Psychology Chapter on Sensation and Perception

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary function of sensory receptors?

To maintain balance in the body

To activate muscles for movement

To process information from the environment

To transmit signals to the brain (correct)

Which of the following is NOT considered a sense organ?

Skin

Heart (correct)

Eyes

Ears

How do sensory receptors enter the central nervous system?

Through the bloodstream

By activating neural pathways (correct)

Through muscle fibers

By connecting directly to the spinal cord

Which sense organ is primarily responsible for detecting light?

Eyes Signup and view all the answers

What is the definition of sensation?

The activation of receptors in sense organs Signup and view all the answers

What role do taste buds play in sensation?

Recognizing flavors Signup and view all the answers

Which sense organ is incorrectly paired with its function?

Nose - detecting vision Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following correctly lists the sense organs?

Eyes, ears, nose, skin, taste buds Signup and view all the answers

What does the just noticeable difference (jnd) refer to?

The smallest difference between two stimuli detectable 50% of the time. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following characterizes subliminal stimuli?

They activate sensory receptors without conscious awareness. Signup and view all the answers

What is subliminal perception?

The influencing of behavior by subliminal stimuli. Signup and view all the answers

How does habituation differ from sensory adaptation?

Habituation is a brain-based response, while adaptation involves sensory receptors becoming less responsive. Signup and view all the answers

What does the absolute threshold signify?

The minimum intensity required to detect a stimulus 50% of the time. Signup and view all the answers

Which term describes the brain's tendency to ignore constant, unchanging stimuli?

Habituation. Signup and view all the answers

What does supraliminal mean?

Stimuli that are above the threshold of awareness. Signup and view all the answers

What occurs during sensory adaptation?

Sensitivity of sensory receptors diminishes with constant exposure. Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of microsaccades in relation to visual stimuli?

They prevent sensory adaptation. Signup and view all the answers

How is brightness related to the amplitude of a light wave?

Higher amplitudes produce brighter light. Signup and view all the answers

What determines the color or hue of light as perceived by the human eye?

The length of the wave. Signup and view all the answers

What does saturation refer to in the context of color?

The purity of the color. Signup and view all the answers

Which part of the electromagnetic spectrum is visible to the human eye?

A small portion of the entire spectrum. Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of low amplitude light waves?

They produce dimmer light. Signup and view all the answers

What happens when black or gray is mixed into a color?

It lessens the saturation. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements correctly describes the relationship between wavelength and color?

Long wavelengths correspond to red colors. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the eardrum?

To vibrate in response to sound waves Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following structures is responsible for converting sound vibrations into neural messages?

Cochlea Signup and view all the answers

How does the structure of the cochlea contribute to hearing?

It contains fluid that facilitates the movement of hair cells. Signup and view all the answers

What role do the three tiny bones in the middle ear play in hearing?

They amplify the vibrations from the eardrum. Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of the auditory nerve?

To send auditory signals to the brain Signup and view all the answers

Which part of the ear is responsible for detecting sound frequencies?

Organ of Corti Signup and view all the answers

What structures compose the vestibular organ?

Semicircular canals and otolith organs Signup and view all the answers

What depth cue indicates that parallel lines converge at a distance?

Linear perspective Signup and view all the answers

What happens when sound waves enter the auditory canal?

They cause the eardrum to vibrate. Signup and view all the answers

Which depth cue suggests that finer textures imply greater distance from the viewer?

Texture gradient Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of atmospheric perspective on distant objects?

They appear hazier and less distinct Signup and view all the answers

Which cue causes objects that are smaller to be perceived as being farther away?

Relative size Signup and view all the answers

In linear perspective, what happens to two parallel lines as they extend into the distance?

They converge towards a vanishing point Signup and view all the answers

How does texture gradient contribute to depth perception?

By indicating distance through changes in texture clarity Signup and view all the answers

What visual cue relies on the assumption that objects closer to the viewer are larger?

Relative size Signup and view all the answers

Which depth cue is exemplified by observing that distant mountains appear less clear than nearby trees?

Aerial perspective Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Sensation

Sensation is the process of activating receptors in the sense organs.
Sensory receptors are specialized neurons that make up the nervous system.
Sense organs include the eyes, ears, nose, skin, and taste buds.

Sensory Thresholds

The just noticeable difference (jnd) or difference threshold is the smallest difference between two stimuli that can be detected 50% of the time.
The absolute threshold is the smallest amount of energy needed for a person to consciously detect a stimulus 50% of the time it is present.

Subliminal Sensation

Subliminal stimuli are stimuli that are below the level of conscious awareness.
They are strong enough to activate sensory receptors but not strong enough for conscious awareness.
Subliminal perception is the process by which subliminal stimuli act upon the unconscious mind, influencing behavior.

Habituation and Sensory Adaptation

Habituation is the tendency of the brain to stop attending to constant, unchanging information.
Sensory adaptation is the tendency of sensory receptor cells to become less responsive to a stimulus that is unchanging.
Microsaccades are constant, tiny eye movements that prevent sensory adaptation to visual stimuli.

Psychological Aspects of Light

Brightness is determined by the amplitude of the light wave.
Color or hue is determined by wavelength.
Saturation is the purity of the color.

Structure of the Eye

The cornea is the clear outer layer of the eye that protects the eye and helps focus light.
The pupil is the opening in the center of the iris that allows light into the eye.
The iris is the colored part of the eye that controls the size of the pupil.
The lens focuses light onto the retina.
The retina is the light-sensitive lining of the back of the eye that contains photoreceptor cells called rods and cones.
Rods are responsible for vision in low light conditions.
Cones are responsible for color vision.
The optic nerve carries visual information from the retina to the brain.

Visual Perception

The trichromatic theory of color vision states that there are three types of cones, each sensitive to a different wavelength of light: red, green, and blue.
The opponent-process theory of color vision states that color vision is based on three pairs of opposing processes: red-green, blue-yellow, and black-white.

Structure of the Ear

The outer ear consists of the pinna, ear canal, and eardrum.
The middle ear contains three small bones: the hammer, anvil, and stirrup.
The inner ear contains the cochlea, a snail-shaped structure filled with fluid.
The organ of Corti, located inside the cochlea, contains receptor cells for hearing.
The auditory nerve carries auditory information from the cochlea to the brain.

Hearing and Sound

The frequency of a sound wave determines its pitch.
The amplitude of a sound wave determines its loudness.

Taste and Smell

Taste buds, located on the tongue, are responsible for taste.
The olfactory epithelium, located in the nasal cavity, is responsible for smell.
Taste and smell are closely linked.

Touch, Pain, Motion, and Balance

The skin contains receptors for touch, pressure, temperature, and pain.
The vestibular sense is responsible for our sense of balance and spatial orientation.
The kinesthetic sense is responsible for our awareness of our body's position and movement.

Perception

Perception is the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information.
Perceptual constancy is the tendency to perceive objects as unchanging even though the sensory information we receive from them changes.
Gestalt principles of perception are a set of rules that help us organize our perceptions.
Depth perception is the ability to perceive the world in three dimensions.
Visual illusions are perceptions that do not match reality.

Gestalt Principles of Perception

Figure-ground: The tendency to perceive objects as separate from their backgrounds.
Proximity: The tendency to perceive objects that are close together as belonging to the same group.
Similarity: The tendency to perceive objects that are similar to each other as belonging to the same group.
Closure: The tendency to complete figures that are incomplete.
Continuity: The tendency to perceive patterns that are continuous rather than discontinuous.

Depth Perception

Monocular cues are depth cues that can be perceived with one eye.
Binocular cues are depth cues that require the use of both eyes.
Linear perspective: The tendency for parallel lines to appear to converge in the distance.
Texture gradient: The tendency for textures to appear finer and smoother in the distance.
Aerial perspective: The tendency for objects in the distance to appear hazier than objects in the foreground.
Relative size: The tendency for larger objects to appear closer than smaller objects.

Visual Illusions

Illusions occur when the brain interprets sensory information incorrectly.
Illusions can provide insights into how the brain processes information.

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Description

Explore the fascinating processes of sensation and perception in this quiz. Learn about how sensory receptors function, the concepts of thresholds, and the influence of subliminal stimuli on behavior. Test your understanding of habituation and sensory adaptation as well.