Study Guide

1. Complete the analogy: Sensation is to detection as perception is to interpretation.

2. Although Remi was sitting right next to his parents, he smelled a skunk minutes before they did. Explain. a

Apparently Remi has a lower absolute threshold for skunk odor his parents have.

3. Greg's bag of marbles is twice as heavy as Steven's. If it takes 5 extra marbles to make Steven's bag feel heavier, it will take 10 extra marbles to make Greg's bag feel heavier. What does this best illustrate?

4. The local fire department sounds the 12 o'clock whistle. The process by which your ears convert the sound waves from the siren into neural impulses is an example of what? Transduction

5. Explain why as people grow older, they are most likely to need glasses.

the lens loses its ability to change shape readily

6. Damage to the fovea would have the greatest effect on what action? Visual acuity

7. Describe the step by step process of visual information.

8 When looking at the hands of a clock showing 8 o'clock, certain brain cells in the visual cortex are more responsive than when the hands show 10 o'clock. Why? Because of feature detection

9. The ability to simultaneously process the pitch, loudness, melody, and meaning of a song best illustrates what ability? Parallel processing

10. Evidence that some cones are especially sensitive to red light, others to green light, and still others to blue light is most directly supportive of the which theory. Young-Helmholtz

11. How will the perception of a purple flower change from a cloudy day to a bright sunny day?

12. The phenomenon of color constancy best demonstrates what concept? an object's perceived color is influenced by its surrounding objects

13. Complete the analogy: Brightness is to light as volume is to sound.

14. Complete the analogy: The retina is to the eye as the cochlea is to the ear.

15. After a small section of his basilar membrane was damaged, Joshua experienced a noticeable loss of hearing for high-pitched sounds only. Which theory best explains Joshua's hearing loss?

16. Cocking your head would be most useful for detecting what about a sound? location

17. Damage to the basilar membrane is most likely to result in what symptom(s)? nerve deafness

18. A cochlear implant would be most helpful for those who suffer what type of symptoms?

19. On the day she is to be interviewed for an important new position, Monique awakens with a severe toothache. During the interview she feels no pain; not until 30 minutes later does she become aware again of the troublesome toothache. Explain.

20. The green-colored ham and eggs had such a strange appearance that they tasted terrible to Sam. This illustrates the importance of what concept? sensory interaction

21. Which non-external part of your anatomy would play a role in quickly alerting you to a gas leak in your home? olfactory receptors

22. With her eyes closed, Sarah can accurately touch her mouth, nose, and chin with her index finger. Sarah's accuracy illustrates the importance of what sense?

23. Which of anatomical feature plays the biggest role in our feeling dizzy and unbalanced after riding the Hulk at Universal Studios?

24. Gary was so preoccupied with his girlfriend's good looks that he failed to perceive any of her less admirable characteristics. This best illustrates the dangers of what?

25. While a student provided directions to a construction worker, two experimenters rudely interrupted by passing between them carrying a door. The student's failure to notice that the construction worker was replaced by a different person during this interruption illustrates what idea? change blindness

26. Janice experienced motion sickness simply from watching a movie scene of a thrilling motorcycle chase. Her experience best illustrates the impact of what perceptual concept? visual capture

27. Explain the relationship between top-down processing and the organizational principles identified by Gestalt psychologists.

28. Because Zach, Taylor, and Chelsea were all sitting behind the same bowling lane, Kendra perceived that they were all members of the same bowling team. This best illustrates which organizational principle?

29. What is the term for the organization of two-dimensional retinal images into three-dimensional perceptions? Binocular and monocular cues

30. What is illustrated by holding two index fingers in front of the eyes to create the perception of a floating finger sausage? Retinal disparity

31. Why is it so very dangerous to drive in foggy weather? (Hint - distance cue) relative clarity

32. The perception that Wiley Coyote is barreling after the Road Runner on a movie screen best illustrates what idea?

33. Although textbooks frequently cast a trapezoidal image on the retina, students typically perceive the books as rectangular objects. This illustrates the importance of what concept? Shape consistancy

34. Danielle's horse looks just as black in the brilliant sunlight as it does in the dim light of the stable. This illustrates what idea? Lightness consistency

35. Complete the analogy: John Locke is to Immanuel Kant as nurture is to nature.

36. Although he was wearing a pair of glasses that shifted the apparent location of objects 20 degrees to his right, Kirk was still able to play tennis very effectively. This best illustrates the value of what concept? Perceptual adaption

37. After hearing rumors about the outbreak of an infectious disease, Elyana began to perceive her normal aches and pains as disease-related symptoms. Her reaction best illustrates the impact of what idea? Perceptual set

38. Although Jennifer sees her chemistry teacher several times a week, she didn't recognize the teacher when she saw her at the movies. This best illustrates the importance