Module 07- sensation and the senses

The sharp, highly localized pain Paulina feels when her finger is burned is thought to be mediated by:

A-delta fibers

Which of the following is the best example of a situation involving an absolute threshold for sensation? Deciding if two glasses contain the same amount of water Telling if your guitar is in tune Detecting a tiny, faint light on a radar screen Telling the difference between sweet and salty

Detecting a tiny faint light on a radar screen

Which of the following is an accurate reflection on the difference between sensation and perception? Sensation is mainly a psychological process whereas perception is more like brain physiology Sensation refers to the process by which our senses send information to the brain whereas perception is the interpretation of this sensory information Sensation refers to the interpretation of sensory information collected by the sensory organs whereas perception is the process by which perceptual receptors transduce energy into neural signals There is no difference

Sensation refers to the process by which our senses send information to the brain whereas perception is the interpretation of this sensory information

Gestalt psychologists have pointed to a number of principles to describe how sound elements are either grouped to form a single sound object or are segregated to form multiple sound objects. According to these rules of thumb:

Sounds that are in close proximity, time, or frequency, tend to be grouped together.

Which of the following is the best definition of "Just Noticeable Differences"? The phenomenon in which the minimum possible threshold for sensing a stimuli is identified. The phenomenon in which bigger stimuli require larger differences to be noticed. The phenomenon in which people become less sensitive to stimuli over the lifespan. The phenomenon in which visual stimuli takes priority in the brain over audio stimuli of the same intensity.

The phenomenon in which bigger stimuli require larger differences to be noticed.

The _____ is the faintest detectable sound from a flute, and _____ refers to the minimal difference in intensity between two otherwise identical stimuli, such as a flute and a piccolo (a small flute).

absolute threshold; just-noticeable difference

As one enters the perfume/cosmetics section of a department store, the odor from the various products is quite strong. After a few minutes the odor becomes much less intense. The term that best describes this experience is sensory:

adaptation

_____ permit sharply focused color vision in bright light, while _____ permit vision in dim light.

cones, rods

Size constancy allows Anna to perceive an object's size as the same even though its image on the retina _____ as the distance between her and the object _____.

gets bigger; decreases

Which part of the ear is designed to receive sound waves and funnel them inward to other parts of the ear so that the sound stimulus can lead to the experience of hearing?

outer ear

What sequence best describes the process of sensation?

physical stimulus, physiological response, sensory experience

Fast and slow wave forms are perceived as _________ and form the basis for melody in music and contours in speech.

pitch

The vestibular system is primarily responsible for ____________.

processing location and motion, so problems with this system would make it difficult to balance

The body produces endorphins (endogenous morphine-like substances), which are believed to:

reduce pain

If you stare at the image of the Canadian flag, below, and then see the negative color after-effect this supports:

the opponent-process theory of color vision

The photoreceptors lie in the:

retina

Sea water that feels too cool at first may feel just fine after you've stayed in the water a little while. This is an illustration of:

sensory adaptation

Jenny's lips and fingertips are far more sensitive than her shoulders and ankles. This is a reflection of the way that her cortex is organized in _______________.

the somatotopic map in the sensory cortex

Which statement regarding color blindness is FALSE? Dichromats obey a two-primaries law of additive color mixing rather than a three-primaries law. Dichromats have only two, not three, types of cone photochemicals. Women are more likely to be color-blind than men, because men have only one X chromosome and the defective gene is recessive. Many people with red-green color blindness do not realize they are color blind.

Women are more likely to be color-blind than men, because men have only one X chromosome and the defective gene is recessive.

Imagine that the human eye only had rods, and no cones. Based on what is known about the differing functions of the visual receptors, you should predict that under these conditions, people would have:

no color vision

At the back of the brain is the __________ which is primarily responsible for processing information about light and movement.

primary visual cortex

As Daphne steps out of the dimly lit coffee shop and onto the street corner, the _____ in her eyes contract in order to limit the amount of bright sunlight entering her eyes.

pupils

Grapheme-color _______ is the most common form of a phenomenon where a person experiences a blend of sensations. Other forms also exist such as tasting color or smelling music.

synesthesia

To enable you to smell smoke in your apartment, the sensory cells in your nose must respond to the physical stimulus by producing an electrical change, which is the process of:

transduction

Paul argues that color vision emerges from the combined activity of three different types of receptors, each most sensitive to a different rage of wavelengths. His friend Harry argues that Paul's theory fails to explain the law of complementarity (how certain colors of wavelengths produce the experience of white). Paul most likely supports the _____ theory, while Harry supports the _____ theory.

trichromatic, opponent-process

All the areas below are areas of the brain that are involved in the experience of pain EXCEPT, the: somatosensory cortex. limbic system. prefrontal cortex. visual cortex.

visual cortex

The absolute threshold is the:

weakest stimulus of a given type that a participant is able to detect.