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Psychological Science > Chapter 4 > Flashcards

Chapter 4 Flashcards

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Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

Concept check: Some people say that hawks can see farther than humans can. Is that statement possible?

A

No because how far any species can see is based on how far the light traveled. On a clear night, humans can see galaxies that are billions of light years away, and presumably hawks cannot see beyond the edge of the universe. It may be that hawks can detect details at a greater distance than humans but the difference is seeing farther.

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2
Q

What are stimuli defined as?

A

energies from the world around us that affect us in some way

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3
Q

What are receptors defined as?

A

cells that specifically convert environmental energies into the nervous system.

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4
Q

what is the electromagnetic spectrum?

A

the range of all radiated energies from gamma rays to x-rays to visible light that humans can see

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5
Q

What does the pupil of the eye do?

A

it adjusts the size of its opening by widening or narrowing itself to control the amount of light entering it

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6
Q

What is the iris of the eye?

A

the structure around the pupil that gives people their eye color

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7
Q

What is the retina of the eye?

A

A layer of visual receptors that cover the back surface of the eyeball

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8
Q

What does the cornea of the eye do?

A

It is a rigid but transparent structure on the surface of the eyeball that always focuses light in the same way

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9
Q

What is the lens of the eye?

A

A flexible structure that varies in thickness

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10
Q

What does the lens of the eye enable?

A

It enables accommodation, which is when the eye focuses on objects that vary in distances apart

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11
Q

What does the fovea do?

A

it is a central area of the retina that is adapted for detailed vision

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12
Q

Out of all the retinal areas which one has the most density receptors?

A

the fovea

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13
Q

What do rods do?

A

adapt to seeing in dim light

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14
Q

What do cones do?

A

adapt to sensing color and detail in bright light

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15
Q

Concept Check: As people grow older, the lens become more rigid. How would that rigidity affect vision?

A

They lose the ability to change their focus on objects at different distances. Specifically, it is harder to concentrate on nearby objects.

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16
Q

What does dark adaptation mean?

A

Your ability to adapt to see in the dark

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17
Q

Concept check: Why do you have better color vision in your fovea than in the periphery?

A

The center of the retina has only cones and the periphery has mostly rods, which do not enable color vision.

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18
Q

Concept Check: When you are well adapted to the dark, you might see something in your peripheral vision, but it disappears when you look straight at it?

A

Your peripheral vision has mostly rods, which adapt more strongly than cones in your fovea.

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19
Q

What do Ganglion Cells do?

A

They are the cells that connect rods and cones to the optic nerve. Which connects what is being seen to the brain.

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20
Q

What is the purpose of the optic nerve?

A

To bring what has been processed in the eye back to the brain.

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21
Q

What causes the blind spot?

A

Because that’s where the optic nerve exits the retina

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22
Q

What is the trichromatic theory of vision?

A

It states that we can see color because we have three different types of cones. One that sees short wavelengths which is blue, one that sees medium wavelengths which is green and another that sees long wavelengths which is red. And that for colors such as yellow is seen though a ratio of both the green and red cones.

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23
Q

What is the opponent process theory?

A

We perceive colors in paired opposites like red vs green and yellow vs blue

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24
Q

What does negative afterimages describe?

A

seeing a different color instead of the one that’s actually there

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25
Q

What is the brightness contrast theory?

A

It is the effect of perceived changes in a objects brightness or darkness based on the colors around it.

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26
Q

What is color constancy?

A

when a color appears to stay somewhat consistent across a variety of lighting

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27
Q

What is the retinex theory?

A

Where the cerebral cortex compares the patterns of light coming from different parts of the retina and sythesizes a color perception for each area

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28
Q

What is the trichromatic theory accurate about?

A

That we see color with three types of cones

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29
Q

What is retinex theory right about?

A

its accurate in how the cerebral cortex compares color information to other components of the visual field

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30
Q

What is the opponent-process theory right about?

A

How cells organize color information

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31
Q

Textbook question: How far some animal can see depends on the following?

A

A) Ratio of cones to rods
B) The density of cones in the fovea
C) The flexibility of the lens
D) How far the light traveled
pg 107

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32
Q

Textbook Question: Why do we have our most detailed vision in the fovea?

A

A) The lens and the cornea focus light most clearly on the fovea
B) The fovea is the most distant from the blind spot
C) The fovea has the largest percentage of rods
D) The fovea has the highest ratio of receptors to the ganglion cells
pg 107

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33
Q

Textbook question: Mice can see objects above them better than objects below them. What can we infer about the retina?

A

A) Their retina has more cones than rods
B) Thier receptors are more abundant on the bottom of their retina
C) Their blind spot is near the bottom of their retina
D) Their retina is near the center of the head
pg 107

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34
Q

Textbook question: Why do we see light better in the periphery than the fovea?

A

A) The periphery has a higher percentage of cones
B) Many peripheral receptors converge their input onto each bipolar cell
C) The cornea and lens focus more light to the periphery
D) The fovea is closer to the blind spot
pg 107

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35
Q

Textbook Question: What causes dark adaptation?

A

A) Increased flexibility of the lens
B) Regeneration of receptor molecules
C) Increased speed of action potential
D) A shift in ratio of rods to cones
pg 107

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36
Q

Textbook question: According to the trichromatic theory, how does our nervous system tell the difference between bright yellow- green and dim yellow- green light?

A

A) By the relative rates of response by medium wavelength and long wavelength cones
B) By the relative rates of response by medium wavelength and short wavelength cones
C) By relative rates of response by all three types of cones
D) By total amount of activity across all three cones
pg 107

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37
Q

Which theory if any, best explains color theory?

A

A) The trichromatic theory
B) The opponent-process theory
C) The retinex theory
D) None of these
pg 107

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38
Q

What are sound waves?

A

Vibrations of air, water, or another frequency

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39
Q

What frequencies does high-pitched sounds and low-pitched sounds correlate with?

A

High pitched sounds are correlated with high frequency and low-pitched sounds correspond to low pitched frequencies.

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40
Q

What does the timbre of sound refer to?

A

The complexity of the sound

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41
Q

What is conveying information though tone called?

A

prosody

42
Q

What is the frequency principle?

A

The principle that a sound wave vibrates though the fluid of the cochlea which vibrates all the hair cells and is a process which produce action potentials in sychrony with the sound waves

43
Q

What is the volley principle?

A

When sound reaches 100hz (too fast for individual hair cells to keep up with on their own) they group up or volley to each vibration with an action potential

44
Q

What is the place principle?

A

It explains how higher and lower frequencies affect hair cells in the ear in different locations

45
Q

Concept Check: Suppose a mouse has a high frequency squeak, which demographic of people are least likely to hear it?

A

The elderly because people lose their abilities to hear higher frequencies as we age.

46
Q

Concept Check: If someone who ordinarily uses hearing aids in both ears currently wears one only in the left ear, what will be the effect of sound localization?

A

The sound will be louder in the left ear and the person may perceive that a sound is coming from the left when its not.

47
Q

What is vestibular sense?

A

The tilt and acceleration of the head and its relativity to gravity. ex someone one a roller coaster

48
Q

What is the gate theory of pain?

A

The idea that pain messages must pass through a gate in the spinal cord that has the ability to block messages

49
Q

What are endorphins?

A

Neurotransmitters that can weaken feelings of pain

50
Q

What does Capsaicin do?

A

simulates receptors that respond to a painful heat

51
Q

Concept check: A hypnotic suggestion to feel no pain decreases the emotional response to pain more than the sensation. What can we infer about how it affects the brain?

A

Hypnosis affects the anterior cingulate gyrus, which responds to emotional information, more than it affects the somatosensory cortex.

52
Q

Concept Check: A phantom hand sensation would be strongest after touch to what body part?

A

It would be the strongest when something touches the face.

53
Q

Where are taste buds located?

A

the folds of the tongue

54
Q

What can sense of smell be referred to as?

A

Olfaction

55
Q

Concept check: is it possible for someone to taste all types of bitter chemicals. Why or why not?

A

Kind of more likely someone would not be able to taste a family of similar chemicals instead of one. Which would be the result of a genetic mutation.

56
Q

Concept Check: what accounts for people’s emotional responses to smells?

A

Emotional responses to smells are most likely caused from other events

57
Q

What is synestia?

A

A condition when a stimulus of one type like a sound also activates another stimulus like color

58
Q

Concept check: What evidence shows that synestia is not just pretended or imagined?

A

People who see 2’s as one color and 5’s as a different color are able find the 2’s hidden in the 5’s faster than people who don’t have the condition.

59
Q

Textbook question: When hair cells at one point along the basilar membrane become active, we hear a tone at 5000 hz. What do we hear when the same pitch cells double their rate of activity?

A

A) a pitch one octave higher
B) a pitch one octave lower
pg 120

60
Q

Textbook question: Suppose you are listening to a monaural (nonstereo) radio. Can it play sounds coming from different directions or distances?

A

A) Yes. It can play sounds that you can localize coming from different directions (left/right) and different distances.
B) It can play sounds that you can localize (left/right) but not from different distances.
C) It can play sounds that you localize as coming from different distances, but not from different directions (left/right)
D) No. It cannot play sounds that you localize as coming from either different directions or distances.
pg 120

61
Q

Textbook Question: What type of deafness can surgery correct?

A

A) Conduction deafness
B) Nerve deafness
C) Either conduction deafness or nerve deafness
D) None of them
pg 120

62
Q

Textbook question: Why is the vestibular sense useless for astronauts in space?

A

A) Vestibular sense requires the head to remain motionless
B) It depends on the difference between the two ears
C) Vestibular uses gravity detects the head tilt and the direction
D) They don’t have any need for the sense it would provide
pg 120

63
Q

Textbook Question: Are hurt feelings similar to real pain? What is the evidence?

A

A) No. Medications that reduce pain have no effect on hurt feelings
B) No. Only English speakers use “hurt” to describe feelings
C) No. Hurt feelings are more temporary than physical pain
D) Yes. Hurt feelings simulate the same brain areas that pain does
pg 120

64
Q

Textbook question: Psychologist Linda Bartoshuk recommends candies containing jalapeño peppers as a treatment for pain in the mouth. Why?

A

A) they excite pleasure in the brain
B) they decrease overall brain activity
C) after immediate heat experience, pain receptors become less responsive
D) they distract attention from other pain
pg 120

65
Q

Textbook question: Which of the following is responsible for the phantom limb experience?

A

A) crossed connection from the normal limb to the other side of the body
B) anxiety and other psychological reactions to the amputation
C) irritation at the stump where the amputation took place
D) reorganization of connections to the brain
pg 120

66
Q

Textbook question: What is responsible for the taste of water?

A

A) the texture of the sensation
B) a lack of response by all taste receptors
C) a pattern of response to in the sourness receptors
D) a pattern of response to sweetness receptors
pg 120

67
Q

Textbook question: Why do so many chemicals taste bitter?

A

A) All bitter chemicals have a similar structure
B) we have many types of chemical receptors
C) they produce a special texture in the mouth
D) enzymes in the mouth convert all bitter chemicals into the same metabolite
pg 120

68
Q

Textbook question: Of people with letter-color synestia, why do so many see A as red, C as yellow, and D as Green?

A

A) Red uses the same neurotransmitter as A, or Yellow for C
B) They copied one child who had those associations
C) the brain areas for those colors are near the brain areas for those letters
D) As children they played with refrigerator magnets of those same colors
pg 120

69
Q

What is an absolute sensory threshold?

A

An intensity where you can detect the stimulus at least 50% of the time

70
Q

What is the single detection theory?

A

the study of people’s tendencies to make hits, correct rejections, misses, and false alarms

71
Q

Concept Check: Suppose that 80% of people with depression say they have bad dreams. What, if anything, can be concluded?

A

We can’t conclude anything without knowing the percentage of bad dreams for people who don’t have depression.

72
Q

What is subliminal perception?

A

It happens when a stimulus is presented so faintly that or briefly that the observer does not perceive it.

73
Q

Concept Check: Suppose a popular morning television program plays a subliminal message “drive safely”. How could someone measure the possible effectiveness?

A

To randomly play it about 50% of the time and check to see if there are less car accidents on those days.

74
Q

What are feature detectors and what do they do?

A

They are neurons in the visual cortex that respond to the presence of simple features such as lines and angles.

75
Q

What does Gestalt psychology focus on?

A

A study that focuses on the perception of overall patterns.

76
Q

What does the bottom-up process refer to?

A

When tiny elements combine to create a larger whole

77
Q

What does the top-down process refer to?

A

When you can apply your own expectations and experiences to interpret each item in context.

78
Q

What does figure and ground mean in terms of vision?

A

Your ability to distinguish an object from the background behind it.

79
Q

What does reversible figures mean?

A

Images that can be perceived in more than one way. ex the merida promotion photo of her and the bear

80
Q

What are the four principles of perception?

A

Proximity, Similarity, Continuation, and Closure

81
Q

What does common fate mean in terms of perception?

A

we perceive objects of the same group if they change or move in similar ways at the same time

82
Q

What does a good figure mean in terms of perception?

A

a simple, symmetrical figure that is easy to distinguish

83
Q

Concept Check: Why are figure detectors an examples of bottom up processing?

A

Feature detectors start with input from receptors compared to top down preceptors which begins with expectations in the prefrontal cortex.

84
Q

Concept Check: In what way does the phenomenon of reversable figures conflict with the idea that feature detectors fully explain vision?

A

If vision were simply matter of stimulating feature detectors and adding up their responses, then we would perceive everything to be the same.

85
Q

What does visual constancy mean?

A

Our tendency to perceive objects to keep their shape, size, and pattern regardless of our retina actually perceiving those differences.

86
Q

What is it called when you incorrectly perceive an object as moving?

A

induced movement

87
Q

What does stroboscopic movement mean?

A

It’s when you perceive a series of stationary pictures to be moving. ex a flipbook

88
Q

Concept Check: if your eyes were pushed to the left or to the right, so that they moved without your intention, what would you perceive?

A

It would appear that the objects you perceive would be moving.

89
Q

What is retinal disparity?

A

the disparity between the position of objects from our left and right retinas.

90
Q

What is convergence of the eyes?

A

It is a measure of the degree that both eyes turn to focus on a specific object

91
Q

What is motion parallax?

A

the change in speed of movements of images across the retina

92
Q

What is the moon illusion?

A

That people perceive the moon to be larger when it is at the horizon rather than when it is fully in the sky. When it is just due to angles and perception.

93
Q

Textbook question: why is it difficult to determine the absolute threshold for seeing or hearing something?

A

A) The weakest stimuli are too small to measure
B) Most participants report fatigue after a few trials
C) Most IRB’s consider the procedure unethical
D) Results vary depending on instructions and other materials
pg 137

94
Q

Textbook question: According to the signal-detection theory, what happens if a participant adjusts their responses to increase the number of hits?

A

A) The number of correct rejections will increase
B) The overall accuracy percentage will increase
C) The number of false alarms will increase
D) The number of misses will increase
pg 137

95
Q

Textbook question: Subliminal perception has been demonstrated to produce which of these effects?

A

A) A subliminal message to buy popcorn greatly increases popcorn sales
B) Messages recorded backward on rock music turn teenagers to evil deeds
C) Listening to subliminal messages on a recording improves memory or self esteem
D) Subliminally seeing an emotional expression alters perception of a neutral expression
pg 137

96
Q

Textbook question: What evidence indicates that people have feature detectors?

A

A) Recordings from human brains have found cells responding to particular features
B) Prolonged staring at a stimulus has can alter perception of another stimulus
C) People can interpret reversable figures in more than one way
D) people can easily recognize an object even after it has changed in color, shape, or direction
pg 137

97
Q

Textbook question: What is the emphasis of Gestalt psychology with regard to vision?

A

A) Researchers should emphasize cultural differences
B) Researchers should emphasize species differences
C) top-down process controls perception
D) bottom-up process controls perception
pg 137

98
Q

Textbook question: With three-dimensional photography, cameras take two views of the same scene from different locations with different color filters or polarized light filters. The two views are then superimposed. The viewer looks through special glasses so that one eye sees the view taken with the camera and the other eye sees the other view taken with the camera. Which depth cue is at work here?

A

A) Motion parallax
B) Interposition
C) Retinal disparity
D) Convergence
pg 137

99
Q

Textbook question: Which cues to distance are binocular cues?

A

A) Object size and linear perspective
B) Accommodation and motion parallax
C) Interposition and texture gradient
D) retinal disparity and convegence
pg 137

100
Q

Textbook question: Which of the following is an optical illusion?

A

A) As an object moves away from us, we perceive it as remaining the same size
B) The moon looks larger at the horizon than in the sky
C) Proximity and similarity cause us to see objects belonging together
D) Convergence of the eyes enable us to see distance
pg 137

Psychological Science (13 decks)

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