Ch.6 Psychology

Question 1

The position on the basilar membrane at which the sound waves reach their peak amplitude depends on the:
a) pressure of the sound
b) tone of the sound
c) pitch of the sound
d) frequency of the sound

Answer 1

d) frequency of the sound

Question 2

According to Weber’s law, the just-noticeable difference for stimulus magnitude is:
a) a constant proportion of the magnitude of the original stimulus
b) proportional to the logarithm of the difference between the original stimulus and the comparison stimulus.
c) the magnitude of the original stimulus raised to the power 3.42
d) the average of the responses obtained through the method of magnitude estimation.

Answer 2

a) a constant proportion of the magnitude of the original stimulus

Question 3

____ are myelinated, fast-conducting fibers that signal the first wave of pain upon injury.
a) A-delta fibers
b) C fibers
c) Cranial nerves
d) Free nerve endings

Answer 3

b) A-delta Fibers

Question 4

Malcom is attending a laser-light show at a local planetarium. The show begins with a display of very faint red lights. The weakest intensity of red light that Malcolm is able to see is his ____ for that light.
a) magnitude
b) just noticeable difference
c) absolute threshold
d) magnitude estimation

Answer 4

c) absolute threshold

Question 5

Marli is carrying a box of her belongings to her new dorm room. Her roommate puts a book on top of the box Marli is carrying. But, Marli does not notice the extra weight of the book. Her roommate keeps adding book until Marli can detect the added weight. Marli’s ability to detect a difference in weight is referred to as the:
a) magnitude
b) absolute threshold
c) power function
d) just-noticable difference

Answer 5

d) just-noticable difference

Question 6

Which statement accurately describes transduction in hearing?
a) Hair cells on the basilar membrane bend as they are pressed against the tectorial membrane by the basilar membrane’s movement.
b) Hair cells on the basilar membrane bend as a result of fluid within the cochlea flowing past.
c) Wavelike movement of the basilar membrane causes similar movement in the tectorial membrane, which synapses directly on auditory neurons.
d) Movement of the basilar membrane pushes directly against the auditory neurons.

Answer 6

a) Hair cells on the basilar membrane bend as they are pressed against the tectorial membrane by the basilar membrane’s movement.

Question 7

Jacob and Aiden have both been wounded to similar degrees but neither feels any pain. _____ accounts for Jacob’s lack of pain, as he was just stabbed by a mugger and has to get away. However, _____ accounts for Aiden’s lack of pain because he has spent hours meditating in order to pierce his cheeks for a religious ceremony.
a) Phantom Pain; asymbolia for pain
b) Asymbolia for pain; phantom pain
c) Belief induced analgesia; stress-induced analgesia
d) Stress-induced analgesia; belief-induced analgesia

Answer 7

d) Stress-induced analgesia; belief-induced analgesia

Question 8

According to George von Bekesy, the auditory system codes pitch in terms of the:
a) number of neurons firing as a result of the basilar membrane’s movement.
b) strength of firing from various places on the tympanic membrane.
c) rate of neurons firing as a result of the basilar membrane’s movement.
d) rate of firing from various place on the basilar membrane.

Answer 8

d) rate of firing from various place on the basilar membrane.

Question 9

Neurons in the primary auditory cortex are tonotopically organized, meaning that:
a) each neuron is responsive to sounds of all frequencies for maximum efficiency of processing.
b) each neuron is systematically arranged such that high and low frequency tones activate neurons at opposite ends.
c) they convert complex sound waves into constant frequency sounds waves known as pure tones.
d) each neuron is designed to preserve both the quantitative variation of every tone that is processed in this area.

Answer 9

b) each neuron is systematically arranged such that high and low frequency tones activate neurons at opposite ends.

Question 10

Immediately following a severe automobile accident, Sergei was aware that his arm had been broken, but he felt no pain as he crawled from the car. This phenomenon is best explained by:
a) belief-induced analgesia.
b) phantom-limb pain.
c) stress-induced analgesia.
d) asymbolia for pain.

Answer 10

c) stress-induced analgesia.

Question 11

A cochlear implant is a hearing aid that:
a) transforms sounds into electrical impulses that stimulate auditory neurons.
b) can help people with auditory nerve destruction.
c) has been found useful only for people with conduction deafness.
d) can duplicate perfectly the function of hair cells.

Answer 11

a) transforms sounds into electrical impulses that stimulate auditory neurons.

Question 12

A wonderful fragrance is wafting in toward Rasindu from the kitchen. _____ is the process by which Rasindu produces a basic experience of that fragrance and _____ is the process by which information about the scent is organized and interpreted as freshly baked cookies.
a) Sensory adaptation; transduction
b) Perception; sensation
c) Transduction; sensory adaptation
d) Sensation; perception

Answer 12

d) Sensation; perception

Question 13

Experiments have shown that people’s ability to identify foods by flavor:
a)declines when both nostrils are open.
b) declines when both nostrils are shut.
c) improves when only one nostril is shut.
d) improves when the nose is clogged.

Answer 13

b) declines when both nostrils are shut.

Question 14

Lester accidentally hits his thumb with a hammer. The diffuse, long-lasting pain he feels is carried to his central nervous system by:
a) A-delta fibers.
b) C fibers.
c) motor neurons.
d) pain hormones.

Answer 14

b) C fibers

Question 15

People are walking through a dimly lit town at night. A row of trash cans are blown over by the wind and crash to the ground 30 yards away. The trash cans fall directly in front of or behind some of the people, and directly to the left or right of others. Who will be able to locate where the sound came from most quickly and easily?
a) The people who experienced the sound directly in front of or behind them.
b) The people who experienced the sound directly to the left or right of them.
c) All of the people will distinguish the location of the sound equally well.
d) The people who were most familiar with the sound of falling trash cans.

Answer 15

b) The people who experienced the sound directly to the left or right of them.

Question 16

Sensory adaptation is mediated by:
a) the preservation of receptor cells.
b) changes in the central nervous system.
c) receptor cells in some cases, and the central nervous system in other cases.
d) the amplitude of action potentials.

Answer 16

c) receptor cells in some cases, and the central nervous system in other cases.

Question 17

Josh’s friend was hoping to improve his chances of finding a date by buying human pheromone to add to his cologne. The advertisement claimed it would make him irresistible to women. Based on what he knows from research on sex-attractant pheromones in humans, what advice should Josh give his friend?
a) Buy it; research indicates that, like other mammals, humans clearly produce and respond to sex-attractive pheromones.
b) Don’t buy it; there’s no convincing evidence that humans produce sex-attractant pheromones.
c) Buy it; while pheromones won’t help in all cases, women have been shown to be moderately attracted by them while the women are ovulating.
d) Don’t buy it; studies have shown that adding more pheromones than what is naturally produced by the body has the reverse effect and would make the friend less attractive to women.

Answer 17

b) Don’t buy it; there’s no convincing evidence that humans produce sex-attractant pheromones.

Question 18

Jose is asked to find the olfactory bulb. In which sensory system should Jose first look?
a) hearing.
b) Smell.
c) pain.
d) taste.

Answer 18

b) Smell

Question 19

Which taste was most recently added to the six primary tastes? (pg. 205)
a) Bitter
b) Umami
c) Sweet
d) Fat

Answer 19

d) Fat

Question 20

If a piano’s notes were getting softer and higher pitched, its _____ as measured in _____ would be decreasing and its _____ as measured in _____ would be increasing.
a) frequency; decibels; amplitude; hertz
b) amplitude; decibels; frequency; hertz
c) frequency; hertz; amplitude; decibels
d) amplitude; hertz; frequency; decibels

Answer 20

b) amplitude; decibels; frequency; hertz

Question 21

The _____ is the faintest detectable sound from a flute, and _____ refers to the minimal difference in intensity between two otherwise identical stimuli, such as a flute and a piccolo (a small flute).
a) sensory magnitude; difference exponent.
b) difference threshold; difference exponent.
c) stimulus magnitude; just-noticeable difference.
d) absolute threshold; just-noticeable difference.

Answer 21

d) absolute threshold; just-noticeable difference.

Question 22

During transduction, variations of the quality of the stimulus are coded as:
a) the strength of the receptor potentials.
b) the ratio of activity from different sets of receptors.
c) the speed of sensory adaptation.
d) the speed of action potentials in the sensory neurons.

Answer 22

b) the ratio of activity from different sets of receptors.

Question 23

Research findings concerning the physiology of smell indicate that most of the output from the glomeruli goes to:
a) the orbitofrontal cortex, which is critical for motivating individuals to seek out smell stimuli.
b) the orbitofrontal cortex, an area crucial to basic drives and emotions.
c) the limbic system and hypothalamus, areas that are critical for making fine distinctions among odors.
d) the limbic system and hypothalamus, areas involved in basic drives and emotions.

Answer 23

d) the limbic system and hypothalamus, areas involved in basic drives and emotions.

Question 24

The sea feels too cold when Adia first gets in, but then starts to feel comfortably cool after she’s been in the water for a little while. This is an illustration of:
a) masking.
b) sensory coding.
c) transduction.
d) sensory adaptation.

Answer 24

d) sensory adaptation

Question 25

Which statement is an explanation for the trigger of phantom-limb pain? a) An excess of sensory input adds a source of inhibition to the brain. b) The lack of sensory input removes a source of inhibition to the brain. c) The brain attempts to recreate the sensation of the missing limb by removing inhibition from some areas. d) The severed ganglions of the spinal cord attach themselves to other ganglion so that they are stimulated by other sensory neurons, leading to the sensation of pain.

Answer 25

b) The lack of sensory input removes a source of inhibition to the brain.

Question 26

Which statement is TRUE of the periaqueductal gray (PAG)? a) Small amounts of alcohol if injected directly into the PAG relieve pain. b) The PAG is located in the frontal cortex, which allows it to reduce pain cognitively. c) Electrical stimulation of the PAG can reduce or stop chronic pain. d) Hormones produced in the PAG are the primary means by which it reduces pain.

Answer 26

c) Electrical stimulation of the PAG can reduce or stop chronic pain.

Question 27

In pain reduction, which is MOST likely to mediate the placebo effect? a) endorphin production b) heightened sensitivity of A-delta fibers c) the reabsorption of potassium by C fibers d) the inhibition of the PAG (periaqueductal gray)

Answer 27

a) endorphin production

Question 28

Psychophysics is the study of the relationship between: a) physical stimuli and the sensory experiences they produce. b) physical stimuli and motivational states. c) motivational states and physiological responses. d) quantities and qualities of stimuli.

Answer 28

a) physical stimuli and the sensory experiences they produce.

Question 29

Which part of the ear is designed to receive sound waves and funnel them inward to other parts of the ear so that the sound stimulus can lead to the experience of hearing? a) outer ear b) basilar membrane c) cochlea d) auditory nerve

Answer 29

a) outer ear

Question 30

Which statement below correctly represents the relationship between taste and smell? a) As humans grow older, the sense of smell declines but the sense of taste does not. This suggests that the two senses are unrelated. b) Chewing and swallowing push air from the mouth up into the nose where molecules from the food stimulate smell receptors. c) Taste is easily distinguished from smell even when both stem from the same food stimulus in the mouth. d) Though food in the mouth can stimulate smell receptors, the effect is so weak that it rarely affects flavor.

Answer 30

b) Chewing and swallowing push air from the mouth up into the nose where molecules from the food stimulate smell receptors.

Question 31

The gate-control theory of pain and pain inhibition proposes that: a) the experience of pain depends on the extent to which neural pain signals can reach higher pain centers in the brain. b) the secretion of neurotransmitters blocks nerve transmission in the immediate area of the injury. c) cells in the somatosensory area of the cortex inhibit the experience of pain. d) individuals can distract themselves from an awareness of pain by concentrating on a neutral topic.

Answer 31

a) the experience of pain depends on the extent to which neural pain signals can reach higher pain centers in the brain.

Question 32

Sensation can be described as a chain of events in which a physical stimulus provokes a(n): a) elementary psychological experience that leads to a physiological response. b) physiological response that leads to an elementary psychological experience. c) simultaneous subjective experience and physiological response. d) behavioral response.

Answer 32

b) physiological response that leads to an elementary psychological experience.

Question 33

_____ are myelinated, fast-conducting fibers that signal the first wave of pain upon injury. a) A-delta fibers b) C fibers c) Cranial nerves d) Free nerve endings

Answer 33

a) A-delta fibers

Question 34

Sergei and Natasha's offspring would MOST benefit from Sergei and Natasha: a) sharing most, but not all, MHC's b) having the same MHC's c) having different MHC's d) sharing few MHC's

Answer 34

c) having different MHC's

Question 35

As Demetria listens to music, sound waves are transported inward to her ____, the structure where transduction takes place. a) stapes b) tympanic membrane c) pinna d) cochlea

Answer 35

d) cochlea

Question 36

What is the thin, porous bone in which the axons of the olfactory sensory neurons pass through? a) oral cavity b) glomerulus c) cribriform plate d) olfactory bulb

Answer 36

c) cribriform plate

Question 37

Individual vowel and consonant sounds that make up words are called: a) phonemes b) letters c) language notes d) tones

Answer 37

a) phonemes

Question 38

Where can free nerve endings be found? a) in all body tissues from which pain is sensed b) near the pituitary gland c) floating in the bloodstream d) trying to free their captive friends

Answer 38

a) in all body tissues from which pain is sensed

Question 39

Yu is studying the sense of smell and the olfactory area. What part of the brain should Yu be focusing on? a) temporal lobe b) occipital lobe. c) frontal lobe. d) parietal lobe.

Answer 39

a) temporal lobe

Question 40

Larissa prefers to drink a large cup of tea. Whereas Jayden prefers a smaller cup of tea. Two cups of tea, one prepared by each of these women, would vary along the _____ dimension: a) quantitative b) qualitative c) threshold d) adaptive

Answer 40

a) quantitative

Question 41

The neurons near the proximal end of the basilar membrane fire rapidly, while other neurons on the membrane barely fire. The brain interprets this as: a) a high-pitched sound b) a low-pitched sound c) no sound d) a combination of widely varying tones

Answer 41

a) a high-pitched sound

Question 42

Andrea is studying psychophysics. She has a participant hold 30 marbles in one hand. What psychological law should Andrea use in order to find out how many marbles she needs to add for the participant to feel the difference? a) Fechner's law b) Weber's law c) Thorndike's law d) Law of effect

Answer 42

b) Weber's law

Question 43

Corey goes to the doctor because his right ear hurts. After an exam, the doctor tell Corey that his eardrum is ruptured. What part of Corey's ear ruptured? a) cochlea b) tympanic membrane c) pinna d) basilar membrane

Answer 43

b) tympanic membrane

Question 44

The major gate in the gate-control theory of pain is the point where pain sensory neurons enter the _____ and synapse on second-order pain neurons. a) thalamus and basal ganglia b) limbic system and cerebellum c) spinal cord and brainstem d) hypothalamus and corpus callosum

Answer 44

c) spinal cord and brainstem

Question 45

The _____ organ is found in most mammals and contains receptor cells that specialize in responding to pheromones. a) endorphin b) transduction c) vomeronasal d) cochlear

Answer 45

c) vomeronasal

Question 46

All the areas below are areas of the brain that are involved in the experience of pain EXCEPT, the: a) limbic system b) somatosensory cortex c) prefrontal cortex d) visual cortex

Answer 46

d) visual cortex

Question 47

____________ proposes that detecting a stimulus is based on both the physical intensity of the stimulus and the psychological states of the perceiver. a) Weber's law b) Signal detection theory c) Absolute threshold theory d) sensory coding theory

Answer 47

b) Signal detection theory

Question 48

Which is an example of sensory adaptation? a) After a few minutes in a darkened room, one can still not distinguish objects b) After a few minutes of listening to loud music, one’s hearing is temporarily impaired. c) After a few minutes of exposure to an unpleasant odor, one no longer notices the smell. d) After a few minutes of exposure to cold weather, one starts to feel chilled.

Answer 48

c) After a few minutes of exposure to an unpleasant odor, one no longer notices the smell.

Question 49

_____ support(s) the notion that the brain's mechanisms for experiencing pain can be activated without sensory input. a) The pain-inhibiting effects of endorphins b) The occurrence of stress-induced analgesia c) Placebo effects d) The existence of phantom-limb pain

Answer 49

d) The existence of phantom-limb pain

Question 50

Which pain reduction method can work for humans but not for rats? a) electrical stimulation of the PAG b) stress-induced analgesia c) endorphins d) belief- induced analgesia

Answer 50

d) belief- induced analgesia

Question 51

Josh is working in the yard when an insect buzzes by his ear. Before he can hear the insect, the receptor cells in his ear must produce an electrical change in response to the sound. This process is called: a) psychophysics. b) accommodation. c) transduction. d) sensory adaptation.

Answer 51

c) transduction.

Question 52

The absolute threshold is the: a) weakest stimulus of a given type that a participant is able to detect. b) weakest stimulus the brain responds to even if the participant does not consciously experience it. c) strongest stimulus of a given type that a person can be exposed to without neural damage. d) smallest difference that a participant detects between similar stimuli on every trial.

Answer 52

a) weakest stimulus of a given type that a participant is able to detect.

Question 53

Consistent with the gate-control theory of pain, activation of neurons in the PAG of the midbrain inhibits pain by way of axons that run: a) up to the pain centers in midline nuclei in the thalamus. b) down to the lower brainstem and spinal cord, where pain sensory neurons enter. c) up to pain centers in the frontal lobe of the cerebral cortex. d) down to pain centers in the parietal lobe of the cerebral cortex.

Answer 53

b) down to the lower brainstem and spinal cord, where pain sensory neurons enter.

Question 54

Jon uses opiates, such as morphine, codeine, and heroin, because these drugs reduce pain and create a euphoric feeling. These drugs are effective because they chemically mimic _______, (a) naturally occurring chemical(s) in the body. a) endorphins b) dopamine c) serotonin d) norepinephrine

Answer 54

a) endorphins

Question 55

Melzack and Wall proposed a theory that explained a person's changing threshold for: a) hearing. b) touch. c) pain. d) taste.

Answer 55

c) pain.

Question 56

Assuming that Weber's law is correct, if one can just barely distinguish a 103-gram weight from a 100-gram weight (the addition of 1/30 of the original weight), one should be able just barely to distinguish a _____ weight from a 300-gram weight. a) 303-gram. b) 306-gram. c) 309-gram. d) 310-gram.

Answer 56

d) 310-gram.

Question 57

In pain reduction, which is MOST likely to mediate the placebo effect? a) endorphin production b) heightened sensitivity of A-delta fibers c) the reabsorption of potassium by C fibers d) the inhibition of the PAG (periaqueductal gray)

Answer 57

a) endorphin production

Question 58

The cingulate cortex and the insular cortex, which are found in the limbic system, are responsible for: a) enabling individuals to perceive pain as a sensation. b) motivating individuals to escape from painful stimuli. c) allowing individuals to localize pain in a particular area of the body. d) affecting one's level of worry about the meaning of pain.

Answer 58

b) motivating individuals to escape from painful stimuli.

Question 59

Grace's receptors for a tasting will respond to a savory sandwich with changes in membrane permeability and with changes in the electrical charge across the membrane. This electrical change is called _____ and it is the essence of the process called _____. a) sensory adaptation; transduction. b) the receptor potential; transduction. c) conduction; sensory adaptation. d) signal detection; sensory adaptation.

Answer 59

b) the receptor potential; transduction.

Question 60

Which statement accurately describes transduction of smell? a) The binding of an odorous molecule to the glomeruli triggers action potentials in olfactory sensory neurons. b) Receptor sites woven into hair cells bind transmitter substances released by other neurons. c) Olfactory bulbs in the lining of the nose use ionic charges to bind odorous molecules to reception sites. d) The terminals of olfactory sensory neurons contain receptor sites that bind molecules of odorous substances.

Answer 60

d) The terminals of olfactory sensory neurons contain receptor sites that bind molecules of odorous substances.

Question 61

People with the condition known as asymbolia for pain: a) perceive painful stimuli, but do not feel a normal desire to escape the pain. b) cannot describe the intensity and qualities of pain. c) experience devastating pain even if the pain pathways entering the brain from the spinal cord are destroyed. d) lack the cognitive experience or meaningful interpretation of pain, yet respond to pain adaptively.

Answer 61

a) perceive painful stimuli, but do not feel a normal desire to escape the pain.

Question 62

Which statement would accurately encourage older people to make sure their smoke alarms and other alert systems are properly working? a) As the sense of smell declines with age, the elderly are less likely to smell smoke in time to escape. b) The elderly spend more time in stage 4 sleep. so they are less likely to wake up when there is an emergency. c) Hearing declines with age, so the elderly will only be able to hear the alarms if they are really loud. d) As their memory declines with age, the elderly are likely to leave the stove on, resulting in a fire.

Answer 62

a) As the sense of smell declines with age, the elderly are less likely to smell smoke in time to escape.

Question 63

Before the 1920's, scientists believed that the basilar membrane acted like harp strings. Georg von Bekesy was the first to discover that the membrane actually behaves more like: a) a bed sheet when someone shakes it at one end. b) a group of people waiting in a line c) waves on the ocean as the wind intensifies d) a row of dominos falling in sequence.

Answer 63

a) a bed sheet when someone shakes it at one end.

Question 64

The ossicles increase the pressure exerted by the sound waves on the inner ear by funneling the pressure from the: a) tympanic membrane to the much smaller oval window b) tympanic membrane to a much larger oval window. c) oval window to the much small tympanic membrane d) oval window to the much larger tympanic membrane.

Answer 64

a) tympanic membrane to the much smaller oval window

Question 65

Which statement concerning Bekesy's traveling wave theory is TRUE? a) Bekesy's traveling wave theory is incorrect b) It can fully explain the entire range of pitch perception. c) It must be supplemented by a theory about the timing of vibration on a basilar membrane for sounds below about 4000Hz. d) the theory is correct but only for sounds below about 4000Hz.

Answer 65

c) It must be supplemented by a theory about the timing of vibration on a basilar membrane for sounds below about 4000Hz.

Question 66

Which is TRUE of sensorineural deafness? a) It results when the ossicles become rigid. b) It can usually be helped by a conventional hearing aid. c) It is a result of damage to the hair cells of the cochlea or to the auditory neurons. d) It can now be completely corrected with a cochlear implant.

Answer 66

c) It is a result of damage to the hair cells of the cochlea or to the auditory neurons.

Question 67

The gate-control theory of pain and pain inhibition proposes that: a) the experience of pain depends on the extent to which neural pain signals can reach higher pain centers in the brain. b) the secretion of neurotransmitters blocks nerve transmission in the immediate area of the injury. c) cells in the somatosensory area of the cortex inhibit the experience of pain. d) individuals can distract themselves from an awareness of pain by concentrating on a neutral topic.

Answer 67

a) the experience of pain depends on the extent to which neural pain signals can reach higher pain centers in the brain.

Question 68

Andrea is studying psychophysics. She has a participant hold 30 marbles in one hand. What psychological law should Andrea use in order to find out how many marbles she needs to add for the participant to feel the difference? a) Fechner's law. b) Weber's law. c) Thorndike's law. d) Law of Effect.

Answer 68

b) Weber's law.

Question 69

The major function of the structures in the middle ear is to _____ the inner ear. a) reduce the pressure that sound waves exert on b) increase the pressure that sound waves exert on c) reduce the frequency of sound waves reaching d) increase the frequency of sound waves reaching

Answer 69

b) increase the pressure that sound waves exert on