Module 16

The process by which we select, organize, and interpret sensory information in order to recognize meaningful objects and events is called

perception

Photographs of people were rated more positively if the photos immediately followed a briefly flashed image of kittens. This best illustrates the impact of

priming

When you are expecting an incoming text message, you are much more likely to notice it the second it arrives. This best illustrates

priming

The process by which our sensory systems convert stimulus energies into neural messages is called

transduction

Giulio's bag of marbles is twice as heavy as Jim's. If it takes 5 extra marbles to make Jim's bag feel heavier, it will take 10 extra marbles to make Giulio's bag feel heavier. This best illustrates

Weber's law

The principle that two stimuli must differ by a constant proportion for their difference to be perceived is known

Weber's law

The minimum amount of stimulation a person needs to detect a stimulus 50 percent of the time is called the

absolute threshold

A subliminal message is one that is presented

below one's absolute threshold for awareness

Standing atop a mountain on an utterly dark, clear night, most of us would see a candle flame atop another mountain 30 miles away. This best illustrates

opponent-process theory

When Jason briefly turned to summon the waiter, his wife quickly switched her glass of red wine with his glass of white wine. Jason's failure to notice that his chosen wine had been replaced best illustrates

parallel processing

In experiments, an image is quickly flashed and then replaced by a masking stimulus that inhibits conscious perception of the original image. In these experiments, the researchers are studying the effects of

priming

Because she was listening to the news on the radio, Mrs. Schultz didn't perceive a word her husband was saying. Her experience best illustrates

selective attention

In University of Utah driving-simulation experiments, students conversing on cell phones were slower to detect and respond to traffic signals. This best illustrates

selective attention

Ohio State University pedestrians were more likely to cross streets unsafely if they were talking on a cell phone. This best illustrates the impact of

selective attention

After listening to your high-volume car stereo for 15 minutes, you fail to realize how loudly the music is blasting. This best illustrates

sensory adaption

Audiotapes of soothing ocean sounds accompanied by faint and imperceptible verbal messages designed to increase a desire to lose weight best illustrate

subliminal stimulation

News about the supposed effects of briefly presented messages on people's feelings of being thirsty involved false claims regarding

subliminal stimulation

The ability to pay attention to only one voice at a time is called

the cocktail party effect

If the just-noticeable difference for a 10-ounce weight is 1 ounce, the just noticeable difference for an 80-ounce weight would be ________ ounce(s)

8

Researchers found that 40 percent of people focused on repeating a list of challenging words failed to notice a change in the person speaking. This best illustrates

change blindness

While a man provided directions to a construction worker, two experimenters rudely interrupted by passing between them carrying a door. The student's failure to notice that the construction worker was replaced by a different person during this interruption illustrates

change blindness

Sensation is to ________ as perception is to ________

detection; interpretation

Some people are better than others at detecting slight variations in the tastes of various blends of coffee. This best illustrates the importance of

difference thresholds

Weber's law is relevant to an understanding of

difference thresholds

Sensory adaptation refers to

diminishing sensitivity to an unchanging stimulus

In one experiment, most of the participants who viewed a videotape of men tossing a basketball remained unaware of an umbrella-toting woman sauntering across the screen. This illustrated

inattentional blindness

As you look at an apple, its reflected light travels to the eye. The rods and cones absorb the light and help transmit the information to the brain. This process best illustrates

sensation

The detection and encoding of stimulus energies by the nervous system is called

sensation

Hearing a sequence of sounds of different pitches is to ________ as recognizing the sound sequence as a familiar melody is to ________

sensation; perception

Diminished sensitivity to an unchanging stimulus is known as

sensory adaption

Bottom-up processing involves analysis that begins with the

sensory receptors

The fact that fear may increase your sensitivity to an almost imperceptible pain stimulus is of most relevance to

signal detection theory

Which theory can best explain why people respond differently to the same stimuli?

signal detection theory

Which theory emphasizes that personal expectations and motivations influence the level of absolute thresholds?

signal detection theory

Trying to see a hidden representational image in a piece of abstract art by looking carefully at each element in the picture and trying to form an image employs which kind of perceptual process?

bottom-up processing

As the text notes, "Once we have formed a wrong idea about reality, we have more difficulty seeing the truth." This best illustrates the impact of

top-down processing

Heather Sellers suffers from prosopagnosia and is unable to recognize her own face in a mirror. Her difficulty stems from a deficiency in

top-down processing

Our experiences, assumptions, and expectations may give us a perceptual set that influences what we perceive. This is an example of

top-down processing

Patients' negative expectations about the outcome of a surgical procedure can increase their postoperative experience of pain. This best illustrates the importance of

top-down processing

The effect of prior experience and current expectations on perception best illustrates the importance of

top-down processing

If we could stop our eyes from quivering as we stared at a stationary object, the object would probably

vanish from sight

When informed that a brief imperceptible message would be flashed repeatedly during a popular TV program, many viewers reported feeling strangely hungry or thirsty during the show. Since the imperceptible message had nothing to do with hunger or thirst, viewers' strange reactions best illustrate

a placebo effect

Although Manuel was sitting right next to his parents, he smelled a skunk minutes before they did. Apparently, Manuel has a lower ________ for skunk odor than his parents have

absolute threshold

During a hearing test, many sounds were presented at such a low level of intensity that Mr. Antall could hardly detect them. These sounds were below Mr. Antall's

absolute threshold

Sensory adaptation helps us to focus our attention on what kind of stimuli?

novel