Elementary Psych Exam 2 - Hazeltine

Front

The process of converting a physical stimulus into a neural signal is known as:

Back

Transduction

Answer explanation

Transduction is the process by which sensory systems convert external stimuli (such as light, sound, or chemicals in taste) into neural signals that the brain can interpret

Front

Which of the following is NOT considered one of the five basic tastes? Sweet, Spicy, Bitter, Umami

Back

Spicy

Answer explanation

The five basic tastes are sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami. Spiciness is not a taste but rather a sensation detected by pain receptors.

Front

The doctrine of specific nerve energies, proposed by Johannes Müller, suggests that: Different sensory qualities arise from different neural structures, All sensory information is processed in the same way by the brain, The intensity of a stimulus determines its perception, Sensory organs adapt over time to repeated stimuli

Back

Different sensory qualities arise from different neural structures

Answer explanation

Müller's doctrine of specific nerve energies states that perception depends on which nerves are stimulated, not how they are stimulated. This explains why different sensory modalities (e.g., vision, taste) have distinct pathways.

Front

The labeled-line model of taste perception suggests that:

Back

Individual taste receptors are specialized to respond to one specific taste.

Answer explanation

The labeled-line model proposes that each taste receptor is specialized for a particular taste (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, or umami) and sends signals to the brain accordingly

Front

What error led to the widespread belief in the "taste map" of the tongue?

Back

A translation mistake in a scientific text

Answer explanation

The idea that different regions of the tongue detect specific tastes better than others originated from a mistranslation of research. In reality, taste receptors for all five basic tastes are distributed across the tongue.

Front

Which of the following best describes the relationship between taste and flavor?

Back

Flavor is the combination of taste and retronasal smell.

Answer explanation

While taste is detected by receptors on the tongue, flavor is a more complex experience that includes retronasal olfaction (smells detected when air is exhaled).

Front

What distinguishes supertasters from normal tasters and nontasters?

Back

Supertasters have a higher number of fungiform papillae.

Answer explanation

Research by Bartoshuk et al. found that supertasters have more taste buds (fungiform papillae), making them more sensitive to certain flavors, especially bitter tastes.

Front

In vision, rods are primarily responsible for:

Back

Night vision and motion detection

Answer explanation

Rods are highly sensitive to light and allow us to see in dim conditions, but they do not detect color or fine details.

Front

The dorsal processing stream in the brain is responsible for: Recognizing objects and faces, Processing color and fine details, Determining where and how objects move, Creating illusions in visual perception

Back

Determining where and how objects move

Answer explanation

The dorsal stream, also called the "where/how" pathway, processes spatial information and guides movement

Front

The Gestalt principle that "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" suggests that:

Back

Perception emerges from how elements are organized rather than individual stimuli.

Answer explanation

Gestalt psychology emphasizes that perception is based on organizing visual elements into meaningful patterns rather than just processing individual features