Special Senses

Question 1

True or False: Each bipolar cell accepts input from several cones or rods

Answer 1

True

Question 2

What structure in the thalamus is responsible for relaying visual stimuli to the occipital lobe via the optic tract?

Answer 2

Lateral Geniculate Nucleus

Question 3

Cells located in the LGN that specialize in detecting movement

Answer 3

Magnocellular cells

Question 4

Cells located in the LGN that specialize in detecting small details

Answer 4

Parvocellular cells

Question 5

True or False: Magnocellular and Parvocellular cells will be found in both the thalamus and the occipital lobe

Answer 5

False, only the thalamus

Question 6

describes the fact that objects that are close to us move further across our visual field than objects that are far from us, and this fact is one of the cues that we use to perceive depth. For example, think about driving in a mountainous region. Buildings by the side of the road rush by very quickly, whereas the far-off mountains seem to move very slowly as you drive by.

Answer 6

Motion parallax

Question 7

Our ability to detect each individual feature of a stimulus – such as color, shape, motion, and so on…

Answer 7

feature detection

Question 8

process of how we integrate visual input simultaneously is known

Answer 8

parallel processing

Question 9

if we have a more specific task such as looking for a specific book in a library lined with full bookcases—we need to deploy more attention to search systematically. Such a perceptual strategy, where we consciously look in one place after another, analyzing stimuli in order, is referred to as a…

Answer 9

serial memory processing

Question 10

Organ or Corti

Answer 10

The organ of Corti is divided into several layers, with a flexible structure called the basilar membrane on the bottom, hair cells suspended in endolymph in the middle, and a more rigid structure known as the tectorial membrane on top.

Question 11

Structure that connects the middle ear to the inner ear

Answer 11

Oval Window

Question 12

True or False: a sound’s intensity is determined by the sound wave’s amplitude

Answer 12

True

Question 13

This is the portion of the inner ear where the basilar membrane is thickest, it responds to high frequency vibrations, and closer to oval window

Answer 13

Base

Question 14

THis portion of the inner ear is where the basilar membrane is narrowest, its furthest from the oval window, and responds to low frequency vibrations

Answer 14

Apex

Question 15

senses linear acceleration

Answer 15

Vestibule

Question 16

Substructures of the vestibule

Answer 16

utricle and saccule

Question 17

detects motion in the horizontal plane

Answer 17

utricle

Question 18

detects motion in the vertical plane.

Answer 18

saccule

Question 19

Senses rotational acceleration

Answer 19

semicircular canals

Question 20

The minimum distance between two points on the skin that are simulated at the same time such that we can perceive them as distinct from each other

Answer 20

Two point threshold

Question 21

How is taste processed

Answer 21

Information about taste is first processed in the taste center of the thalamus, and then sent to the gustatory cortex.

Question 22

Why are smells associated with memory?

Answer 22

After information on smells is processed by the olfactory tract, it is processed by other parts of the brain, including the limbic system, which is involved in emotion. This helps explain why certain smells can be powerfully evocative of certain places, people, and times in our lives.

Question 23

These type of mechanoreceptors respond to sustained pressure

Answer 23

Merkel nerve ending

Question 24

Sense deep pressure beneath the surface of the skin

Answer 24

Ruffinni

Question 25

These type of mechanoreceptors respond to high frequency vibrations

Answer 25

Pacinian corpuscles respond to high frequency vibrations

Question 26

Absolute Threshold

Answer 26

The level of intensity that a stimulus must have in order to be picked up by sensory neurons

Question 27

Signal Detection Theory

Answer 27

THink of the table with hit, miss, false alarm, correct rejection. the combined effects of perceptual processing and sensory detection can cause us to correctly or incorrectly detect stimuli in the environment.

Question 28

Getting used to stimuli

Answer 28

Sensory adaptation

Question 29

Tonic Receptors

Answer 29

Slow to adapt to stimuli and tend to respond for as long as stimulus is present

Question 30

Phasic Receptors

Answer 30

Send bursts of action potentials then stop (fast adaptation)

Question 31

Bottom Up processing

Answer 31

Pattern of perception where the brain starts with individual pieces of sensory info and assembles them into a coherent hole

Question 32

Top down processing

Answer 32

brain decides what its looking for and assembles individual pieces in a way that supports that picture

Question 33

Allows us to see depth

Answer 33

Binocular vision

Question 34

Gestalt principles

Answer 34

Proximity, Similarity, Good continuation, closure, symmetry, Pragnanz:law of pragnanz is where we aim for conciseness

Question 35

Pragnanz

Answer 35

Pragnanz suggests that when we see an image with lots of complex details, we simplify it to the smallest and simplest image possible. For example, seeing the Olympic logo instead of 5 individual rings.

Question 36

Retinal Disparity

Answer 36

Binocular cues are the aspects of an image which change when we see it from our right eye versus when we see it from our left eye. An object might appear closer to you when you shut your left eye, and farther when you shut your right eye. The difference in an object between your two eyes is the “retinal disparity”. Your brain processes both individual images and turns them into one, cohesive image, which you finally experience.

Question 37

John is a weightlifter doing bicep curls at the gym. He loads up 40 lbs on his barbell and curls a few reps. He adds extra pounds to his barbell, but notices they don’t feel any heavier until 50 lbs. If he reduces the weight, at what weight will he notice the barbell feels lighter?

Answer 37

Weber’s law suggests that the just-noticeable difference (difference to notice a stimulus change 50% of the time) for a change in stimulus intensity is a constant proportion of the original stimulus.

John notices the weight has increased after it gets 25% heavier (in this case, 10lbs added to the initial 40lbs). Therefore, he will only notice the weight has decreased when it gets 25% lighter. 25% of 50 is 12.5; therefore, he will notice the weight has lightened when it reaches 37.5 pounds.