Question 1

Extrasensory knowledge of someone else's thoughts is called ________.

Accepted Answer

A) telepathy 
B) precognition 
C) clairvoyance 
D) psychometry

Question 2

The conversion of external energy into something that the nervous system can understand is known as

Accepted Answer

A) accommodation. 
B) perception. 
C) sensation. 
D) transduction.

Question 3

Jan is holding her pet cat, Belle. The fact that she is getting information about Belle's weight as she sits on Jan's lap, the sound of Belle's purrs, and the sight of Belle's eye movements all at the same time is an example of

Accepted Answer

A) bottom-up processing. 
B) parallel processing. 
C) subliminal processing. 
D) top-down processing.

Question 4

One theory of pitch perception is the ________ theory, which suggests that the rate at which neurons in the ear fire produces different pitches. This theory is particularly effective at explaining humans' perception of lower pitches.

Accepted Answer

A) place 
B) frequency 
C) volley 
D) opponent-process

Question 5

Dr Balkin is heating up a liquid he just created in the lab. He has recruited students to observe his experiments and pinpoint the exact moment the liquid begins to change colour. Dr Balkin is concerned with the

Accepted Answer

A) signal-to-noise ratio. 
B) just noticeable difference. 
C) perceptual accuracy. 
D) absolute threshold.

Question 6

Clara, the psychic, is addressing her audience prior to the show. She notices that two of the audience members are wearing military uniforms. After a brief conversation with one of the soldiers,she suggests to him that he may be experiencing some doubt over recent events that took place. Which process is Clara engaging in?

Accepted Answer

A) Cold reading 
B) Precognition 
C) Telepathy 
D) Clairvoyance

Question 7

What discipline within psychology seeks to optimise the interaction between equipment and technology and our human sensory and perceptual abilities?

Accepted Answer

A) Cognitive neuroscience 
B) Human factors 
C) Industrial-organisational psychology 
D) Social psychology

Question 8

Even though the cars at the end of the train look miniature, we know they are full-size due to

Accepted Answer

A) binocular cues. 
B) monocular cues. 
C) perceptual constancy. 
D) perceptual illusion.

Question 9

Which of the following is the most recently identified of the basic taste sensations?

Accepted Answer

A) Bitter 
B) Salty 
C) Umami 
D) Sour

Question 10

What neurotransmitter seems to be very highly present in many food products that have umami as their primary taste profile?

Accepted Answer

A) dopamine 
B) acetylcholine 
C) gamma-aminobutyric acid 
D) glutamate

Question 11

Our visual sensory receptor cells are located in the

Accepted Answer

A) cornea. 
B) fovea. 
C) optic nerve. 
D) retina.

Question 12

According to the opponent process theory of colour vision, the correct pairings of opposite colours are ________.

Accepted Answer

A) black versus white, red versus green, and blue versus yellow 
B) black versus gray and white versus coloured 
C) greyscales, blue versus red, and green versus yellow 
D) blue versus green and red versus yellow

Question 13

Stanton is taking chemistry with Ms Neville and has heard many negative stories about her class from his friends. The fact that his beliefs about Ms Neville affect his interpretation of his interactions with her during the school year is an example of

Accepted Answer

A) bottom-up processing. 
B) parallel processing. 
C) subliminal processing. 
D) top-down processing.

Question 14

Alicia is talking on her mobile phone to her friend Maya. If Maya is in a crowded train station, Alicia finds that she has to nearly shout for Maya to be able to hear her. However, when Maya is in a paddock on her grandparents' farm, she can easily tell what Alicia is watching on TV as they talk. This is one illustration of

Accepted Answer

A) absolute threshold. 
B) the just noticeable difference. 
C) signal-to-noise ratio. 
D) transduction.

Question 15

Sarah is a pianist who reports that she sees musical tones as colours. This is one example of

Accepted Answer

A) binocular cues. 
B) the Ganzfield technique. 
C) the Ponzo illusion. 
D) synesthesia.

Question 16

The bony, spiral-shaped sense organ used for hearing is the

Accepted Answer

A) basilar membrane. 
B) cochlea. 
C) timbre. 
D) pinna.

Question 17

The monocular cue of ________ is being used when an artist places trees in front of riders to create a sense of depth when the picture is viewed.

Accepted Answer

A) interposition 
B) light and shadow 
C) linear perspective 
D) relative size

Question 18

When taking a picture, photographers attempt to draw people's attention towards a particular image. This is one example of the Gestalt principle of

Accepted Answer

A) closure. 
B) figure-ground. 
C) proximity. 
D) symmetry.

Question 19

The lowest level of a stimulus needed for the nervous system to detect a change half the time is called the

Accepted Answer

A) sense receptor. 
B) just noticeable difference. 
C) sensory adaptation. 
D) absolute threshold.

Question 20

Odourless chemicals that serve as a social signal to other members of one's species are called ________.

Accepted Answer

A) pheromones 
B) nitriles 
C) umamis 
D) olfactoceptors

Exam 4: Sensation and Perception