Unit 03: Sensation, Perception, and Consciousness

Question 1

____________ is the study of how physical events relate to psychological perceptions of those events.

a) Sensation
b) Perception
c) Psychophysics
d) Sensory adaptation

Answer 1

a)

Question 2

Signal detection theory improves on simple thresholds by including the influence of

a) engineering factors, such as how well a set of speakers is designed.
b) psychological factors, such as a willingness to guess if uncertain.
c) whether an individual has hearing or visual impairments.
d) the actual intensity of the stimulus.

Answer 2

b)

Question 3

Is it reasonable to conclude that subliminal messages have a strong effect on behavior?

a) Conclusions about subliminal messages have not been reached by psychologists.
b) Yes, the research shows that subliminal ads are powerful.
c) No, research shows that they have no effect whatsoever.
d) No, although research shows they might have mild effects under specific circumstances.

Answer 3

d)

Question 4

Failure to notice particular stimuli when paying close attention to others is known as ________.

a) multitasking
b) inattentional blindness
c) divided attention
d) misattention

Answer 4

b)

Question 5

While watching television, you see a report about a group of parents complaining that backward messages in music are making their children misbehave. According to research, you would tell these parents that

a) researchers have not come to a definitive conclusion about the effects of backward messages.
b) there is no evidence that backward messages can be perceived unless people are told what to listen for.
c) only backward messages containing emotional information can influence people.
d) previous research has shown that backward messages can influence behavior, but only if they are embedded within music.

Answer 5

b)

Question 6

Cones are predominantly gathered in a central part of the retina known as the ________.

a) fovea
b) blind spot
c) photoreceptor
d) optic chiasm

Answer 6

a)

Question 7

Jacob cannot distinguish between the colours red and green. What structure(s) of the eye is/are most likely not functioning properly?

a) Rods
b) Cornea
c) Lens
d) Cones

Answer 7

d)

Question 8

Also called face-blindness, which of the following conditions is the inability to recognize faces?

a) Astigmatism
b) Farsightedness
c) Prosopagnosia
d) Trichromatism

Answer 8

c)

Question 9

A familiar person walks into the room. Which of the following choices places the structures in the appropriate sequence required to recognize the individual?

a) thalamus, visual cortex, photoreceptors, optic nerve
b) photoreceptors, optic nerve, thalamus, visual cortex
c) visual cortex, thalamus, photoreceptors, optic nerve
d) optic nerve, photoreceptors, thalamus, visual cortex

Answer 9

b)

Question 10

Tonya is driving in her car and decides that the bushes outside her window are closer than the trees because the bushes appear to be moving faster. Tonya is relying on _______ to make this judgment.

a) linear perspective
b) motion parallax
c) binocular depth cues
d) texture gradient

Answer 10

b)

Question 11

The minimum stimulation required to detect a stimulus is a(n) ______, whereas the minimum required to detect the difference between two stimuli is a(n) ______.

a) difference threshold; absolute threshold
b) just noticeable difference; difference threshold
c) just noticeable difference; absolute threshold
d) absolute threshold; difference threshold

Answer 11

d)

Question 12

Walking on a crowded downtown sidewalk, Ben thinks he hears his name called, but when he turns around, he cannot find anyone who might be speaking to him. In terms of signal detection theory, mistakenly believing he heard his name is an example of a ______.

a) hit
b) miss
c) false alarm
d) bogus hit

Answer 12

c)

Question 13

Which Gestalt principle refers to the perceptual rule that things that are close together are likely part of the same object or group?

a) figure–ground
b) proximity
c) similarity
d) continuity

Answer 13

b)

Question 14

Crystal was at a modern art gallery. After staring at a large, red square (that was surprisingly worth $20 million), she looked at the wall and briefly saw the colour green. Which theory can explain Crystal’s experience?

a) trichromatic theory
b) hyperopia
c) opponent process theory
d) motion parallax

Answer 14

c)

Question 15

The ________ in the thalamus is where the information from the left and right optic nerves converge.

a) foveal nucleus
b) lateral geniculate nucleus
c) retinal geniculate nucleus
d) occipital nuclei

Answer 15

b)

Question 16

A patient with brain damage can recognize different objects but is unable to reach out to grasp the object that she sees. This impairment is best explained by the difference between the

a) primary and secondary visual cortices.
b) rods and cones.
c) ventral and dorsal streams.
d) temporal lobe and the frontal lobes.

Answer 16

c)

Question 17

The ________ is a snail-shaped, fluid-filled organ that converts sound waves into a neural signal.

a) ossicle
b) pinna
c) cochlea
d) outer ear

Answer 17

c)

Question 18

The primary auditory cortex is found in which lobe of the brain?

a) temporal
b) frontal
c) occipital
d) parietal

Answer 18

a)

Question 19

While crossing the street, you know a car is approaching on your left side because

a) both ears experienced the sound at the same intensity.
b) the right ear experienced the sound more intensely than the left ear.
c) the left ear got the information just a fraction of a second before the right ear.
d) the right ear got the information just a fraction of a second before the left ear.

Answer 19

c)

Question 20

Phantom limb sensations are

a) sensations that arise from a limb that has been amputated.
b) sensations from stimuli that you typically identify as intense, such as a burn, but that feel dull.
c) sensations from stimuli that do not reach conscious awareness.
d) sensations that are not perceived.

Answer 20

a)

Question 21

What is the most accurate statement regarding the various ways in which we perceive the world around us?

a) We always start with small details and use them to build a recognizable whole.
b) We always start with our expectations of what we are looking at, which guides how we will perceive it.
c) Perception is a combination of both top-down and bottom-up processing.
d) Perception involves neither top-down nor bottom-up processing.

Answer 21

c)

Question 22

Caryn is reading her favourite book when her cat jumps on the bed. Caryn doesn’t notice the cat because the pressure of its weight on the bed is probably

a) above the difference threshold.
b) below the difference threshold.
c) below the absolute threshold.
d) above the absolute threshold.

Answer 22

c)

Question 23

According to the ________________ principle, when we look at an image, we tend to perceive some parts as standing out and other parts as being part of the background.

a) figure–ground
b) top-down
c) sensory–transductive
d) bottom-up

Answer 23

a)

Question 24

In signal detection theory, what is the difference between a false alarm and a miss?

a) A miss occurs when a true stimulus occurs but is not detected. A false alarm occurs when a stimulus does not occur but is detected.
b) A false alarm occurs when a true stimulus occurs but is not detected. A miss occurs when a stimulus does not occur but is detected.
c) A miss occurs when a stimulus occurs and is detected. A false alarm occurs when a stimulus does not occur and is not detected.
d) A false alarm occurs when a stimulus occurs and is detected. A miss occurs when a stimulus does not occur and is not detected.

Answer 24

a)

Question 25

The majority of the research into the effects of exposure to subliminal stimuli shows that

a) at most it can have only a very temporary effect on thought.
b) it is pointless because humans are not affected by subliminal stimuli.
c) it can be used as a form of “mind control.”
d) it can be used by advertisers to lead people to purchase items they otherwise would not.

Answer 25

a)

Question 26

In addition to giving eyes their characteristic colour, the iris

a) determines the quality of one’s vision.
b) adjusts the size of the pupil.
c) regulates the amount of light entering the eye.
d) transmits signals to the brain.

Answer 26

b)

Question 27

Although there are two theories that explain how we see colour, which theory focuses on cone photoreceptors that are sensitive to different wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum?

a) retinal disparity
b) opponent-process
c) trichromatic
d) interposition

Answer 27

c)

Question 28

Why would it be incorrect to suggest that retinal disparity is a monocular distance cue?

a) Retinal disparity requires one to assess the extent to which two parallel lines moving toward the horizon appear to converge, and therefore it is a binocular distance cue.
b) Retinal disparity requires the use of both eyes to determine the difference between each eye’s retinal reception, and therefore it is a binocular distance cue.
c) Retinal disparity requires the analysis of how objects near and far interpose (or overlap) each other, and thus it is a binocular distance cue.
d) Retinal disparity requires the brain to perceive the muscular contractions from both eyes, and thus it is a binocular distance cue.

Answer 28

b)

Question 29

Prosopagnosia is the inability to

a) see objects that are very near to us.
b) recognize faces.
c) perceive colours.
d) see at night.

Answer 29

b)

Question 30

Which represents the correct order of the structures that vibrations pass from the outer to inner ear?

a) cochlea; auditory canal; ossicles
b) auditory canal; cochlea; ossicles
c) auditory canal; cochlea
d) auditory canal; ossicles; cochlea

Answer 30

d)

Question 31

A decrease in the frequency of sound waves will correspond most directly to a decrease in

a) amplitude.
b) loudness.
c) decibels.
d) pitch.

Answer 31

d)

Question 32

Your knowledge of the position of your body in space is called

a) gustation.
b) the somatosensory sense
c) the kinesthetic sense.
d) the vestibular sense.

Answer 32

b)

Question 33

Uri is walking home alone on a dark night. He hears a stick breaking and immediately turns to his right to see what made the noise. What cue could Uri have used to tell which direction the sound came from?

a) the unusual frequency of the sound
b) The fact that the sound came from the right side stimulated the auditory-fear-induction cortex of the right temporal lobe of Uri’s cerebrum.
c) the timbre of the sound
d) the slight time difference between when the sound reached each ear

Answer 33

d)

Question 34

Research suggests that this brain area is important in the perception of musical beats.

a) temporal lobe
b) cerebellum
c) basal ganglia
d) pinna

Answer 34

c)

Question 35

Why is it that you have difficulty tasting things when you are very congested?

a) Some taste buds are located in the nasal epithelium.
b) Cold viruses affect the brain region associated with the sense of taste.
c) Smell works in concert with taste to give us the experience of flavour.
d) Mucus inhibits taste buds.

Answer 35

c)

Question 36

A biological rhythm that occurs over a period of approximately 24 hours is known as a(n) ______.

a) progressive rhythm
b) circadian rhythm
c) rhythm
d) ultradian rhythm

Answer 36

b)

Question 37

Why is REM sleep known as paradoxical sleep?

a) The brain wave patterns in REM sleep are totally unlike those produced by brain activity at any other time.
b) The brain waves resemble those of a sleeping individual, but the person behaves as if he is nearly awake.
c) The brain waves resemble those of a sleeping individual, and the person seems to be in a very deep sleep.
d) The brain waves appear to be those of an awake person, but the individual seems to be in a deep sleep.

Answer 37

d)

Question 38

Sleep may help animals stay safe and conserve energy for when it is needed most. This is known as the _________.

a) preserve and protect hypothesis
b) preserve and repair hypothesis
c) restore and repair hypothesis
d) REM rebound hypothesis

Answer 38

a)

Question 39

The synthesis part of the activation–synthesis hypothesis suggests that

a) the brainstem activates the cortex to produce random images.
b) the brain tries to link together, or make sense of, randomly activated images.
c) the brain interprets the meaning of symbolic images.
d) the cortex stimulates the brainstem to produce interpretations of dreams.

Answer 39

b)

Question 40

Participants completed memory and problem-solving tasks on a laboratory computer. They were then taken into a sleep laboratory, where their brain activity was measured throughout the night. Each time the participants entered the REM stage of sleep, an experimenter would wake him or her up. On what laboratory tasks should the REM-deprived participants be most impaired?

a) tests requiring them to remember how to solve complex problems.
b) tests in which they remembered lists of words.
c) tests in which they had to recall information that they learned a long time ago.
d) Participants would be equally impaired on all of the tests.

Answer 40

a)

Question 41

_____________ suggestions specify that certain actions are not to be performed while hypnotized.

a) Challenge
b) Ideomotor
c) Cognitive-perceptual
d) Dissociation

Answer 41

a)

Question 42

Dr. Johnson claims that hypnosis is a distinct state of consciousness involving a disconnection between perception and executive processing. It appears that she is endorsing the _____________ theory of hypnosis.

a) dissociation
b) hypnotherapy
c) psychoanalytic
d) social-cognitive

Answer 42

a)

Question 43

Which of the following statements best describes the scientific consensus about recovering memories with hypnosis?

a) Memories can be recovered only in individuals who are highly hypnotizable.
b) If the memory is recovered by a trained psychologist, then it may be used as evidence in court.
c) Recovering memories through hypnosis is a simple procedure and, therefore, the findings should be a regular part of court hearings.
d) Memories “recovered” through hypnosis are highly unreliable and should never be used as evidence in court.

Answer 43

d)

Question 44

What functions may benefit from mind-wandering?

a) thinking about things you plan to do in the near future
b) reading comprehension
c) thinking about abstract problems
d) paying attention to other cars while you are driving

Answer 44

a)

Question 45

________ is a disorder of consciousness in which an individual may open the eyes and exhibit sleep–wake cycles but show no specific signs of consciousness.

a) A minimally conscious state
b) A persistent vegetative state
c) Brain death
d) A coma

Answer 45

b)

Question 46

Ethel wakes up during the middle of the night and notices that she can see her husband Harold’s eyes moving around beneath his eyelids. Which stage of sleep is Harold likely in?

a) REM
b) Stage 2
c) Stage 1
d) Stage 4

Answer 46

a)

Question 47

When does sleep displacement occur?

a) when an individual is allowed to sleep only at night
b) when an individual tries to sleep in a new location
c) when an individual is not allowed to sleep during a controlled laboratory experiment
d) when an individual is allowed to sleep, but not at their normal time

Answer 47

d)

Question 48

Jamie reports that it is easier for her to adjust to a new time zone when flying west than when flying east. This occurs because

a) there is less sunlight when you travel west.
b) there is more sunlight when you travel west.
c) it is easier to get to sleep earlier than dictated by your circadian rhythms.
d) it is easier to stay up later than your circadian rhythms expect.

Answer 48

d)

Question 49

The problem-solving theory of dreaming proposes that

a) the problems and concerns we face in our waking life also appear in our dreams.
b) dreams create more problems than they solve.
c) we cannot solve complex moral or interpersonal problems until we have dreamed about them.
d) the symbols in our dreams represent unconscious urges related to sex and aggression.

Answer 49

a)

Question 50

____________ is(are) a condition in which a person’s breathing becomes obstructed or stops during sleep.

a) Somnambulism
b) Insomnia
c) Narcolepsy
d) Sleep apnea

Answer 50

d)

Question 51

Which of the following is a recommended way to promote good sleep?

a) Drink a hot cup of tea or hot chocolate to relax.
b) Get up at the same time every morning.
c) Exercise late in the day.
d) Watch TV in bed in the evening.

Answer 51

b)

Question 52

The default mode network is often active when people are mind-wandering. What can you infer people might be thinking about due to the activity of this particular network?

a) The individual is paying attention to interesting external stimuli such as sounds or smells.
b) The individual is thinking about problems that a friend is having.
c) The individual is likely thinking about ideas or memories related to themself.
d) The individual is curious about what the person sitting next to them is thinking.

Answer 52

c)

Question 53

What is the difference between a persistent vegetative state (PVS) and a minimally conscious state (MCS)?

a) People in an MCS show at least some behaviours that indicate consciousness, even if on an irregular basis.
b) Someone in an MCS has sleep–wake cycles, unlike someone in a PVS.
c) Nothing—they are both names for the same state.
d) Someone in an MCS can have conversations, unlike someone in a PVS.

Answer 53

a)

Question 54

When does drug tolerance occur?

a) when an individual starts taking a new drug for recreational purposes
b) when an individual needs increasingly larger amounts of a drug to achieve the same desired effect
c) when individuals do not pass judgment on drug abusers
d) when an individual experiences withdrawal symptoms

Answer 54

b)

Question 55

Drugs that are best known for their ability to alter normal visual and auditory perceptions are called ________.

a) psychoactive drugs
b) hallucinogens
c) narcotics
d) stimulants

Answer 55

b)

Question 56

When you go on trips that cross time zones, you tend to feel uncomfortable and out of sorts both physically and mentally. This response to changing time zones is called

a) REM rebound.
b) sleep displacement.
c) sleep state misperception.
d) jet lag.

Answer 56

d)

Question 57

Frank experiences excessive daytime sleepiness and has between 5 and 10 sleep attacks a day, during which he goes directly from wakefulness to REM sleep. These attacks occur when Frank is driving, standing up, and even in business meetings. His neurologist has confirmed that he has

a) narcolepsy.
b) epilepsy.
c) sleep apnea.
d) restless legs syndrome.

Answer 57

a)

Question 58

Which of the following suggests that the endocrine system plays a large role in our sleep schedule?

a) The endocrine system is specifically responsible for the circadian rhythm that regulates our sleepwake cycle.
b) The endocrine system produces a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine that is stimulated when we eat our largest meal, which is typically dinner.
c) The endocrine system stimulates the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus to trigger sleepiness approximately two hours before our normal sleep time.
d) The endocrine system produces a hormone called melatonin that peaks in concentration at nighttime.

Answer 58

d)

Question 59

While cramming for his final exam at the library, Marcus fell asleep at the table. The librarian is trying to wake him up because the building is closing, but cannot seem to get his attention, even by shouting. Marcus is likely in what stage of sleep?

a) stage 2
b) stage 1
c) stage 3
d) stage 4

Answer 59

d)

Question 60

Of the following, which is the best example of the “preserve and protect” theory of sleeping?

a) Many small animals sleep during the day, when they could be easily seen by a predator.
b) Sleep deprivation can lead to impaired cognitive abilities.
c) People tend to require more sleep after a hard day of work.
d) Jet lag is usually worse when travelling east than it is when travelling west.

Answer 60

a)

Question 61

________ theory states that the purpose of dreaming is to express unconscious wishes and urges.

a) Object relational
b) Activation information mode
c) Psychoanalytic
d) Neurosynthetic

Answer 61

c)

Question 62

Which of the following would be the most accurate description of hypnosis?

a) It is a procedure of inducing a heightened state of suggestibility.
b) It is a hypothetical method for influencing behaviour that is more myth than science.
c) It is a type of meditation.
d) It is a trance-like state.

Answer 62

a)

Question 63

A fairly recent approach to understanding hypnosis, the __________________theory, explains hypnosis by emphasizing the degree to which beliefs and expectations contribute to increased suggestibility.

a) sociological
b) psychoaggressive
c) innate personality
d) social-cognitive

Answer 63

d)

Question 64

Taryn and Jeff are watching a movie in which a man hypnotizes people and uses them to commit horrendous crimes. The people he has hypnotized walk around as if in a trance, and none can recall what they have done while under hypnosis. Taryn finds the movie extremely disturbing and tells Jeff she is now terrified that someone will hypnotize her and make her do something bad. Jeff tries to comfort her, and explains that

a) only highly suggestible people can be controlled by hypnosis.
b) very few people can actually hypnotize and control others.
c) although hypnosis causes a trance state, people can remember everything that happens when they are under the influence of hypnosis.
d) hypnosis is not actually a trance state, and no one can be controlled by a hypnotist.

Answer 64

d)

Question 65

Wangchuk is a defence attorney who is defending a man accused of breaking and entering. The prosecution produces a witness who says he is certain he saw Wangchuk’s client outside the home just before the break-in. Davyn knows that the witness initially said he wasn’t absolutely sure if his client was the man he saw, and Wangchuk discovers that the police brought in a hypnosis specialist to help the witness remember the man’s face more clearly. Wangchuk does some research on hypnosis and is happy to find something he thinks will help his case. What does Wangchuk find?

a) Most researchers think hypnosis is completely useless.
b) Using hypnosis to help a witness recall or refresh memories is illegal in criminal cases.
c) Using hypnosis to help recall or refresh a memory often increases confidence in a memory but rarely increases its accuracy.
d) Using hypnosis to help someone recall or refresh a memory causes false memories of the opposite of the truth.

Answer 65

c)

Question 66

Of the following, what is hypnosis most effective for treating?

a) schizophrenia
b) pain
c) repressed memories
d) obesity

Answer 66

b)

Question 67

After a massive stroke, Ruth shows no outward signs of consciousness. Her major organs continue to function, and she has sleep–wake cycles when her eyes are occasionally open, but she is unresponsive to external stimuli. Which of the following most adequately describes Ruth’s current state?

a) coma
b) persistent vegetative state
c) minimally conscious state
d) dissociative state

Answer 67

b)

Question 68

__________ is the lowest level of consciousness in a person who is still technically alive. In this condition, the brain, and specifically including the brainstem, no longer functions.

a) Brain death
b) Social death
c) Coma death
d) Impending death

Answer 68

a)

Question 69

Although different psychoactive drugs have different effects on the body, they all share a basic set of mechanisms that

a) interfere with brainstem function, which leads to problems with breathing and heart rate.
b) act on brain neurotransmitters and receptors.
c) alter the body’s basal metabolism rate.
d) disrupt glial cell activity in the cortex.

Answer 69

b)

Question 70

Alcohol has a(n) ______________ effect on the nervous system by _______________ the activity of GABA.

a) agonistic; inhibiting
b) symbiotic; facilitating
c) tertiary; desensitizing
d) depressing; facilitating

Answer 70

d)

Question 71

The chemical effects of __________include increased dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine activity. In addition, tolerance develops quickly, and there is a high likelihood of dependence.

a) stimulants
b) sedatives
c) hallucinogens
d) opiates

Answer 71

a)

Question 72

When people use the same amount of a drug but experience less and less effect, necessitating the use of larger doses, they are experiencing

a) potentiation.
b) a craving.
c) withdrawal.
d) tolerance.

Answer 72

d)

Question 73

Determining the nature of the relationship between cognitive impairment and the prolonged use of illicit drugs can be difficult because

a) drug companies have successfully lobbied against conducting such research.
b) a causal relationship cannot be inferred from correlational data.
c) it is unethical to conduct research into drug use and its negative effects.
d) amphetamines don’t actually cause brain damage.

Answer 73

b)