150-Sensation

The primary function of the senses is to act as devices that convert one kind of energy into another. They are

• visual adapters.

• biological assimilators.

• phosphenes.

• Answer 4

  biological transducers.

Regarding sensation and perception, which of the following statements is FALSE?

• We are constantly surrounded by electromagnetic radiation, heat, pressure, vibrations, molecules, and mechanical forces.

• The senses are enough to give people a completely accurate “picture” of reality.

• Answer 3

  During the process of perception, our brain assembles sensations into a meaningful “picture” of events.

• Unless your senses translate information into a form your brain can understand, you will experience only a void of silence and darkness.

Sense receptors are biological transducers, which means that they

• select from a broad range of stimulation.

• analyze the environment into important features.

• Answer 3

  convert one form of energy to another.

• detect only a limited range of energies.

The process of detecting physical energies with the sensory organs is called

• sensation.

• perception.

• adaptation

• cognition

Much, if not all, of the two-step process of sensation and perception is

• unconscious

• learned

• best explained through introspection.

• best explained through the subjective methodology used by the parapsychologists.

Sensory receptors respond best to

• changes in stimulation.

• changes in threshold.

• subliminal images.

• repetitive stimuli.

Which of the following explains why you are not constantly aware of the pressure of your wristwatch on your arm or your shoes on your feet?

• sensory adaptation

• sensory gating

• sensory conflict

• perceptual localization.

In a drawing, a single vertical line is placed among a group of slanted lines. This effect, which is so basic that babies as young as three months respond to it, is called

• the somesthetic effect.

• visual pop-out.

• the gate-control effect.

• stereoscopic vision.

A minimum change in sensory intensity that is noticeable to an observer and can be coded into neural messages is known as the

• absolute threshold.

• psychophysical equation.

• difference threshold.

• transduction limit.

A researcher presents two lights of varying brightness to a subject who is asked to respond same or different as he or she compares the intensities. The researcher is seeking the __________ threshold.

• difference

• absolute

• subliminal

• phosphene