual input from two eyes that allows perception of depth or distance
rods
Visual receptor cells, concen-trated near the center of the retina, responsible for color vision and fine detail; most sensitive in brightly lit conditions
cones
Visual receptor cells, concentrated near the center of the retina, responsible for color vision and fine detail; most sensitive in brightly lit conditions
The process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting sensory data into usable mental representations of the world is called _____. 4
perception
George Stratton was able to cope with an upside-down world thanks to _____________.
perceptual adaptation
When we tend to "see what we expect to see, this would be an example of _______.
perceptual set
Human and nonhuman animals may be affected by chemical scents found in natural body odors, which are called _______.
pheromones
Humans have one blind spot in each eye.
true
Illusions are not the same as hallucinations.
true
Loud music can lead to permanent hearing loss.
true
People tend to see what they expect to see.
true
We generally remember our "hits" and forget our "misses."
true