Thresholds & Psychophysics
What is the minimum level of a stimulus required for detection?
Absolute threshold
The black opening within the iris that lets light in is the ______.
Pupil
Which theory says that three types of receptors allow us to see all colors?
Trichromatic theory
What is the snail-shaped organ in the inner ear that contains receptors for hearing?
Cochlea
What are the taste receptors on the tongue called?
Taste buds
What is the minimal difference needed to detect two stimuli as different?
Difference threshold
Which cells are responsible for sharp detail and color vision?
Cones
Which theory explains afterimages?
Opponent-process theory
What are the tiny receptor structures that bend in response to sound vibrations?
Hair cells
Which nerve carries impulses from the nose to the brain?
Olfactory nerve
Which law explains why Byron, a bodybuilder, doesn’t notice small increases in weight until they exceed 4 pounds?
Weber’s law
Why do rods help you see better at night, but cones help you see better during the day?
Rods are more sensitive to low light but don’t detect color; cones need brighter light and detect fine detail and color.
People with no color vision who see only in black and white are called
Monochromats
Which theory states pitch depends on the location of vibration along the basilar membrane?
Place theory
Which brain system helps explain why smells are strongly tied to memories?
Limbic system
Which theory explains why Quintus’s earache reduces his ability to hear faint sounds?
Signal-detection theory
Which neurons in the visual cortex respond to specific features like horizontal or vertical lines?
Feature detectors
People who cannot distinguish red from green are most likely
Dichromats
Why does prolonged exposure to loud music damage hearing over time?
Because loud sounds damage or destroy cochlear hair cells, which do not regenerate.
Which theory proposes that the spinal cord can open or close to allow or block pain signals?
At a noisy party, you suddenly hear your name mentioned across the room even though you weren’t paying attention to that conversation. What concept does this illustrate, and why does it challenge the idea that perception is only based on intensity of stimuli?
The cocktail party effect; it shows that attention and meaning, not just stimulus strength, influence perception.
Why do objects appear inverted when first projected onto the retina, and why don’t we notice this inversion?
The cornea and lens bend light upside down, but the brain flips the image during processing.
Why don’t we ever see a “reddish-green” crayon in the box, but we can see bluish-green (turquoise)?
Opponent-process theory — red and green are opposites that can’t fire together, while blue and green can combine via cone activity.
Why might conduction deafness be treated with hearing aids, but nerve deafness often requires cochlear implants?
Conduction deafness involves problems with sound transmission; nerve deafness damages receptors/nerve pathways, requiring direct stimulation of the auditory nerve.
Why does losing your sense of smell often reduce your ability to taste food, and what does this show about sensory interaction?
Taste and smell combine to create flavor; without smell, taste is limited to basic sensations