Psych ch 5

Which of the following is NOT one of the four basic tastes? a. Bitter b. Sour c. Sweet d. Acidic

Acidic

The fact that most people perceive individual elements that are moving in the same direction as being part of a single group is consistent with the Gestalt law of: a. Proximity b. Similarity c. Closure d. common fate

common fate

The branch of psychology in which researchers look for ways to describe the transition from the physical stimulus to the psychological experience of that stimulus is called: a. Psychophysics b. Neuropsychology c. Structuralism d. Functionalism

Psychophysics

The perception of both smell and taste begin with the activity of the: a. retinal cells b. Chemoreceptors c. olfactory units d. somatosensory neurons

Chemoreceptors

The fact that most people tend to perceive complete objects, even when part of the object is missing, is consistent with the Gestalt law of: a. Proximity b. common fate c. Similarity d. Closure

Closure

The coiled, fluid-filled tube in which sound waves trigger neural impulses is called the: a. Cochlea b. Eustachian tube c. semicircular canal d. auditory canal

Cochlea

The receptor cells in the retina that enable us to distinguish different wavelengths of light are called: a. Cones b. Rods c. bipolar cells d. ganglion cells

Cones

The transparent and protective outer covering of the eye is the: a. Cornea b. Lens c. Retina d. Iris

Cornea

In Irving Biederman's recognition by components theory, a basic form, such as a cylinder or block is called a: a. Element b. Geon c. Cell d. Soma

Geon

Our sense of taste is called: a. Olfaction b. Phrenology c. Gustation d. Kinesthesia

Gustation

The frequency of a sound is measured in: a. Decibels b. Geons c. Hertz d. Convergence

Hertz

The flexible piece of tissue that helps focus light toward the back of the eye is the: a. Cornea b. Lens c. Retina d. Iris

Lens

The small part of the electromagnetic spectrum that is processed by the visual system is: a. Light b. Hue c. Brightness d. Transduction

Light

The receptor cells for taste are located in folds on bumps on the tongue called: a. olfactory bulbs b. Kinesthesias c. phrenology nodes d. Papillae

Papillae

The phi phenomenon is an illusion of: a. Color b. Depth c. Size d. Motion

Motion

The external flap of tissues that helps capture sound and funnel it down into the auditory canal is called the: a. Pinna b. tympanic membrane c. basilar membrane d. auditory canal

Pinna

The light-sensitive surface at the back of the eye, that contains rods and cones, is the: a. Iris b. optic nerve c. Retina d. Cornea

Retina

The process through which rods and cones convert electromagnetic energy into neural signals is an example of: a. Accommodation b. sensory adaptation c. sensory interaction d. Transduction

Transduction

When groups of neurons generate impulses rapidly in succession, to provide additional clues about pitch, they are creating: a. Amplitudes b. Refractories c. Geons d. Volleys

Volleys

Visual acuity is the: a. ability to process fine detail in vision b. conversion of nervous system impulses into perceived images c. ability to process color d. conversion of light waves into nervous system impulses

ability to process fine detail in vision

Psychologists define kinesthesia as the: a. sense of balance and movement controlled by the cerebellum b. ability to sense the position and movement of body parts c. process that activates pain gates in the spinal cord d. ability to detect movement using our peripheral vision

ability to sense the position and movement of body parts

The intensity level at which people can successfully detect the presence of a stimulus 50% of the times it is present is called the: a. difference threshold for the stimulus b. absolute threshold for the stimulus c. perceptual threshold for the stimulus d. adaptation threshold for the stimulus

absolute threshold for the stimulus

In describing the psychological properties of sound, decibels provide a measure of the: a. complexity of sound waves b. amplitude of sound waves c. frequency of sound waves d. length of sound waves

amplitude of sound waves

After the neural signals from each visual field separate at the optic chiasm, the majority of the neurons from the optic nerve travel to the: a. superior colliculus, while 10% travel to the lateral geniculate nucleus in the thalamus b. left visual cortex, while 10% travel to the right visual cortex c. lateral geniculate nucleus in the thalamus, while 10% travel to the superior colliculus d. right visual cortex, while 10% travel to the left visual cortex

ateral geniculate nucleus in the thalamus, while 10% travel to the superior colliculus

The structure within the cochlea that contains the auditory receptors is called the: a. Pinna b. tympanic membrane c. basilar membrane d. auditory canal

basilar membrane

Currently, the best description of the way in which color is encoded in the visual pathways is that color vision: a. begins as an opponent process in the retina and later switches to a trichromatic process b. is an opponent process in the left cerebral cortex and a trichromatic process in the right cerebral cortex c. begins as a trichromatic process in the retina and later switches to an opponent process d. is an opponent process in the right cerebral cortex and a trichromatic process in the left cerebral cortex

begins as a trichromatic process in the retina and later switches to an opponent process

Thaddeus took a lukewarm shower after he got out of the sauna. Based on what is known about temperature perception, you should predict that Thaddeus will initially perceive the shower as: a. being uncomfortably hot b. being uncomfortably cold c. being comfortable, and feeling neither too hot nor too cold d.alternating between being uncomfortably cold and being much too hot

being uncomfortably cold

The term used to describe distance cues that are obtained through comparing the differing views from each of our eyes is: a. monocular cues b. binocular cues c. bipolar cues d. perceptual constancies

binocular cues

Processing that is controlled by the physical message delivered to the senses is: a. top-down processing b. bottom-up processing c. figure-to-ground processing d. opponent processing

bottom-up processing

The intensity of reflected electromagnetic waves determines the: a. brightness that will be perceived b. subliminal interpretation of the incoming energy c. hue or color that will be perceived d. wavelength of the light wave

brightness that will be perceived

The Gestalt law of good continuation states that lines that: a. have gaps will be perceived as complete objects b. cross or are interrupted are still seen as continuously flowing lines c. share common features or properties will be perceived as a single group d. are moving in the same direction will be perceived as a single group

cross or are interrupted are still seen as continuously flowing lines

Our increasing sensitivity to light in reduced illumination is due to: a. light adaptation b. bipolar sensitivity c. dark adaptation d. increased neural impulses in the thalamus

dark adaptation

Based on the research conducted by Hubel and Wiesel, you should infer that when an individual looks at a vertical line and then looks at a horizontal line, he or she will probably activate different: a. feature detectors b. channels within the thalamus c. sensory thresholds d. lobes in the cerebral cortex

feature detectors

Svetlana is having trouble detecting sounds of a certain pitch. However, there is no damage to her basilar membrane. Her hearing problem is probably best explained by: a. frequency theory b. Young-Helmholtz theory c. place theory d. opponent-process theory

frequency theory

Which theory states that impulses generated by pain receptors can be blocked in the spinal cord by signals originating in the brain? a. gate-control theory b. bottom-up processing theory c. vestibular-sense theory d. top-down processing theory

gate-control theory

Place theory of pitch perception runs into problems because: a. neurons in the auditory pathway go through refractory periods b. hair cells in the basilar membrane do not act independently c. some areas of the cerebral cortex are insensitive to varying frequencies d. the bones of the middle ear vibrate at differential rates

hair cells in the basilar membrane do not act independently

The physical distance from one cycle of electromagnetic energy to the next determines the: a. hue or color that will be perceived b. absolute threshold of light c. brightness that will be perceived d. intensity of the light wave

hue or color that will be perceived

Irving Biederman's recognition by components theory helps to explain how people can successfully: a. recognize objects they have never seen before b. overcome visual illusions c. perceive depth using only monocular cues d. identify degraded or incomplete objects

identify degraded or incomplete objects

Perceptual illusions are: a. unrelated to the phenomenon of perceptual constancy b. due to the visual system's attempts to generate unstable images c. a result of maladaptive principles of brain functioning d. inappropriate interpretations of physical reality

inappropriate interpretations of physical reality

The key idea behind the opponent-process theory of color vision is that: a. increased activation of one type of color cell decreases activation in another b. the retina contains three kinds of color receptors c. ganglion cells encode most aspects of color d. each hemisphere of the brain processes color differently

increased activation of one type of color cell decreases activation in another

The cochlea is contained in the: a. semicircular canal b. inner ear c. auditory canal d. middle ear

inner ear

The two major cues that are used to localize sounds are: a. frequency and intensity differences between the two ears b. differences in loudness and timbre in each of the ears c. intensity and timing differences between the two ears d. differences in pitch and frequency in each of the ears

intensity and timing differences between the two ears

Top-down processing: a. involves scanning an object from the top to the bottom when it is first encoded b. is controlled by the physical message delivered to the senses c. involves using perceptual illusions to aid in recognizing familiar objects d. is controlled by one's beliefs and expectations

is controlled by one's beliefs and expectations

The fovea of the eye: a. produces a blind spot in individuals with monocular vision b. helps to focus light accurately on the retina c. enhances the accuracy of our peripheral vision d. is the central part of the retina where the cones are concentrated

is the central part of the retina where the cones are concentrated

The wavelength of the light that is reflected from an object: a. is a function of the amount of light that falls on an object b. determines the perceived brightness of a stimulus c. is the physical distance from one energy cycle to the next d. determines the amount of accommodation in the vitreous humor

is the physical distance from one energy cycle to the next

The physical stimulus for the perception of touch is: a. electromagnetic energy b. mechanical energy c. chemical energy d. hyperkinetic energy

mechanical energy

The three small bones that help intensify sound during hearing are contained in the: a. inner ear b. outer ear c. vestibular ear d. middle ear

middle ear

The receptors for our kinesthetic sense are located in the: a. inner ear b. base of the spinal cord c. muscles that surround our joints d. limbic system

muscles that surround our joints

Before information is sent to the brain, the receptors for the sense of smell send information to the: a. olfactory bulb b. gustatory bulb c. phrenology bulb d. kinesthesia bulb

olfactory bulb

The blind spot is located in the point in the retina where the: a. optic nerve leaves the eye b. fovea is located c. feature detectors are most plentiful d. bipolar cells connect with the ganglion cells

optic nerve leaves the eye

According to psychologists, in humans, the vestibular sense is responsible for: a. our ability to sense the position and movement of body parts b. our sense of balance and movement c. our ability to recognize objects using only our sense of touch d. activation of pain gates in the spinal cord

our sense of balance and movement

Perceiving the properties of an object to remain the same even though the physical properties of the sensory message are changing is known as: a. relative size b. the phi phenomenon c. perceptual constancy d. the autokinetic effect

perceptual constancy

In vision, the portion of the retina that, when stimulated, causes the activity of higher order neurons to change is the: a. prosopagnosia area b. retinal field c. peripheral area d. receptive field

receptive field

Based on opponent-process theory of color vision, you should predict that cells in the lateral geniculate nucleus that are inhibited when the eye is stimulated by green light will be activated when the eye is stimulated by: a. yellow light b. red light c. blue light d. all other colors of light

red light

According to the trichromatic theory of color vision, the primary colors associated with the stimulation of cones on the retina are: a. red, blue, and green b. red, white, and blue c. blue, green, and yellow d. red, green, blue, yellow, black, and white

red, blue, and green

The monocular depth cue in which comparably sized objects that produce different-sized retinal images are perceived as varying in distance from the observer is: a. Convergence b. linear perspective c. Overlap d. relative size

relative size

Individuals who wear glasses on their face would always see the frames blocking their vision if the human nervous system didn't respond to unchanging stimulation through: a. sensory adaptation b. perceptual invariance c. perceptual assimilation d. changing difference thresholds

sensory adaptation

The technique used to determine the ability of someone to detect the presence of a stimulus is: a. signal detection b. Psychophysics c. systematic introspection d. Functionalism

signal detection

Our perception that objects have a constant size even when viewed from different distances is due to: a. size constancy b. shape constancy c. binocular depth perception d. linear perspective

size constancy

Stimulating sensory receptors in the skin causes neural signals to be sent to the: a. somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobe b. motor cortex in the frontal lobe c. somatosensory cortex in the frontal lobe d. motor cortex in the parietal lobe

somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobe

The Gestalt law of proximity states that visual elements: a. that share common features or properties will be perceived as a single group b. that are moving in the same direction will be perceived as a single group c. that have gaps will be perceived as complete objects d. that are close to each other will be perceived as a single group

that are close to each other will be perceived as a single group

The Gestalt law of similarity states that visual elements: a. that are close to each other will be perceived as a single group b. that are moving in the same direction will be perceived as a single group c. that share common features or properties will be perceived as a single group d. that have gaps will be perceived as complete objects

that share common features or properties will be perceived as a single group

Perception refers to: a. the elementary features or building blocks of experience b. the collection of processes used to arrive at a meaningful interpretation of an experience c. the process of translating external messages into neural impulses d. the physical properties of stimuli in the environment

the collection of processes used to arrive at a meaningful interpretation of an experience

Sensations are: a. the elementary features or building blocks of experience b. the processes used to translate external messages into neural impulses c. the collection of processes used to arrive at a meaningful interpretation of an experience d. the physical properties of stimuli in the environment

the elementary features or building blocks of experience

The Gestalt psychologists believed: a. we are born with certain organizing principles of perception b. we are born with certain organizing principles of sensation c. we learn certain organizing principles of perception during early infancy d. we learn certain organizing principles of sensation during early infancy

we are born with certain organizing principles of perception

The key idea behind the place theory of hearing is that: a. there are structures in the inner ear that provide us with a sense of the position of our bodies in space b. we have a system for sensing the position and movement of the various parts of our body c. the pitch we hear is related to the place where the cochlea's basilar membrane is stimulated d. we can locate the place from which a sound originated because of the distance between our ears

the pitch we hear is related to the place where the cochlea's basilar membrane is stimulated

The group of rods or cones that sends information to a single ganglion cell forms: a. the optic disk for that ganglion cell b. the blind spot in each eye c. the receptive field for that ganglion cell d. an integrated neural net

the receptive field for that ganglion cell

Perception results from: a. top-down processing alone b. bottom-up processing alone c. top-down and bottom-up processing working together d. top-down and bottom-up processing opposing one another

top-down and bottom-up processing working together

Simon took his car to a mechanic because he heard a strange sound whenever he turned the steering wheel to the left. The mechanic was able to quickly identify the problem, just by listening to the sound the car made. The mechanic's quick identification of the problem illustrates: a. bottom-up processing b. top-down processing c. sound localization d. opponent processing

top-down processing

Graham is a strong believer in UFOs, and the other night he saw three streaks of light flash across the sky in a group. They were actually planes from the local air base, but Graham was convinced he had just seen three spaceships. Graham's perception of the strange lights in the sky illustrates the influence of: a. opponent processing b. top-down-processing c. bottom-up processing d. the Gestalt law of common fate

top-down-processing

The part of the ear called the eardrum is also referred to by the technical term: a. Pinna b. tympanic membrane c. basilar membrane d. Cochlea

tympanic membrane

In the eye, transduction of the electromagnetic energy into neural impulses occurs: a. as the light passes through the cornea b. when the light strikes the rods and cones of the retina c. when the light passes through the lens d. in the vitreous humor in the center of the eye

when the light strikes the rods and cones of the retina