iClicker Questions for

Unit 4: Sensation and Perception

Psychology for AP

by David G. Myers Karla Gingerich, Colorado State

University

Premature babies are especially likely to gain weight if

stimulated by: A. sound and music.

B. light and colors.

C. touch and massage.

D. movement and acceleration.

Concepts of maleness and femaleness that influence our

perceptions are called gender:

A. norms. B. schemas. C. roles. D. complexes.

The expectations that men initiate dates and that

women select wedding gifts best illustrate aspects of: A. sexual orientation.

B. gender identity. C. behavior genetics. D. gender roles.

Because he believes that worrying is a feminine trait, 14-year-old George has difficulty perceiving his own fears. His

experience best illustrates dynamics highlighted by:

A. social learning theory. B. behavior genetics. C. gender schema theory. D. evolutionary psychology.

Racial and ethnic stereotypes can sometimes bias our perceptions of others' behaviors. This best

illustrates the impact of: A. retinal disparity. B. interposition. C. top-down processing. D. perceptual adaptation.

The fact that perceptions involve more than the sum of our sensations best illustrates

the importance of:

A. top-down processing. B. interposition. C. retinal disparity. D. visual capture.

Which of the following is TRUE?

A. Humans cannot sense stimuli below the absolute threshold.

B. Humans cannot be affected by stimuli below the absolute threshold at all.

C. Stimuli presented below the absolute threshold can have a subtle, brief effect on behavior.

D. Stimuli presented below the absolute threshold exert a strong, powerful effect on behavior.

If you move your watchband up your wrist an inch or so, you will feel it for only a few

moments. This best illustrates: A. parallel processing. B. accommodation. C. sensory adaptation. D. Weber's law.

As we look at a flower, the intensity of the color we see is

related to the light wave’s:

A. amplitude. B. hue. C. length. D. placement on the spectrum.

The eye’s “blind spot” is related to: A. light rays focusing too far in front

of the retina. B. light rays focusing too far behind

the retina. C. a cluster of cells around the fovea

which contains cones, but no rods. D. an area without receptor cells

where the optic nerve leaves the eye.

Rather than saying a person is “colorblind,” it would be more accurate to say that the person:

A. has a blind spot. B. lacks red- or green-sensitive cones. C. is experiencing an overstimulation

of the red- and green-sensitive cones. D. has an excess of blue-sensitive

cones.

The hammer, anvil, and stirrup are found in the: A. middle ear. B. inner ear. C. cochlea. D. outer ear.

What is umami?

A. a taste sensation for which researchers recently discovered receptors on the tongue

B. receptors on the tongue that respond only to bitter tastes

C. receptors on the tongue that allow us to taste nutrients in food, such as proteins and vitamins

D. a condition in which there is a loss of the sensation of taste

As you talk with a friend at a party, her voice is distinct from all the other voices you hear. This illustrates the perceptual principle of: A. grouping. B. proximity. C. closure. D. figure-ground.

The way in which you quickly group the individual letters in this test item into separate words best illustrates the principle of: A. closure. B. proximity. C. continuity. D. convergence.

Makers of 3-D movies rely most heavily on:

A. the visual cliff. B. the Müller-Lyer illusion. C. retinal disparity. D. shape constancy.

After hearing that Bryce had served a prison sentence, Janet began to perceive his friendly behavior as insincere and manipulative. This best illustrates the impact of: A. perceptual sets. B. visual capture. C. bottom-up processing. D. sensory adaptation.

Which is easier to recognize?

A. an actual picture of a face B. the caricature of the face C. the anticaricature of the face D. an upside-down picture of the face

If a person were able to sense that his friend’s dog was lost and needed help, this person would be said to have: A. psychokinesis. B. telepathy. C. precognition. D. clairvoyance.

Critical Thinking Questions

Which of the following activities requires you to use

the absolute threshold for sensation?

A. telling the difference between sweet and salty B. detecting a tiny, faint light on a radar screen C. deciding if two glasses contain the same

amount of water D. telling if your guitar is in tune

You are going to design an experiment to determine whether there are special areas on

the tongue to detect the taste of sweet, or whether the taste can be detected in all

areas of the tongue. Which of these must be done before you can start the experiment?

A. operationally define sweet. B. pick out subjects who like sweet

tastes. C. pick out the items that you will

use for sweet tastes. D. none of these are necessary.

As a professional chef, which of the following sensations would you rely on most?

A. hearing B. seeing C. balance D. smell

Your roommate, who has trouble understanding Weber’s Law,

asks you, “How different do two stimuli need to be, in order for a person to notice the difference?”

You explain that: A. the stimuli must differ by at least ten percent.

B. the difference threshold decreases with the magnitude of the stimulus.

C. the minimum difference needed for detection depends on the type of stimulus.

D. Weber’s Law does not address this issue.

Researcher James Hixby (2001) stated, “We can tell if a person is looking at a shoe, a chair, or a face, based on the pattern of their brain activity.” This

statement is relevant to: A. sensory adaptation. B. feature detection. C. opponent-process theory. D. place theory.

As we perceive the environment, we use Gestalt principles of good form to help organize things into

meaningful groups and forms. In observing a football game on TV we are immediately able to

recognize the players as members of their respective teams, regardless of their positions on

the field. Which Gestalt principle is most responsible for this ability? A. closure

B. proximity C. similarity D. continuity

In the same football game, we watch as a team attempts a field goal. Since the goal posts are

distant and the time to make a decision is short, the referee must use many perceptual cues to decide whether the kick is good or not. One important

ability is depth perception. Which of the following cues might be most helpful in deciding whether the

field goal is successful? A. linear perspective B. motion parallax C. convergence D. interposition

You are an artist and you are interested in completing a painting that gives a three-dimensional appearance. You want to show a beach in the foreground of the painting, people swimming in the ocean, and sailboats in the distance. Which perceptual principles will be most helpful as you complete your painting? A. binocular depth cues B. monocular depth cues C. Gestalt principles of proximity and

continuity D. perceptual principles only operate

in “real life” situations

You are most likely to observe the phi phenomenon while: A. looking at a string of Christmas

tree lights that blink quickly in succession.

B. staring at a Necker cube. C. comparing the size of the moon

while its in the sky to its size near the horizon.

D. attempting to catch fly ball that is quickly coming toward you.