PSYCH 101 - Quiz 6 Ch 6
retinal
the aldehyde form of vitamin A
cycle of sensation and perception
your experiences and knowledge come to anticipate stimuli. you see what you want to see and hear what you want to hear.
perception
The experience we have as we process and interpret information from sensory cells.
percept
The final interpretation of a stimulus
noise
The firing of a sensory cell without a stimulus or to an irrelevant stimulus.
lens
The flexible, transparent structure in the eye that helps focus an image on the back of the eye's interior.
duplex theory
The idea that both intensity differences and latency differences are used to localize sound
trichromatic theory
The idea that color vision is based on receptors for three different colors
absolute threshold
The lowest intensity of a stimulus that can be detected half the time.
Wilhem Wundt (1879)
father of psychology, simple tasks, less brain activity, less time and vise versa. introspection and self report, helps to understand how the mind works
stimulus
(Pl. stimuli) Any physical event that affects a sensory receptor cell.
sensory receptor cells
Also called receptors. Specialized sensory cells that detect stimuli.
gestalt psychology
A German school of psychology that emphasizes that the whole perception is more than just the sum of separate sensations
cochlea
A bony, fluid-filled, spiral- shaped tunnel of the inner ear that detects the vibrations transmitted from the tiny bones in the middle ear.
tastant
A chemical that encounters the taste receptor cell and excites it.
congenital intensity to pain
A genetic condition that prevents the feeling of pain.
signal detection theory
A way to measure how well a real stimulus (a signal) is detected in the midst of irrelevant stimuli (noise).
In which of the following scenarios would signal detection be most difficult because of ambient noise? A. Noticing the text-alert sound from the cell phone in your pocket while you walk throughout the supermarket B. Hearing the doorbell ring while waiting anxiously for guests to arrive C. Feeling a tap on your shoulder while moving through a noisy crowd D. Enjoying your favorite song on the train while using noise-canceling headphones
A. Noticing the text-alert sound from the cell phone in your pocket while you walk throughout the supermarket
Why would you feel pain when placing your hand on both a hot and a cold pipe at the same time? A. Touch receptors are reporting the sensations of heat and cold, but the brain combines the two and perceives pain. B. The juxtaposition of hot and cold metal scalds your skin. C. The free nerve endings in your hand cannot distinguish between hot and cold sensations. D. Any vibration of the pipes interferes with the normal functioning of your free nerve endings.
A. Touch receptors are reporting the sensations of heat and cold, but the brain combines the two and perceives pain.
The olfactory system routes information directly to the _______ of the brain. A. olfactory bulb B. primary visual cortex C. lateral geniculate nucleus D. parietal cortex
A. olfactory bulb
The _______ at one end of the cochlea is sensitive to the vibrations of the bones of the middle ear. A. oval window B. stapes C. pinna D. central canal
A. oval window
electromagnetic spectrum
All of the frequencies or wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, small area is visible to human beings
long wavelength cones
Also called L cones. Cone photoreceptors that are best at detecting light of long wavelengths, such as red.
medium wavelength cones
Also called M cones. Cone photoreceptors that are best at detecting light of intermediate wavelengths, such as yellows and greens
short wavelength cones
Also called S cones. Cone photoreceptors that are best at detecting light of short wavelengths, such as violet.
color opponent theory
Also called opponent-process theory. The idea that color vision is based on a system of paired opposites of color.
outer ear
Also called pinna. The visible part of the ear and the canal leading to the eardrum.
ponzo illusion
An illusion of size in which two objects of equal size that are positioned between two converging lines appear to be different in size. Also called the railroad track illusion.
taste pore
An opening in a taste bud on the surface of the tongue, where chemicals in the mouth encounter the surface of taste receptor cells
Which of the following research questions is a psychophysicist likely to be most interested in asking? A. Which neurons relay information from the thalamus to the cerebral cortex? B. How much louder must a sound be before a person can detect that it is louder than the original sound? C. What kinds of neurons relay information from the spinal cord to the muscles? D. How is perceptual information encoded and stored for later use by the brain?
B. How much louder must a sound be before a person can detect that it is louder than the original sound?
Nociceptors are free nerve endings that are specialized to sense A. motion. B. pain. C. temperature changes. D. vibration.
B. pain.
The fact that we have short-, medium-, and long-wavelength cones that each respond to lights of different colors is most supportive of the _______ theory of color vision. A. receptive field B. trichromatic C. binocular D. opponent-process
B. trichromatic
The cochlea relays information to the brain about sound when A. free nerve endings in the cochlea are stimulated. B. vibrations in the cochlea bend the hairs of the hair cells, producing an action potential in a neuron underneath the hair cells. C. Meissner's corpuscles are stimulated. D. sound molecules chemically interact with the hair cells.
B. vibrations in the cochlea bend the hairs of the hair cells, producing an action potential in a neuron underneath the hair cells.
The Gestalt rules of perception seek to explain the ways in which A. vision increases perceptual speed. B. vision organizes images. C. visual sensations differ across individuals. D. visual preferences are defined.
B. vision organizes images.
Which of the following scenarios best illustrates size constancy? A. When riding in a car, you perceive close objects as remaining the same size but objects that are farther away as shrinking. B. You often misjudge how tall people are when you see them on television. C. As you approach a monument, you perceive that the monument remains the same size. D. In your mind, you generally remain the same size throughout your life.
C. As you approach a monument, you perceive that the monument remains the same size.
According to the trichromatic theory of color vision, which of the following people would be the most likely to suffer from colorblindness? A. Rod, who has all of his cones intact and functioning normally B. Steve, who has fewer rods than most people C. Cornell, whose long-wavelength cones lack sensitivity D. Angel, whose short-wavelength cones have exceptional sensitivity
C. Cornell, whose long-wavelength cones lack sensitivity
Refer to the figure below. What does this figure demonstrate? A. The right visual cortex receives information about what we see in the right half of the visual field. B. Objects on our right side are processed by the right eye only. C. The left visual cortex receives information about what we see in the right half of the visual field. D. Objects on our right side are processed by the left eye only.
C. The left visual cortex receives information about what we see in the right half of the visual field.
According to the duplex theory, we use both _______ differences and _______ differences to localize sounds. A. intensity; conflict resolution B. latency; convergence C. intensity; latency D. latency; frequency
C. intensity; latency
In a sense, phantom limb pain is a purely _______ phenomenon. A. modality-general B. sensory C. perceptual D. combat-specific
C. perceptual
In psychology, the word "noise" is defined as A. a factor that is always manipulated in controlled psychophysical experiments. B. the misclassification of a hit or miss in a signal detection experiment. C. the firing of a sensory cell without a stimulus or in response to an irrelevant stimulus. D. an unwanted sound.
C. the firing of a sensory cell without a stimulus or in response to an irrelevant stimulus.
taste receptor cells
Cells on the surface of the tongue that produce taste receptor proteins, which actually detect one of the five tastes.
taste buds
Collections of 50-150 cells, including taste receptor cells and support cells, on the surface of the tongue, back of the mouth, and roof of the mouth.
Refer to the figure below. How does the figure illustrate the concept of a sensory threshold? A. Stimulus strength is the only sensory modality that affects sensory thresholds. B. Sensory thresholds and sensory codes are essentially the same concept. C. A stimulus that is strong enough to cause a sensory receptor to fire will not cause the sensory receptor to reach threshold. D. If the stimulus is weak enough, the sensory receptor will not reach threshold and will not produce an action potential.
D. If the stimulus is weak enough, the sensory receptor will not reach threshold and will not produce an action potential.
Neuropathic pain is caused by A. regeneration of nociceptors in the stump of a missing limb. B. damage to the myelin sheath of spinal neurons. C. drugs that are designed to silence parts of the nervous system. D. a damaged or malfunctioning nervous system.
D. a damaged or malfunctioning nervous system.
The main difference between binocular and monocular depth cues is that A. monocular cues are generally more complex than binocular cues. B. monocular cues require information from both eyes, while binocular cues do not. C. binocular cues are used mostly for Gestalt perception, while monocular cues are used for motion. D. binocular cues require information from both eyes, while monocular cues do not.
D. binocular cues require information from both eyes, while monocular cues do not.
The depth cue of motion parallax accounts for the fact that while you are moving forward, you will perceive the A. largest objects as moving slowest and in the opposite direction. B. smallest objects as moving fastest and in the same direction. C. farthest objects as moving fastest and in the same direction. D. closest objects as moving fastest and in the opposite direction.
D. closest objects as moving fastest and in the opposite direction.
Your friend Tom lacks the ability to feel pain. Tom's condition is called A. sensory pain deficiency. B. congenital adrenal hyperplasia. C. sensory adaptation. D. congenital insensitivity to pain.
D. congenital insensitivity to pain.
If you were an artist drawing a cityscape, you would apply the linear perspective depth cue by A. ensuring that foreground buildings occlude background objects. B. making sure background objects are much larger than foreground objects. C. preserving the actual shape of each object while drawing it. D. drawing the streets converging with the edges of buildings at the horizon.
D. drawing the streets converging with the edges of buildings at the horizon.
When you eat a slice of pizza, your blissful experience, called _______, is the combined stimulation provided to taste receptors in the mouth and olfactory receptors in the nose. A. gustation B. taste C. smell D. flavor
D. flavor
Weber's fraction expresses the _______ as a proportion of the original stimulus. A. stimulus intensity B. response magnitude C. absolute threshold D. just noticeable difference (JND)
D. just noticeable difference (JND)
An absolute threshold is the A. ability to detect stimuli of all intensities. B. lowest intensity of a stimulus that a person can detect 100 percent of the time. C. degree to which a stimulus is mapped to a given response. D. lowest intensity of a stimulus that a person can detect half the time.
D. lowest intensity of a stimulus that a person can detect half the time.
Occlusion is a _______ depth cue. A. proprioceptive B. binocular C. vestibular D. monocular
D. monocular
central focus
Depression at the fovea where photoreceptors are packed most densely and where vision is clearest
monocular cues
Depth cues that are available even to one eye
Nociceptors
Free nerve endings that are specialized pain receptors
binocular cues
Information about distance provided by using two eyes.
binaural cues
Information about the location of sound found by comparing input to the two ears.
heuristics
Mental shortcuts or "rules of thumb" that often lead to a solution (but not always).
adorants
Molecules that can be smelled
sour
One of the five different tastes, detected by taste receptor proteins that allow positively charged hydrogen ions to enter the cell.
salty
One of the five different tastes, detected by taste receptor proteins that allow positively charged sodium ions to enter the cell.
bitter
One of the five different tastes, detected by taste receptor proteins that respond to a wide range of chemicals
umami
One of the five different tastes, detected by taste receptor proteins that respond to amino acid
sweet
One of the five different tastes, detected by taste receptor proteins that respond to sugar molecules.
neuropathic pain
Pain caused by a damaged or malfunctioning nervous system.
olfactory receptor neurons
Sensory neurons that detect odors and are found embedded in a sheet of cells lining the nose.
hair cells
Specialized receptor cells inside the cochlea.
photoreceptor adaptation
The ability of rods and cones to change their sensitivity.
depth perception
The ability to perceive distance
sound localization
The ability to perceive the source of a sound.
accomodation
The automatic adjustment of the eye for seeing at different distances affected chiefly by changes in the convexity of the crystalline lens.
convergence
The binocular cue from the coming together of the two eyes to focus on really close objects.
iris
The colored disc sitting just in front of the lens of the eye and that controls the amount of light entering the eye.
flavor
The combined stimulation provided to taste receptors in the mouth and olfactory receptors in the nose while eating something.
labeled lines
The concept that specific nerves are dedicated to relaying specific types of sensory information to the brain
linear perspective
The depth cue from parallel straight lines that converge with distance.
binocular disparity
The difference in the views from two eyes; this provides one important visual clue for depth perception
sensory modalities
The different types of senses. For example, vision, hearing, taste, touch, and smell.
Wavelength
The distance between two corresponding parts of a wave, the hue of a color
middle ear
The eardrum and the three tiny bones for conducting sound
pupil
The opening at the center of the iris
oval window
The opening from the middle ear to the cochlea of the inner ear
olfactory bulb
The part of the brain that receives impulses from the axons of the olfactory receptor neurons.
phantom limb pain
The perception of pain in a missing appendage.
sensation
The process by which the nervous system detects the physical events around or inside us
coding
The process in which neural impulses travel by different routes to different parts of the brain; it allows us to detect various physical stimuli as distinct sensations.
transduction
The process of converting outside stimuli, such as light, into neural activity
audition
The process of hearing.
sensory adaptation
The progressive loss of responsiveness in sensory cells exposed to a constant stimulus.
size cue
The property that objects appear smaller when they are farther away
receptive field
The region of space where stimuli affect the activity of a cell in a sensory system.
primary visual cortex
The region of the occipital cortex where most visual information first arrives
sensory code
The relationship between stimuli and the action potentials they produce in sensory cells
cornea
The round, transparent front of the eye.
olfactory epithelium
The sheet of cells lining the inside of the nose, in which the olfactory receptor neurons are embedded
photon
The smallest particle of light.
psychophysics
The study of how physical events, such as lights and sounds, affect our senses.
retina
The surface at the back of the eye where the image from the lens and cornea is focused. contains receptor cell for vision, rods and cones
place theory for hearing
The theory that pitch perception is linked to the particular spot on the cochlea's basilar membrane that is most stimulated; pitch is coded by the place at which activation occurs.
frequency theory for hearing
The theory that pitch perception occurs when a tone produces a rate of vibration in the basilar membrane equal to its frequency, with the result that pitch can be coded by the frequency of the neural response.
ossicles
The three tiny bones in the middle ear that amplify sounds.
inner ear
The tiny snail-shaped cochlea, and some similar organs that are important for balance
adequate stimulus
The type of stimulus for which a given sensory receptor organ is particularly adapted.
size constancy
The visual perception that an object does not change size, regardless of its distance away.
color constancy
The visual perception that an object retains the same color, no matter what color light is shining on it.
shape constancy
The visual perception that an object retains the same shape, no matter what angle we happen to see it from.
threshold
The weakest possible stimulus that still affects a sensory cell's firing.
sensory receptor organ
a clump of receptor cells, all detecting a particular kind of stimulus
motion parallax
a monocular depth cue in which we view objects that are closer to us as moving faster than objects that are further away from us
signal detection theory
a theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus (signal) amid background stimulation (noise). Assumes there is no single absolute threshold and that detection depends partly on a person's experience, expectations, motivation, and alertness.
optic nerve
all the axons from receptors in eyes and ganglion cells. sed info to optic nerve and goes to thalamus and helps you see. no rods and cones where this exits the back of the eye
dermatomes
an area of the skin supplied by nerves from a single spinal root
bottom-up processing
analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain's integration of sensory information, less information flow
amplitude
brightness and loudness
Fovea
good for details, back fo retina, all our cones are highly cncentrated here
top-down processing
information processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations, more information flow
light
is a wave and a particle, the eye responds to both chracteristics A form of electromagnetic energy that moves in waves
JND
just noticeable difference, smallest amount for someone to notice a difference
transmitted light
light passing through the object or medium
reflected light
mixing colored lights
Peacock Mantis Shrimp
one of over 400 species of mantis shrimp, known for their incredible color vision and powerful claws. They have 16 color-receptive cones in their eyes (as opposed to our three) and can accelerate their attacking claws at 23 m/s.
absorbed light
paints
plasticity
perceptions can and will change through this
cones
retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions. The cones detect fine detail and give rise to color sensations.
Rods
retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, when cones don't respond
Photoreceptors
rods and cones
high frequency means
short wavelength
Gestalt Psychology
strict empiricism is incorrect, gestalt principles apply to many of our sensations not just vision proximity: close figures are grouped as and object similarity: similar figures are grouped in an object continuity: intersecting lines are interpreted as continuous closure: figures with gaps get interpreted as complete illusory contours: contours are perceived even when they do not exist.
Gestalt rules of perception
tenets to explain many instances where vision organizes images
thalamus
the brain's sensory control center, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla. all senses pass through except smell.
fovea
the central focal point in the retina, around which the eye's cones cluster. where our vision is the sharpest
weber's law
the just noticeable difference of a stimulus is a constant proportion despite variations in intensity
volley theory of hearing
the neurons work together in a sort of volley system in which different neurons fire in sequence, allowing us to detect sounds up to about 4,000 hertz
frequency
the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time
visual field
the part of space that we can see at any one time
blind spots
the parts of the visual fields that are missing because of the optic discs
blind spot
the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a "blind" spot because no receptor cells are located there
olfaction
the process of smelling odors
optic disc
the round area on the retina, lacking rods and cones, where axons exit the eye
vestibular sense
the sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance, located in inner ear, semicircular canals and vestibular sacs
kinesthesis sense
the sense that keeps us informed about movements of the parts of the body their position in relation to each other. located throughout the muscles, joint and tendons of the body
just noticeable difference (JND)
the smallest change in the intensity of a stimulus that we can detect
weber's fraction
the smallest change in the magnitude of a stimulus that can be detected, expressed as a proportion of the original stimulus
Psychophysics
the study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them
Empiricism
the view that knowledge originates in experience and that science should, therefore, rely on observation and experimentation
waveforms are additive
they add to create more complex wave forms
algorithms
very specific, step-by-step procedures for solving certain types of problems