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78 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
In Psychology the term sensation formally refers to: |
The process of detecting a physical stimulus such as light, sound heat, or pressure. |
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In contrast to sensation, The term perception is formally defined as the: |
active mental process of integrating, organizing, and interpreting sensory data.
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In order to Answer this test item, you must read the words on this page. Detecting the black marks on the page relies on the process of _____, and the ability to interpret these black lines and curves as letters and words involves the process of _____.
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sensation; perception
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Which of the following statements is TRUE?
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There is no clear boundary between the processes of sensation and perception as we experience them.
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Whatmakes sensation possible?
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sensory receptors
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The process by which physical energy, such as light, is converted into a coded neural signal that can be transmitted to and interpreted by the brain is called:
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transduction
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When sensory receptors convert different forms of energy into neural signals, the process is known as:
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transduction
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You catch the whiff of freshly popped popcorn as you enter the movie theater. The process by which the odor of popcorn is converted into neural signals that your brain can interpret as the smell of popcorn is called:
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transduction
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Sensation results when sensory receptor cells are stimulated by:
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some form of physical energy
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The smallest possible stimulus that can be detected half the time, or the minimum level of stimuli that we can detect is called:
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the absolute threshold
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The smallest possible difference between two stimuli that can be detected is called the:
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difference threshold, or just noticeable difference
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When Andrew had his hearing tested, some sounds were too soft for him to detect. These sounds were below his _____ for hearing.
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absolute threshold
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A large group of students were tested for their ability to distinguish among different tones. Although tone A and tone B were slightly different, more than half of the group thought that they sounded exactly the same. The difference between tone A and tone B can be said to be less than the:
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difference threshold, or just noticeable difference
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When you were younger, you probably had your hearing checked. Headphones were placed over your ears and you were to respond when you heard a sound. You were being tested for your hearing:
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threshold
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As you go to sleep at night, you realize that you can hear your roommate's wristwatch ticking. Out of curiosity, you keep a record of when you hear the watch ticking and find out that you can hear it about half the time. Your ability to hear your roommate's wristwatch about half the time is an example of:
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an absolute threshold
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According to _____, whether we can detect a change in the strength of a stimulus depends upon the intensity of the original stimulus.
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Weber's law
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Perception that is below the threshold of conscious perception is called:
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subliminal perception
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The mere exposure effect:
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holds true for exposure to subliminal stimuli as well as exposure to nonsubliminal stimuli
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The mere exposure effect refers to:
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the finding that repeated exposure to a particular stimulus leads to increased liking for that stimulus.
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The finding that repeated exposure to a particular stimulus leads to increased liking for that stimulus is called:
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the mere exposure effect
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John puts one toe into the swimming pool and shivers because the water is so cold. He grits his teeth and dives in anyway. After about ten minutes, the temperature of the water seems quite comfortable to him. This example illustrates the principle of:
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sensory adaptation
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Jill runs a hot bath. She starts to get into the tub but the water feels extremely hot. She stands in the hot water for a few moments, then slowly sits down, easing the rest of her body into the water. After a few minutes, she feels quite comfortable; the water no longer feels too hot to her. This decline in sensitivity to a constant stimulus that Jill has experienced is called:
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sensory adaptation
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As you walk into an Indian restaurant, you immediately notice the delicious odors of curry, saffron, and other spices. After a few minutes, however, you no longer notice the smell. This experience is an example of:
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sensory adaptation
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The sensory receptor cells for vision are sensitive to what kind of stimulus?
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light |
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The clear membrane that covers the outside of the eye and helps gather and direct incoming light is called the:
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cornea |
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The muscle that controls the amount of light entering the pupil is the:
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iris |
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As you walk into a brightly lit room, the black structure in the center of your eye seems to shrink to a tiny black dot. This response is caused by the action of the eye structure called the:
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iris
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The _____ thickens or thins to focus incoming light. This process is called _____.
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lens; accommodation
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As light waves enter the eye, which three structures do they pass through first?
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cornea, pupil, lens
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As you glance at the person sitting next to you in class, light reflected from the person's shirt first passes through which three structures of your eye?
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cornea, pupil, lens
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How do glasses correct visual problems?
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Glasses correct vision by intercepting and bending incoming light waves so that they are focused properly on the retina.
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The sensory receptors for vision are:
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the rods and cones of the retina
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Each eye contains about _____ rods and about _____ cones.
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125 million; 7 million
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Rods are used for vision in _____ light, and cones are used for vision in _____ light.
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dim; bright
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The visual sensory receptor cells that transform light energy into a neural signal are the:
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rods and cones in the retina
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Identify the sequence that correctly represents the path taken by light signals through the eye.
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cornea, pupil, lens, retina
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The thin, light-sensitive membrane that lies at the back of the eye and contains the sensory receptors for light is the _____.
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retina |
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Rods and cones are:
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the sensory receptor cells for vision, found in the retina
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Which type of sensory receptor(s) are involved in color vision?
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cones but not rods
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Rods are to cones as _____ is to _____.
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slow adaptation; quick adaptation
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Cones are most concentrated in the:
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fovea |
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What region of the eye has the largest concentration of cones?
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the fovea |
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The brain receives less detailed information from the _____ than from the _____.
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rods; cones
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The blind spot is caused by:
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the absence of rods or cones at the point where the optic nerve leaves the eye.
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What is the optic disk?
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the point at which the optic nerve fibers leave the back of the eye
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What does the optic disk cause?
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our blind spot
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Which of the following is(are) most involved with visual acuity?
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cones |
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From the thalamus, visual signals are sent to the _____, where they are interpreted.
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visual cortex
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The primary function of the _____ is to catch sound waves and funnel them into the ear canal.
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pinna |
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The outer ear consists of the:
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pinna, ear canal, and eardrum
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Theprimary function of the outer ear is to:
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collect sound waves and funnel them into the ear canal.
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What separates the outer ear from the middle ear?
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the eardrum
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The primary function served by the middle ear is to:
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amplify the vibration of sound waves
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The hammer, anvil, and stirrup are:
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three tiny bones in the middle ear
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The purpose of the hammer, anvil, and stirrup is to:
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increase the amplification of sound and transmit the amplified vibration to the oval window.
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If your hammer, anvil, and stirrup become brittle or damaged:
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you may develop conduction deafness
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The inner ear includes which of the following structures?
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the cochlea, basilar membrane, and hair cells
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Which of the following represents the correct sequence of parts of the ear that sound travels in hearing?
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pinna, ear canal, eardrum, hammer, anvil, stirrup, oval window, cochlea, basilar membrane, hair cells, auditory nerve
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Nerve deafness is caused by damage to the:
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hair cells or auditory nerve
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After many years of playing extremely loud rock music, Pete Townshend of the famous rock group The Who has suffered a significant hearing loss, which cannot be corrected with a hearing aid. Townshend is suffering from:
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nerve deafness
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How are auditory stimuli transmitted to the brain?
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The bending of hair cells stimulates the auditory nerve
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Taste is to _____ as smell is to _____.
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gustation; olfaction
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Smell and taste receptors respond to what type of stimuli?
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chemical molecules
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The stimuli that produce the sensation of an odor are:
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molecules in the air
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Unlike the sensory receptor cells for hearing and vision, olfactory neurons:
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are replaced every 30 to 60 days
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The word anosmia refers to:
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loss of the olfactory sense
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Gustation is to olfaction as _____ is to _____.
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taste; smell
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To identify a particular odor, the brain:
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interprets the pattern of odor receptor cells that are stimulated.
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The olfactory nerve transmits messages to the:
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olfactory bulb
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Axons from the olfactory nerve project directly to the:
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olfactory cortex
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Theolfactory bulb is:
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the enlarged ending of the olfactory cortex
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Which part of the brain is thought to regulate the emotional response to odors?
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the limbic system
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The _____ is thought to be involved in our conscious recognition of smells.
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temporal lobe
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The olfactory neurons in your nose are unique in that they:
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form a direct connection to areas of the cortex and limbic system and are the only neurons that directly link the brain to the outside world.
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At first, you can barely concentrate in your psychology class because the guy sitting behind you is wolfing down a hamburger smothered in onions for his lunch. After a minute, you no longer notice the smell of his sandwich because:
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sensory adaptation has taken place
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The sensation of taste results from the activation of receptor cells by what kind of stimuli?
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chemical substances dissolved in saliva
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The specialized receptor cells for taste are found in the:
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taste buds
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The primary tastes include:
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sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami
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