Chapter 2: Sensation and Perception

Question 1

Define distal stimuli

Answer 1

Stimuli that originate outside of the body, such as photos from a campfire

Question 2

Define proximal stimuli

Answer 2

Stimuli that directly interact with and affect the sensory receptors; inform the observer about the presence of distal stimuli

Question 3

Define ganglia

Answer 3

A collection of neuron cell bodies found outside of the CNS

Question 4

Define absolute threshold

Answer 4

Minimum intensity at which a stimulus will be transduced

Question 5

What is Webber’s law?

Answer 5

A law that states that the just noticeable difference for a stimulus is proportional to the magnitude of the stimulus, and that this proportion is constant over most of the range of possible stimuli

Question 6

Define the duplexity/duplicity theory of vision

Answer 6

States that the retina contains two kinds of photo receptors: those specialized for light-and-dark detection and those specialized for colour detection.

Question 7

Which cell type is responsible for night-vision?

Answer 7

Rods

Question 8

Which cell type contains rhodopsin?

Answer 8

Rods

Question 9

Which cell type is concentrated around the macula of the eye?

Answer 9

Cones

Question 10

Which area of the eye has the best visual acuity?

Answer 10

The fovea

Question 11

Where does the optic nerve project to after the optic chiasm?

Answer 11

The lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of the thalamus

Question 12

Which part of the brain recieves input from the optic nerve and is responsible for the reflex of aligning the eyes to a loud noise?

Answer 12

The superior colliculus

Question 13

Which cells detect shape?

Answer 13

Paravocellular cells

Question 14

Features of paravocellular cells?

Answer 14

High colour spatial resolution, and low temporal resolution; detects shape of stuff in slow motion or stationary

Question 15

What cells detect motion?

Answer 15

Magnocellular cells

Question 16

Features of magnocellular cells?

Answer 16

High temporal resolution and low spatial resolution

Question 17

In hearing, a change in frequency of the sound wave corresponds to a change in …?

Answer 17

The tone/pitch

Question 18

In hearing, a change in amplitude of the sound wave corresponds to a change in…..?

Answer 18

The volume of the sound / how loud or quiet it is

Question 19

Order of the ossicles from tympanic membrane to the oval window of the cochlea

Answer 19

Malleus, incus, stapes

Question 20

Which parts of the inner ear are responsible for linear acceleration?

Answer 20

The vestibule –> utricle and saccule; contain modified hair cells called otoliths

Question 21

Which sensory cells detect linear motion?

Answer 21

Otoliths

Question 22

Which parts of the inner ear are responsible for perceiving rotational acceleration?

Answer 22

The semicircular canals, each ending in a swelling called an ampulla where hair cells are located

Question 23

Order of the auditory pathway responsible for majority of processing

Answer 23

Vestibulocochlear nerve –> medial geniculate nucleus –> auditory cortex of the temporal lobe

Question 24

Brain area responsible for localizing sound

Answer 24

Superior olive

Question 25

Which area of the brain is responsible for the startle reflex and keeping the eyes on a fixed point while the head is turned (vestibulo-occular reflex)

Answer 25

The inferior colliculus

Question 26

Define the place theory of sound

Answer 26

Because the basilar membrane changes thickness depending on location within the cochlea, this theoru states the location of a hair cell on the basilar membrane determines the perception of pitch.

Question 27

Define tonotopically organized

Answer 27

Organized in space by sound (i.e., the basilar membrane of the coclea)

Question 28

Which sensory receptors respond to deep pressure and vibration

Answer 28

Pacinian corpuslcles

Question 29

Which sensory receptors respond to light touch

Answer 29

Meissner corpuscles

Question 30

Which sensory receptors respond to deep pressure and texture

Answer 30

Merkel cells

Question 31

Which sensory receptors respond to stretch

Answer 31

Ruffini endings

Question 32

Which sensory receptors respond to pain and temperature

Answer 32

Free nerve endings

Question 33

What are the five main principles for constancy?

Answer 33

Proximity, similarity, continuation, subjective contours, and closure

Question 34

Define the gestalt law of proximity

Answer 34

Elements that are close together tend to be perceived as a unit

Question 35

Define the gestalt law of similarity

Answer 35

Objects that are similar tend to be grouped together

Question 36

Define the gestalt law of good continuation

Answer 36

Elements that appear to follow the same pathway tend to be grouped together; i.e., we perceive continuous patterns in stimuli rather than abrupt changes

Question 37

Define the gestalt law of closure

Answer 37

When a space is enclosed by a contour, it tends to be perceived as a complete figure

Question 38

Define the law of pragnanz

Answer 38

The perceptual organization will always be regular, simple, and symmetric as possible

Question 39

Define signal detection

Answer 39

Discerning a specific stimulus within a field of many stimulus

Question 40

Define feature detection

Answer 40

Ability to to recognize something based on specific features of it