PSY 100 Chapter 6 Flashcards

Questions and Answers

Most research psychologists are skeptical of the claims of defenders of ESP.

True

Each time you see your car, it projects a different image on the retinas of your eyes, yet you do not perceive it as changing. This is because of:

Perceptual constancy (correct)

Retinal disparity

Perceptual set

Convergence

The term gestalt means:

Whole (correct)

Perception

Grouping

Sensation

Studies of the visual cliff have provided evidence that much of depth perception is:

Innate Signup and view all the answers

All of the following are laws of perceptual organization except:

Convergence Signup and view all the answers

________ processing refers to how our knowledge and expectations influence perception.

Top-down Signup and view all the answers

What is sensation?

Registering information from the environment (detecting the sensory system) Signup and view all the answers

What is perception?

Interpreting information sensed Signup and view all the answers

What are feature detectors?

Neurons that are hooked up to respond to particular features in the environment Signup and view all the answers

What does retinal disparity refer to?

Retinal difference; the view of the world of each eye is different Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is true about the absolute threshold for any stimulus?

The absolute threshold for any stimulus varies somewhat. Signup and view all the answers

If you can just notice the difference between 10 and 11-pound weights, which of the following weights could you differentiate from a 100-pound weight?

110-pound weight Signup and view all the answers

A decrease in sensory responsiveness accompanying an unchanging stimulus is called:

Sensory adaptation Signup and view all the answers

The size of the pupil is controlled by the:

Iris Signup and view all the answers

The process by which the lens changes its curvature is:

Accommodation Signup and view all the answers

The receptor of the eye that functions best in dim light is the:

Rod Signup and view all the answers

The Young-Helmholtz theory proposes that:

There are three different types of color-sensitive cones. Signup and view all the answers

Frequency is to pitch as is to .

Amplitude; loudness Signup and view all the answers

Our experience of pain when we are injured depends on:

Our physiology, experiences and attention, and our surrounding culture. Signup and view all the answers

According to the gate-control theory, a way to alleviate chronic pain would be to stimulate the _ nerve fibers that _ the spinal gate.

Large; close Signup and view all the answers

The brain breaks vision into separate dimensions such as color, depth, movement, and form, and works on each aspect simultaneously. This is called:

Parallel processing Signup and view all the answers

Kinesthesis involves:

Information from the muscles, tendons, and joints Signup and view all the answers

One light may appear reddish and another greenish if they differ in:

Wavelength Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following explains why a rose appears equally red in bright and dim light?

Color constancy Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of sensory adaptation?

Finding the cold water of a swimming pool warmer after you have been in it for a while Signup and view all the answers

Most color-deficient people will probably:

Lack functioning red or green-sensitive cones Signup and view all the answers

The historical movement associated with the statement 'The whole may exceed the sum of its parts' is:

Gestalt psychology Signup and view all the answers

What principle demonstrates that figures tend to be perceived as whole, complete objects even if spaces or gaps exist?

Closure Signup and view all the answers

What has the figure-ground relationship demonstrated?

The same stimulus can trigger more than one perception Signup and view all the answers

When we stare at an object, what provides a depth cue known as retinal disparity?

Each eye receives a slightly different image Signup and view all the answers

As we move, viewed objects cast changing shapes on our retinas, although we do not perceive the objects as changing. This is part of the phenomenon of:

Perceptual constancy Signup and view all the answers

A person claiming to be able to read another's mind is claiming to have the ESP ability of:

Telepathy Signup and view all the answers

Which philosopher maintained that knowledge comes from inborn ways of organizing our sensory experiences?

Kant Signup and view all the answers

Kittens and monkeys reared seeing only diffuse, unpatterned light:

Later had difficulty perceiving the shape of objects Signup and view all the answers

Adults who are born blind but later have their vision restored:

Typically fail to recognize familiar objects Signup and view all the answers

________ processing refers to how the physical characteristics of stimuli influence their interpretation.

Bottom-up Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is not a monocular depth cue?

Retinal disparity Signup and view all the answers

The Moon illusion occurs in part because distance cues at the horizon make the Moon seem:

Farther away and therefore larger Signup and view all the answers

The study of perception is primarily concerned with how we:

Interpret sensory stimuli Signup and view all the answers

Jack claims that he often has dreams that predict future events. He claims to have the power of:

Precognition Signup and view all the answers

Researchers who investigated telepathy found that:

Over many studies, none of the above occur Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following influences perception?

All of the above Signup and view all the answers

What amplifies sound?

Middle ear Signup and view all the answers

Which fibers close the pain gate?

Large nerve fibers Signup and view all the answers

What is referred to as the vestibular sense?

Semicircular canals Signup and view all the answers

What controls pupil size?

Iris Signup and view all the answers

What part of the eye is responsible for accommodation?

Lens Signup and view all the answers

Which fibers open the pain gate?

Small nerve fibers Signup and view all the answers

What admits light into the eye?

Pupil Signup and view all the answers

What is responsible for vision in dim light?

Rods Signup and view all the answers

What is involved in the transduction of sound?

Inner ear Signup and view all the answers

What does kinesthesis involve?

Sensors in joints Signup and view all the answers

What is responsible for color vision?

Cones Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is not one of the basic tastes?

Bland Signup and view all the answers

Of the four distinct skin senses, the only one that has definable receptors is:

Pressure Signup and view all the answers

If we stare at an object without blinking, the object does not vanish from sight because:

Our eyes are always moving Signup and view all the answers

The receptors for taste are located in the:

Taste buds Signup and view all the answers

The inner ear contains receptors for:

Audition and the vestibular sense Signup and view all the answers

According to the opponent-process theory:

Neurons involved in color vision are stimulated by one color's wavelength and inhibited by another's Signup and view all the answers

What enables you to feel yourself wiggling your toes even with your eyes closed?

Sense of kinesthesis Signup and view all the answers

Hubel and Wiesel discovered feature detectors in the visual:

Cortex Signup and view all the answers

Weber's law states that:

The jnd for any stimulus is a constant proportion Signup and view all the answers

The principle that one sense may influence another is:

Sensory interaction Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is the correct order of the structures through which light passes after entering the eye?

Cornea, pupil, lens, retina Signup and view all the answers

In the opponent-process theory, the three pairs of processes are:

Red-green, blue-yellow, black-white Signup and view all the answers

Wavelength is to _ as ___ is to brightness.

Hue; intensity Signup and view all the answers

Concerning the evidence for subliminal stimulation, which of the following is the best answer?

All of the above are true Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is the most accurate description of how we process color?

Color processing occurs in two stages: (1) a three-color system in the retina and (2) opponent-process cells en route to the visual cortex Signup and view all the answers

One reason that your ability to detect fine visual details is greatest when scenes are focused on the fovea of your retina is that:

Many cones, which are clustered in the fovea, have individual bipolar cells to relay their information to the cortex Signup and view all the answers

Given normal sensory ability, a person standing atop a mountain on a dark, clear night can see a candle flame atop a mountain 30 miles away. This is a description of vision's:

Absolute threshold Signup and view all the answers

The tendency to organize stimuli into smooth, uninterrupted patterns is called:

Continuity Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is consistent with the Gestalt theory of perception?

The mind organizes sensations into meaningful perceptions Signup and view all the answers

Experiments with distorted visual environments demonstrate that:

Humans adapt readily, while lower animals typically do not Signup and view all the answers

The phenomenon that refers to the ways in which an individual's expectations influence perception is called:

Perceptual set Signup and view all the answers

According to the philosopher ________, we learn to perceive the world.

Locke Signup and view all the answers

The phenomenon of size constancy is based upon the close connection between an object's perceived and its perceived .

Size; distance Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements best describes the effects of sensory restriction?

It has more damaging effects when experienced during infancy Signup and view all the answers

Psychologists who study ESP are called:

Parapsychologists Signup and view all the answers

The depth cue that occurs when we watch stable objects at different distances as we are moving is:

Relative motion Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Sensation and Perception

Sensation is the process of receiving and registering information from the environment through sensory systems.
Perception refers to the interpretation and organization of sensory information.

Visual System and Characteristics

Feature detectors are specialized neurons that respond to specific features of visual stimuli, impacting image distortion.
Retinal disparity conveys depth, as each eye perceives a slightly different image of the same object.
The fovea, rich in cones, is responsible for high visual acuity and detail in bright conditions.

Thresholds and Sensory Adaptation

Absolute threshold is not fixed; it varies slightly depending on the stimulus.
The Just Noticeable Difference (jnd) follows Weber’s Law, where the difference threshold is a constant proportion relative to the stimulus intensity.
Sensory adaptation occurs when prolonged exposure to a stimulus decreases responsiveness, making it seem more tolerable over time.

Pain Perception and Processing

Our experience of pain is influenced by biological makeup, experiences, attention, and cultural context.
According to gate-control theory, stimulating large nerve fibers can close the spinal gate to alleviate chronic pain.

Color Vision

Young-Helmholtz theory posits three types of color-sensitive cones, each responding to red, green, or blue light.
Opponent-process theory describes how certain neurons are activated by specific wavelengths while inhibited by opposing colors.

Kinesthesis and Vestibular Sense

Kinesthesis involves sensory information from muscles, tendons, and joints, providing awareness of body movement.
The vestibular sense, located in the semicircular canals, helps maintain balance and spatial orientation.

Gestalt Principles of Perception

Gestalt psychology emphasizes that the brain organizes sensory input into meaningful wholes rather than perceiving individual parts.
Principles of perceptual organization include continuity, closure (perceiving complete shapes), and proximity.

Depth Cues and Visual Constancy

Monocular and binocular cues aid in depth perception; for example, retinal disparity is a binocular cue while texture gradient is a monocular cue.
Perceptual constancy allows us to perceive objects as stable despite changing sensory input due to distance or environmental conditions.

Subliminal Stimulation

Evidence suggests the brain processes information outside conscious awareness, potentially influencing responses.

The Impact of Learning and Context on Perception

Expectations and context heavily influence how we perceive stimuli, known as perceptual set.
Studies show that sensory restriction has a more significant impact during infancy, affecting perceptual development.

ESP (extra-sensory perception) refers to claims of perceiving information beyond the known sensory channels, such as telepathy or clairvoyance. Most researchers remain skeptical of such claims.

Important Terms in Sensory Processing

Transduction is the process of converting sensory stimuli into neural signals.
Sensory interaction occurs when one sense influences another, affecting overall perception.
Bottom-up processing focuses on physical characteristics of stimuli, while top-down processing considers prior knowledge and expectations.

Visual Processing Path

Light enters the eye in this order: cornea, pupil, lens, then retina, where photoreceptors are located.

Taste and Skin Sensations

Taste receptors are found in taste buds, and pressure is the only skin sense with specific receptors.

Conclusion

Understanding the mechanisms and theories behind sensation and perception is crucial for grasping how we interpret the world around us.

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Description

This quiz covers key terms and concepts from Chapter 6 of PSY 100, focusing on sensation and perception. The flashcards include definitions of important vocabulary such as sensation, perception, feature detectors, and more. Test your understanding of these foundational psychological concepts.