Ch. 5 Sensation and Perception

Alice has the job of lighting director for the school play. She wants the Cowardly Lion to be bathed in yellow light. In front of her is a console with three buttons: red, blue, and green. Which ones would give her yellow light? a) Blue and red b) Blue and green c) Red, blue, and green d) Red and green e) No combination of any of the three

d) Red and green

Which of the following statements is true about the skin senses? a) Sensations for hotness are produced by stimulation of specialized receptors for heat. b) All skin receptors can respond to more than one type of stimulation. c) There are about ten thousand receptors for touch and pressure distributed throughout the body. d) Sensory information is transmitted from the spinal cord to the somatosensory cortex. e) All receptors for pain are located in the skin.

d) Sensory information is transmitted from the spinal cord to the somatosensory cortex.

Which of the following statements is true about olfaction? a) Human nasal passageways contain about 1,000 odor receptors. b) Human odor receptors are capable of sensing about 1,000,000 different substances. c) All odor molecules have the same shape. d) Smell is the only sense in which sensory information does not go through the thalamus on its way to the cerebral cortex. e) The intensity of an odor depends on the size of a substance's odor molecules.

d) Smell is the only sense in which sensory information does not go through the thalamus on its way to the cerebral cortex.

Which of the following is the best definition of clairvoyance? a) The ability to foretell the future b) The ability to move objects without touching them c) The ability to read other people's minds d) The perception of events not available to the senses e) The ability to project your thoughts into other people's minds

d) The perception of events not available to the senses

Which of the following is true about ESP? a) College seniors are more staunch believers in ESP than are first-year students. b) ESP, or extrasensory perception, is also known as the "seventh sense." c) Although there is no scientific proof that clairvoyance or psychokinesis exists, there is such proof for telepathy and precognition. d) There is no reliable scientific evidence that any form of ESP exists. e) Belief in ESP is not widespread in this country.

d) There is no reliable scientific evidence that any form of ESP exists.

The ability to feel the wing of a bee falling on one's cheek from about 1 centimeter away is a(n) a) difference threshold b) example of subliminal perception. c) just-noticeable difference. d) absolute threshold for touch. e) example of sensory adaptation.

d) absolute threshold for touch.

When the house was quiet, Rhonda, lying in bed, was able to hear the babysitter's watch ticking in the living room, from a distance of 15 feet away, about 50 percent of the time. But when the babysitter moved from the chair to the couch, another foot away, Rhonda was no longer able to hear the watch. The fact that Rhonda can hear the detect the ticking of the watch from that distance signals a(n) a) difference threshold. b) just-noticeable difference. c) perceptual set. d) absolute threshold. e) subliminal threshold.

d) absolute threshold.

The Gestalt laws of perceptual organization refer to a) bottom-up processing. b) top-down processing. c) bottom-up and top-down processing. d) figure-ground and grouping. e) perceptual constancies.

d) figure-ground and grouping.

The muscle that regulates the amount of light entering the eye is the a) lens. b) cornea. c) pupil. d) iris. e) fovea.

d) iris.

The study of events that cannot be explained by known psychological, physical, or biological mechanisms is referred to as a) extrasensory perception. b) clairvoyance. c) telepathy. d) parapsychology. e) subliminal perception.

d) parapsychology.

A magician makes it appear that a scarf moves by itself from around his neck to the neck of a woman in the audience. The people in the audience who think that the magician has the ability to move things without touching them believe in a) clairvoyance. b) psychophysics. c) precognition. d) psychokinesis. e) telepathy.

d) psychokinesis.

The role of feature detectors is to a) respond to specific objects such as a house. b) detect color stimuli. c) detect black and white stimuli. d) respond to very simple stimuli such as a horizontal line. e) regulate the size of the pupil.

d) respond to very simple stimuli such as a horizontal line.

To see a dimly lit object at night, the image must fall on your a) fovea. b) blind spot. c) cones. d) rods. e) optic nerve.

d) rods.

All of the following are basic tastes EXCEPT a) sweet. b) salty. c) sour. d) savory. e) bitter.

d) savory.

The idea that the threshold for sensing a stimulus depends not only on the properties of the stimulus itself but also on the level of background stimulation is explained by a) Weber's law. b) dual-process theory. c) opponent-process theory. d) signal-detection theory. e) sensory adaptation.

d) signal-detection theory.

Marlee's right eardrum was punctured in an accident when she was three years old. She is deaf in her right eardrum but is helped with a hearing aid that amplifies sound waves. What type of deafness does Marlee have? a) Nerve b) Continuity c) Closure d) Subliminal e) Conduction

e) Conduction

Rico is shown the following stimulus: X. When asked what he sees, Rico reports that he sees two intersecting lines, rather than saying that he sees four separate lines. Rico's response demonstrates which Gestalt principle? a) Closure b) Proximity c) Similarity d) Connectedness e) Continuity

e) Continuity

In what order do the ossicles vibrate during hearing? a) Anvil, hammer, stirrup b) Stirrup, hammer, anvil c) Stirrup, anvil, hammer d) Hammer, stirrup, anvil e) Hammer, anvil, stirrup

e) Hammer, anvil, stirrup

Regarding hearing loss, which of the following is true? a) Cochlear implants can help correct damage to the auditory nerve. b) Permanent hearing loss results from prolonged exposure to sounds of at least 60 decibels. c) People with conduction deafness cannot benefit from hearing aids. d) Hearing loss in later life is inevitable. e) Most hearing loss in later life is the result of years of abuse from loud music and noise.

e) Most hearing loss in later life is the result of years of abuse from loud music and noise.

Negative afterimages provide support for which theory of color vision? a) Trichromatic theory b) Feature detection theory c) Color constancy theory d) D. Young-Helmholtz theory e) Opponent-process theory

e) Opponent-process theory

Tony observes an oval bowl on a table from several different perspectives. Although the image on his retina changes, he continues to perceive the bowl as oval. Tony's experience is an example of which constancy? a) Brightness b) Textural c) Size d) Interpositional e) Shape

e) Shape

Which of the following are the chemical senses? a) Touch and smell b) Touch and taste c) Touch, taste, and kinesthesis d) Taste, smell, and kinesthesis e) Taste and smell

e) Taste and smell

According to Weber's law, people are most sensitive to changes in which sensation? a) The loudness of sounds b) The heaviness of weight c) The saltiness of food d) The brightness of lights e) The pitch of sounds

e) The pitch of sounds

When you scratch your eye, the part that is actually scratched is the a) pupil. b) iris. c) lens. d) fovea. e) cornea.

e) cornea.

Neurons that respond to specific characteristics of the visual stimulus are called a) photoreceptors. b) ganglion cells. c) bipolar cells. d) optic neurons. e) feature detectors.

e) feature detectors.

The photoreceptors, or sensory cells, of the human eye are located in the a) iris. b) lens. c) cornea. d) pupil. e) retina.

e) retina.

Olfaction refers to the sense of a) taste. b) touch. c) seeing. d) hearing. e) smell.

e) smell.

the tendency to perceive objects or figures as existing on a background

figure-ground

depth perception seems to develop at which stage of human development?

in early infancy

difference between the three primary colors when talking about painting compared to the three primary colors of vision (cones)

primary colors of painting - red, yellow, blue primary colors of vision - red, green, blue

red, green color deficiency

protanopia

cooking grease splatters john while he is making breakfast, and he quickly jumps away from the stove. the pain he experiences is best described as __________ pain

somatic

according to gate control-when the spinal gates open farther there is

a greater experience of pain

Which of the following leads to the perception of movement? a) A dog suddenly looming much larger b) One person partially blocking another c) A car appearing larger than another car d) An object that is lighter on top and darker on the bottom e) A "haze" cast over distant objects

a) A dog suddenly looming much larger

Which of the following describes the pupil? a) An opening through which light enters the eye b) A part of the eye that adjusts its shape to view objects at varying distances c) A transparent covering at the front of the eye d) A part of the eye that contains the photoreceptors e) A structure responsible for peripheral vision

a) An opening through which light enters the eye

Which method of processing visual information involves assembling specific features of shapes to form patterns? a) Bottom-up processing b) Bottom-down processing c) Top-down processing d) Bottom-top processing e) Up-down processing

a) Bottom-up processing

Which of the following statements about perception is true? a) Perception represents the brain's attempt to make sense of the information coming in through the senses. b) Perception is a reactive process. c) Perceptions accurately reflect reality. d) The area of perception that has captured the most research attention is auditory perception. e) Perception is independent of expectations.

a) Perception represents the brain's attempt to make sense of the information coming in through the senses.

Which sense has connections with several structures in the limbic system and is especially effective at stimulating emotional memories? a) Smell b) Taste c) Hearing d) Vision e) Touch

a) Smell

Other factors being equal, which sensory stimulus is LEAST likely to lead to sensory adaptation? a) The wail of a loud car alarm b) The sound of a grandfather clock ticking c) The offensive odors of a cattle farm d) The pressure of wearing a new bracelet on one's wrist e) The temperature of water when one enters a pool

a) The wail of a loud car alarm

Which sense monitors the position of your body in space and helps maintain balance? a) Vestibular b) Kinesthesis c) Proprioception d) Audition e) Olfaction

a) Vestibular

Which color of the spectrum has the shortest wavelength? a) Violet b) Red c) Yellow d) Indigo e) Green

a) Violet

The smallest amount of a stimulus that a person can reliably detect is called the a) absolute threshold. b) difference threshold. c) just-noticeable difference. d) just-noticeable threshold. e) constant threshold.

a) absolute threshold.

For the sharpest vision, the image of an object should be focused on the a) fovea. b) blind spot. c) optic chiasm. d) optic nerve. e) retina.

a) fovea.

Only rods allow us to see a) in dim light. b) colors. c) fine detail. d) under bright illumination. e) moving objects.

a) in dim light.

Receptors for kinesthesis are located in a) joints, ligaments, and muscles. b) the skin and hair. c) the inner and middle ear. d) the eyes. e) the mouth and nose.

a) joints, ligaments, and muscles.

The part of the eye that changes shape to adjust for an object's distance is the a) lens. b) pupil. c) cornea. d) retina. e) iris.

a) lens.

People who see only in black and white are called a) monochromats. b) dichromats. c) trichromats. d) unichromats. e) partially colorblind.

a) monochromats.

The ability to foretell the future is called a) precognition. b) parapsychology. c) clairvoyance. d) telepathy. e) psychokinesis.

a) precognition.

The process by which we receive, transform, and process stimuli is a) sensation. b) perception. c) transduction. d) reduction. e) psychophysics.

a) sensation.

If you are expecting a telephone call, you may be more likely to notice the telephone ringing while you are in the shower than if you were not expecting a call. This example is an illustration of a) signal-detection theory. b) Weber's law. c) sensory adaptation. d) opponent-process theory. e) dual-process theory.

a) signal-detection theory.

The belief that the experience of pitch is related to alternate firing of groups of neurons along the basilar membrane is known as a) the volley principle. b) place theory. c) gate-control theory. d) frequency theory. e) the succession principle.

a) the volley principle.

Sound from which of the following should produce the most danger to hearing upon brief exposure? a) A ringing telephone b) A jet airplane c) A lawn mower d) A jack hammer e) Headphones

b) A jet airplane

The sheriff's department of a small town has enlisted the aid of a psychic who claims to have knowledge of where a kidnapper is holding a child, even though she has not physically seen or heard anything regarding the case. The psychic is claiming to have what kind of ability? a) Precognition b) Clairvoyance c) Telepathy d) Psychokinesis e) Subliminal perception

b) Clairvoyance

The basis of the place theory of pitch detection is that pitch is determined by the place that vibrates the most along the a) eardrum. b) basilar membrane. c) oval window. d) auditory nerve. e) ossicles.

b) basilar membrane.

Depth cues that require the use of both eyes are called a) monocular cues. b) binocular cues. c) stereoscopic cues. d) double vision. e) convergence cues.

b) binocular cues.

Grouping disconnected pieces of information into a meaningful whole describes the Gestalt principle of a) similarity. b) closure. c) connectedness. d) proximity. e) continuity.

b) closure.

Weber's law suggests that a) absolute threshold measurements underestimate true perceptual sensitivity. b) difference thresholds are a constant proportion of the original stimulus. c) difference thresholds are a constant quantity. d) difference thresholds decrease as stimuli increase. e) difference thresholds increase as stimuli decrease.

b) difference thresholds are a constant proportion of the original stimulus.

High-frequency sounds cause the greatest vibration of a) hair cells in the middle of the basilar membrane. b) hair cells nearest the oval window. c) hair cells nearest the auditory nerve. d) hair cells farthest down the basilar membrane from the oval window. e) the membrane of the eardrum.

b) hair cells nearest the oval window.

The process by which the brain interprets stimuli and turns them into meaningful representations of the external world is a) sensation. b) perception. c) attention. d) memory. e) audition.

b) perception.

The tendency to perceive properties of an object as remaining the same despite changes in its retinal image is called a) Gestalt organization. b) perceptual constancy. c) perceptual congruity. d) perceptual stability. e) closure.

b) perceptual constancy.

The phenomenon whereby sensory systems become less sensitive to unchanging stimuli is called a) discrimination threshold shift. b) sensory adaptation. c) signal-detection. d) threshold degradation. e) psychophysics.

b) sensory adaptation.

When Harold first enters his swimming pool, the water feels uncomfortably cold. Five minutes later, the water feels comfortable to Harold. This is an example of a) transduction. b) sensory adaptation. c) Weber's law. d) signal-detection theory. e) just-noticeable difference.

b) sensory adaptation.

All of the following senses go through the thalamus on the way to the cortex EXCEPT a) vision. b) smell. c) hearing. d) taste. e) touch.

b) smell.

Salvador does business as a mind reader. Salvador believes he is capable of a) psychokinesis. b) telepathy. c) subliminal perception. d) clairvoyance. e) precognition.

b) telepathy.

The optic nerve transmits information to the visual cortex in the brain via the a) basal ganglia. b) thalamus. c) hypothalamus. d) hippocampus. e) amygdala.

b) thalamus.

The minimal difference between two stimuli that people can reliably detect is a) the absolute threshold. b) the difference threshold. c) the perceptual threshold. d) the sensitivity threshold. e) Weber's constant.

b) the difference threshold.

Approximately what percent of people are "supertasters"? a) 5 percent b) 10 percent c) 25 percent d) 40 percent e) 50 percent

c) 25 percent

Receptor cells for which sense regenerate within a week to ten days? a) Vision b) Audition c) Taste d) Touch e) Olfaction

c) Taste

Which of the following is true of cones? a) They are responsible for peripheral vision. b) They are more sensitive to light than are rods. c) They provide detailed vision. d) They function in dim light. e) They allow some animals, such as bats, to see at night.

c) They provide detailed vision.

Austin experiences motion sickness. From which two senses has Austin received conflicting information? a) Kinesthesis and visual b) Kinesthesis and olfactory c) Vestibular and visual d) Vestibular and olfactory e) Audition and olfactory

c) Vestibular and visual

Which term best captures the meaning of Gestalt? a) Figure b) Ground c) Whole d) Perception e) Parts

c) Whole

Compared to people with average taste sensitivity, people who are "supertasters" have a) different types of taste buds. b) more sensitive taste buds. c) a very dense network of taste buds. d) bigger taste buds. e) fewer specialized taste buds.

c) a very dense network of taste buds.

Muscular tension caused by your eyes turning inward provides the depth cue of a) retinal disparity. b) binocularity disparity. c) convergence. d) divergence. e) interposition.

c) convergence.

"Make the TV louder," said Paula. "I did," said Jack, pointing at the remote. "Doesn't sound louder to me," said Paula. "Does to me," said Jack. Jack is failing to consider the discrepancy between his ______ and Paula's. a) Weber's constant b) subliminal difference c) difference threshold d) absolute threshold e) absolute difference

c) difference threshold

Conduction deafness is to ________ as nerve deafness is to ________. a) outer ear; inner ear b) inner ear; outer ear c) middle ear; inner ear d) inner ear; middle ear e) middle ear; outer ear

c) middle ear; inner ear

Trichromatic theory suggests that a) the retina has one type of color receptor that responds differently to each color. b) the retina has two types of color receptors that respond in a different manner for each color. c) the retina has three types of color receptors—red, green, and blue-violet. d) color results from opposing processes involving three sets of color receptors, red-green, blue-yellow, and black-white. e) color vision is a function of brain activity.

c) the retina has three types of color receptors—red, green, and blue-violet.

the tendency to complete figures that are incomplete

closure

Humans can hear frequencies between a) 100,000 and 200,000 cycles per second. b) 50,000 and 100,000 cycles per second. c) 20,000 and 50,000 cycles per second. d) 20 and 20,000 cycles per second. e) 1 and 20 cycles per second.

d) 20 and 20,000 cycles per second.

The absolute threshold for vision involves being able to see the flame of a candle flickering on a dark, clear night from a distance of about a) 30 feet. b) 300 feet. c) 3 miles. d) 30 miles. e) 300 miles.

d) 30 miles.

Approximately ________ Americans have hearing problems, and approximately ________ are deaf. a) 2 million; 100,000 b) 5 million; 200,000 c) 10 million; 1 million d) 30 million; 2 million e) 50 million; 5 million

d) 30 million; 2 million

Regarding colorblindness, which of the following statements is true? a) More women than men suffer from red-green color-blindness. b) Blue-yellow colorblindness is more common than red-green colorblindness. c) People who are dichromats can perceive the world only in shades of gray. d) About one in every forty thousand people is completely colorblind. e) Red-green colorblindness appears to be carried on the Y chromosome.

d) About one in every forty thousand people is completely colorblind.

What is true about the blind spot? a) It contains rods but not cones. b) It contains cones but not rods. c) It contains both rods and cones. d) It's the part of the retina where the optic nerve leaves the eye. e) It's the part of the retina where light is converted into neural signals.

d) It's the part of the retina where the optic nerve leaves the eye.

Charlene is fastening the clasp of her necklace at the back of her neck. She is aware of exactly where her fingers are without seeing them because of which sense? a) Vestibular b) Olfaction c) Audition d) Kinesthesis e) Touch

d) Kinesthesis

According to psychologists and Christians, what are the 8 things that affect our perception?

1. past experience 2. values 3. expectations 4. context 5. mental state 6. emotional state 7. cultural background 8. sin

What does a Christian worldview acknowledge about a natural and supernatural world?

1. there is a natural and spiritual world 2. the spiritual can effect the physical world 3. we survive after death 4. we can receive messages through "extra-sensory" means 5. it distinguishes between good spiritual forces and satanic forces 6. we should approach parapsychology with the most extreme caution

Define parapsychology and describe four forms of ESP.

Parapsychology is the study of events that cannot be explained by known physical, psychological, or biological mechanisms. Telepathy is the ability to project one's thoughts into the minds of others or to read their minds. Clairvoyance is the perception of events that are not available to the senses. Precognition is the ability to foretell the future. Psychokinesis is the ability to cause objects to move without touching them. Strong scientific evidence for these phenomena is lacking.

Explain the Gestalt approach to perception.

The term Gestalt can be translated as "unified form," "pattern," or "whole." The Gestalt laws of perception explain how we assemble pieces of information into wholes. One basic principle distinguishes between figure and ground. Objects stand out against some sort of background. There are several specific laws regarding how information is grouped. The law of proximity suggests that we group together items that are close together in space. The law of similarity proposes that we group together items that are similar to one another. The law of continuity says that we perceive a series of stimuli as a unified whole when they seem to represent a continuous pattern. The principle of closure is that we group disconnected pieces of information into a meaningful whole. The law of connectedness asserts that we perceive objects as belonging together if they are located together or seem to be moving together.

______ states that the smallest difference between two stimuli that is detectable 50% of the time is always a constant

Weber's law

Rebecca tells Tom that he is singing "off pitch." Rebecca is referring to which physical property of sound? a) Amplitude b) Frequency c) Loudness d) Speed e) Decibel

b) Frequency

Renee is smelling a rose. Its odor's chemical molecules lock into the odor receptors in Renee's nose. The resulting neural impulses then follow which path? a) Olfactory bulb to olfactory nerve to olfactory cortex in the parietal lobe b) Olfactory nerve to olfactory bulb to olfactory cortex in the temporal lobe c) Olfactory nerve to thalamus to olfactory cortex in the temporal lobe d) Olfactory nerve to olfactory bulb to olfactory cortex in the occipital lobe e) Olfactory nerve to olfactory cortex to olfactory bulb in the occipital lobe

b) Olfactory nerve to olfactory bulb to olfactory cortex in the temporal lobe

With reference to Weber's constants, people are LEAST sensitive to changes in which of the following? a) Pitch of sounds b) Saltiness of food c) Heaviness of weights d) Brightness of lights e) Odor

b) Saltiness of food

Which part of your eye gives your eye its color? a) The cornea b) The iris c) The pupil d) The fovea e) The retina

b) The iris

Regarding the sense of taste, which of the following statements is true? a) People without tongues are unable to sense taste. b) The receptors for taste are located mostly on the tongue. c) When taste receptors are "killed off" by hot foods, they remain inactive. d) Genetic factors do not play a large role in either taste sensitivity or taste preferences. e) Pigs are unable to taste sweetness, whereas cats are able to do so.

b) The receptors for taste are located mostly on the tongue.

What is kinesthesis? a) The sense that allows you to maintain your balance b) The sense that lets you know where your body parts are c) The sense that informs you about the movement of your head in relation to the external world d) The sense that transmits messages of pain to your brain e) The sense that monitors the position of your head in space

b) The sense that lets you know where your body parts are

Which of the following is a test for an absolute threshold for taste? a) Detecting a bitter taste in broccoli because one is a supertaster b) Detecting a difference in tastes between two spots on the tongue that are one-eighth of an inch apart c) Detecting one teaspoon of sugar dissolved in two gallons of water d) Detecting the number and type of lemons that were used to make a pitcher of lemonade e) Detecting the sweetness of a fruit while blindfolded

c) Detecting one teaspoon of sugar dissolved in two gallons of water

Regarding the theories of color vision, which of the following is true? a) Trichromatic theory is supported by the behavior of cells lying between the cones and the occipital lobe of the cerebral cortex. b) Opponent-process theory is supported at the receptor level. c) Most authorities today suggest that color vision includes elements of both trichromatic and opponent-process theories. d) Trichromatic theory is based on Hering's work with afterimages. e) Opponent-process theory suggests that the eyes have four types of color receptors.

c) Most authorities today suggest that color vision includes elements of both trichromatic and opponent-process theories.

Which Gestalt principle describes the tendency to perceive objects as belonging together when they are close to one another? a) Connectedness b) Continuity c) Proximity d) Similarity e) Closure

c) Proximity

What is the most common form of colorblindness? a) Blue-green b) Red-yellow c) Red-green d) Blue-yellow e) Blue-red

c) Red-green

______ consists of limiting attention to certain stimuli and filtering out other stimuli. a) Sensation b) Perception c) Selective attention d) Perceptual set e) Habituation

c) Selective attention

the use of preexisting knowledge to organize individual features into a unified while is known as

top-down processing