TEST BANK
Sensation and Perception
E. Bruce Goldstein, and Laura Cacciamani
11th Edition
,Table of Contents
Chapter 01 Introduction to Perception 1
Chapter 02 Basic Principles of Sensory Physiology 13
Chapter 03 The Eye and Retina 25
Chapter 04 The Visual Cortex and Beyond 38
Chapter 05 Perceiving Objects and Scenes 51
Chapter 06 Visual Attention 64
Chapter 07 Taking Action 77
Chapter 08 Perceiving Motion 90
Chapter 09 Perceiving Color 103
Chapter 10 Perceiving Depth and Size 118
Chapter 11 Hearing 132
Chapter 12 Hearing in the Environment 145
Chapter 13 Perceiving Music 157
Chapter 14 Perceiving Speech 170
Chapter 15 The Cutaneous Senses 183
Chapter 16 The Chemical Senses 196
,______________________________________________________________________________________________
Test Bank - Sensation and Perception, 11th Edition (Goldstein, 2022)
Chapter 01 Introduction to Perception
Multiple Choice
1. “Perceiving machines” that can negotiate the environment with human-like ease
a. were developed by computer scientists in the 1960s.
b. were developed by computer scientists in the 1970s.
c. were developed by computer scientists in the 1990s.
d. have yet to be developed.
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.01 - Explain the seven steps of the perceptual process.
2. Knowing how perception works is interesting because perception is something you experience
a. intermittently.
b. when necessary.
c. when important.
d. constantly.
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.01 - Explain the seven steps of the perceptual process.
3. The only way to see, hear, taste, smell, and feel what you want to experience is by
a. identifying stimulus inputs.
b. discriminating among similar stimuli.
c. developing necessary cognitive constructs.
d. activating sensory receptors.
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.01 - Explain the seven steps of the perceptual process.
4. A worker’s auditory receptors were damaged from failing to use hearing protection when working in a loud
environment. As a result, we can expect that
a. the areas of their brain associated with auditory perception will have diminished considerably in size.
b. they can no longer hear anything.
c. they will need to use hearing aids.
d. their auditory experiences will differ from those of an individual whose receptors have not been damaged.
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.01 - Explain the seven steps of the perceptual process.
5. Which of the following is the first category of the stages in the perceptual process?
a. Stimuli
b. Neural processing
c. Serendipity
d. Behavioral responses
ANSWER: a
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
1|Page
,______________________________________________________________________________________________
Test Bank - Sensation and Perception, 11th Edition (Goldstein, 2022)
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.01 - Explain the seven steps of the perceptual process.
6. The process of transforming energy in the environment into electrical energy in the neurons is called
a. refraction.
b. transduction.
c. reduction.
d. construction.
ANSWER: b
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.01 - Explain the seven steps of the perceptual process.
7. What is the step in the perceptual process that is analogous to what happens during an ATM withdrawal, when pressure
from the button press becomes electrical energy and then becomes a mechanical response, resulting in the dispensing of
money?
a. Knowledge
b. Transference
c. Action
d. Transduction
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: The Perceptual Process
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.01 - Explain the seven steps of the perceptual process.
8. The specific term for the “stimulus on the receptors” in visual processing is the
a. transduced image.
b. environmental stimulus.
c. visual image.
d. perception.
ANSWER: c
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.01 - Explain the seven steps of the perceptual process.
9. What is the term for the image projected on the retina of the actual stimulus?
a. Representation
b. Environmental stimulus
c. Replication
d. Scale model
ANSWER: a
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.01 - Explain the seven steps of the perceptual process.
10. Which brain structure is responsible for creating perceptions and producing other “high” level functions, such as
language, memory, and thinking?
a. Brain stem
b. Cerebral cortex
c. Hypothalamus
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
2|Page
,______________________________________________________________________________________________
Test Bank - Sensation and Perception, 11th Edition (Goldstein, 2022)
d. Occipital lobe
ANSWER: b
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.01 - Explain the seven steps of the perceptual process.
11. Visual form agnosia is a problem of what step of the perceptual process?
a. Action
b. Attention
c. Transduction
d. Recognition
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.01 - Explain the seven steps of the perceptual process.
12. Which statement best describes the steps of the perceptual process?
a. The steps are unidirectional, starting at the environmental stimulus and ending at perception.
b. The steps are unidirectional, starting at the environmental stimulus and ending at knowledge.
c. The steps are unidirectional, starting at transduction and ending at recognition.
d. The sequence of steps is dynamic and constantly changing.
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.01 - Explain the seven steps of the perceptual process.
13. If a person sees the unambiguous “rat” stimulus and then views the ambiguous “rat-man” figure, the person will most
likely report seeing what?
a. A rat, because of the effect of knowledge.
b. A person, because we tend to see things that match our species.
c. A rat, because of the effect of action.
d. A rat or a person equally.
ANSWER: a
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.03 - Describe how knowledge can influence perception.
14. Justin forgot to wear his glasses to class, so the writing he sees on the chalkboard is blurry. Even so, he is sure it reads,
“Pop Quiz!” because he knows there are pop quizzes in the class and he can read the “P” and the “Q”. What allows him to
read the board?
a. Bottom-up processing
b. Oblique processing
c. Top-down processing
d. Compression
ANSWER: c
DIFFICULTY: The Perceptual Process
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.02 - Differentiate between “top-down” and “bottom-up” processing.
15. What type of processing is based on the stimuli reaching the receptors?
a. Bottom-up
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
3|Page
,______________________________________________________________________________________________
Test Bank - Sensation and Perception, 11th Edition (Goldstein, 2022)
b. Oblique
c. Top-down
d. Receptor
ANSWER: a
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.02 - Differentiate between “top-down” and “bottom-up” processing.
16. Trying to read a note written by someone with poor handwriting involves
a. only top-down processing.
b. only bottom-up processing.
c. both top-down and bottom-up processing.
d. only data-based processing.
ANSWER: c
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.02 - Differentiate between “top-down” and “bottom-up” processing.
17. The physiological level of analysis involves the relationship between
a. stimulus and physiology only.
b. physiology and perception only.
c. stimulus and perception only.
d. both stimulus and physiology and physiology and perception.
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.04 - Understand how perception can be studied by determining the
relationships between stimulus and behavior, stimulus and physiology, and
physiology and behavior.
18. Kimmy is casting shadows on the wall and watching whether or not her cat, Tiger, jumps at the shadows. She uses
different hand motions to see if there is a difference in whether Tiger jumps or not. Kimmy is informally studying which
relationship?
a. The stimulus-physiology relationship
b. The physiology-perception relationship
c. The stimulus-perception relationship
d. The perception-behavior relationship
ANSWER: c
DIFFICULTY: Studying the Perceptual Process
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.04 - Understand how perception can be studied by determining the
relationships between stimulus and behavior, stimulus and physiology, and
physiology and behavior.
19. The psychophysical method in which stimuli of varying intensities are presented in ascending and descending orders
in discrete steps is called the method of
a. limits.
b. constant stimuli.
c. searching.
d. scaling.
ANSWER: a
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
4|Page
,______________________________________________________________________________________________
Test Bank - Sensation and Perception, 11th Edition (Goldstein, 2022)
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.05 - Explain “absolute threshold” and “difference threshold” and the various
methods that can be used to measure them.
20. When using the method of limits, the absolute threshold is determined by calculating
a. the stimulus intensity detected 66% of the time.
b. the stimulus intensity detected 75% of the time.
c. the stimulus intensity detected 100% of the time.
d. the average of the “cross-over” values.
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.05 - Explain “absolute threshold” and “difference threshold” and the various
methods that can be used to measure them.
21. The method of limits takes into account the variability of human perception by
a. consistently presenting subliminal stimuli to avoid bias.
b. using deception to hide the true purpose.
c. averaging the results of several trials.
d. measuring brain activity concurrently.
ANSWER: c
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.05 - Explain “absolute threshold” and “difference threshold” and the various
methods that can be used to measure them.
22. Fechner’s and Weber’s methods not only made it possible to measure the ability to detect stimuli, but they also made
it possible to
a. determine mechanisms responsible for experiences.
b. identify the subconscious rationales for the responses.
c. provide scientific justification for introspection.
d. localize brain lesions responsible for poor performance.
ANSWER: a
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.05 - Explain “absolute threshold” and “difference threshold” and the various
methods that can be used to measure them.
23. The smallest difference between two stimuli that enables us to tell the difference between them is called the
a. necessary difference.
b. difference threshold.
c. discriminant equation.
d. determinant level.
ANSWER: b
DIFFICULTY: Measuring Perception
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.05 - Explain “absolute threshold” and “difference threshold” and the various
methods that can be used to measure them.
24. Based on the dark adaptation curve, what would you expect the absolute threshold to do as time in a darkened room
increased?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
5|Page
,______________________________________________________________________________________________
Test Bank - Sensation and Perception, 11th Edition (Goldstein, 2022)
a. Get larger
b. Remain unchanged
c. Get smaller
d. Vary unpredictably
ANSWER: c
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.05 - Explain “absolute threshold” and “difference threshold” and the various
methods that can be used to measure them.
25. One of the important limitations of the knowledge derived from determining thresholds is that
a. perception includes far more than just what happens at the threshold.
b. the methods are based fundamentally on introspection.
c. the outcomes are of extremely limited reliability.
d. generalization from the laboratory to real life is not possible.
ANSWER: a
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.05 - Explain “absolute threshold” and “difference threshold” and the various
methods that can be used to measure them.
26. A patient recently had a stroke that has damaged their ability to name objects. The neurologist shows the patient a pen
and asks them to name what it is. This is best described as a test of
a. recognition.
b. magnitude.
c. reaction time.
d. description.
ANSWER: a
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.06 - Describe how perception above threshold can be measured by considering
five questions about the perceptual world.
27. The game “Whack-a-Mole,” in which the player must “whack” randomly appearing moles with a hammer as quickly
as possible when they peek their heads out, is best described as what type of task?
a. Recognition
b. Magnitude
c. Reaction time
d. Description
ANSWER: c
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.06 - Describe how perception above threshold can be measured by considering
five questions about the perceptual world.
28. A medical laboratory worker is being trained to read the results of certain laboratory tests. In this phase of training, the
worker looks at prepared slides and then writes a summary of what they see. What type of task is this?
a. Recognition
b. Magnitude
c. Reaction time
d. Description
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
6|Page
,______________________________________________________________________________________________
Test Bank - Sensation and Perception, 11th Edition (Goldstein, 2022)
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.06 - Describe how perception above threshold can be measured by considering
five questions about the perceptual world.
29. Which methods are used to measure the quantitative relationship between the stimulus and perception?
a. Description
b. The phenomenological methods
c. Reflection
d. Classical psychophysical methods
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.06 - Describe how perception above threshold can be measured by considering
five questions about the perceptual world.
30. Fechner’s psychophysical methods
a. are important from a historical perspective only.
b. were developed in the early 1960s.
c. showed that mental activity cannot be measured quantitatively.
d. are currently used to test a person’s hearing and vision.
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.05 - Explain “absolute threshold” and “difference threshold” and the various
methods that can be used to measure them.
31. What is it called when a participant is given a “standard stimulus” and is asked to assign a numerical value to that
stimulus?
a. Recognition
b. Description
c. Phenomenological method
d. Magnitude estimation
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.06 - Describe how perception above threshold can be measured by considering
five questions about the perceptual world.
32. The method of magnitude estimation yields a measure of what sort of magnitude?
a. Objective
b. Perceived
c. Difference
d. Absolute
ANSWER: b
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.06 - Describe how perception above threshold can be measured by considering
five questions about the perceptual world.
33. As a part of the interview process for a job in quality control at a small, luxury chocolate manufacturer, an applicant is
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
7|Page
, ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Test Bank - Sensation and Perception, 11th Edition (Goldstein, 2022)
asked to taste small pieces of chocolate and then describe what they taste. The applicant is most likely being asked to
provide a(n)
a. phenomenological report.
b. magnitude estimation.
c. adaptation curve.
d. absolute thresholds.
ANSWER: a
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.06 - Describe how perception above threshold can be measured by considering
five questions about the perceptual world.
34. The question “What do you see?” is asking about
a. sensation.
b. discrimination.
c. recognition.
d. perception.
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.06 - Describe how perception above threshold can be measured by considering
five questions about the perceptual world.
35. The question “What is it?” is asking about
a. sensation.
b. discrimination.
c. recognition.
d. perception.
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.06 - Describe how perception above threshold can be measured by considering
five questions about the perceptual world.
36. Classical psychophysical methods opened the way for the founding of scientific psychology by providing methods to
measure
a. an aspect of the mind.
b. neurological activation.
c. response bias.
d. multicultural effects.
ANSWER: a
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.06 - Describe how perception above threshold can be measured by considering
five questions about the perceptual world.
37. A driver in a car notices that stationary objects closer to them move faster than stationary objects that are farther away.
The driver is using what technique regarding perception of a stimulus?
a. Detection
b. Search
c. Phenomenological
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
8|Page
Sensation and Perception
E. Bruce Goldstein, and Laura Cacciamani
11th Edition
,Table of Contents
Chapter 01 Introduction to Perception 1
Chapter 02 Basic Principles of Sensory Physiology 13
Chapter 03 The Eye and Retina 25
Chapter 04 The Visual Cortex and Beyond 38
Chapter 05 Perceiving Objects and Scenes 51
Chapter 06 Visual Attention 64
Chapter 07 Taking Action 77
Chapter 08 Perceiving Motion 90
Chapter 09 Perceiving Color 103
Chapter 10 Perceiving Depth and Size 118
Chapter 11 Hearing 132
Chapter 12 Hearing in the Environment 145
Chapter 13 Perceiving Music 157
Chapter 14 Perceiving Speech 170
Chapter 15 The Cutaneous Senses 183
Chapter 16 The Chemical Senses 196
,______________________________________________________________________________________________
Test Bank - Sensation and Perception, 11th Edition (Goldstein, 2022)
Chapter 01 Introduction to Perception
Multiple Choice
1. “Perceiving machines” that can negotiate the environment with human-like ease
a. were developed by computer scientists in the 1960s.
b. were developed by computer scientists in the 1970s.
c. were developed by computer scientists in the 1990s.
d. have yet to be developed.
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.01 - Explain the seven steps of the perceptual process.
2. Knowing how perception works is interesting because perception is something you experience
a. intermittently.
b. when necessary.
c. when important.
d. constantly.
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.01 - Explain the seven steps of the perceptual process.
3. The only way to see, hear, taste, smell, and feel what you want to experience is by
a. identifying stimulus inputs.
b. discriminating among similar stimuli.
c. developing necessary cognitive constructs.
d. activating sensory receptors.
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.01 - Explain the seven steps of the perceptual process.
4. A worker’s auditory receptors were damaged from failing to use hearing protection when working in a loud
environment. As a result, we can expect that
a. the areas of their brain associated with auditory perception will have diminished considerably in size.
b. they can no longer hear anything.
c. they will need to use hearing aids.
d. their auditory experiences will differ from those of an individual whose receptors have not been damaged.
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.01 - Explain the seven steps of the perceptual process.
5. Which of the following is the first category of the stages in the perceptual process?
a. Stimuli
b. Neural processing
c. Serendipity
d. Behavioral responses
ANSWER: a
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
1|Page
,______________________________________________________________________________________________
Test Bank - Sensation and Perception, 11th Edition (Goldstein, 2022)
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.01 - Explain the seven steps of the perceptual process.
6. The process of transforming energy in the environment into electrical energy in the neurons is called
a. refraction.
b. transduction.
c. reduction.
d. construction.
ANSWER: b
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.01 - Explain the seven steps of the perceptual process.
7. What is the step in the perceptual process that is analogous to what happens during an ATM withdrawal, when pressure
from the button press becomes electrical energy and then becomes a mechanical response, resulting in the dispensing of
money?
a. Knowledge
b. Transference
c. Action
d. Transduction
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: The Perceptual Process
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.01 - Explain the seven steps of the perceptual process.
8. The specific term for the “stimulus on the receptors” in visual processing is the
a. transduced image.
b. environmental stimulus.
c. visual image.
d. perception.
ANSWER: c
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.01 - Explain the seven steps of the perceptual process.
9. What is the term for the image projected on the retina of the actual stimulus?
a. Representation
b. Environmental stimulus
c. Replication
d. Scale model
ANSWER: a
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.01 - Explain the seven steps of the perceptual process.
10. Which brain structure is responsible for creating perceptions and producing other “high” level functions, such as
language, memory, and thinking?
a. Brain stem
b. Cerebral cortex
c. Hypothalamus
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
2|Page
,______________________________________________________________________________________________
Test Bank - Sensation and Perception, 11th Edition (Goldstein, 2022)
d. Occipital lobe
ANSWER: b
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.01 - Explain the seven steps of the perceptual process.
11. Visual form agnosia is a problem of what step of the perceptual process?
a. Action
b. Attention
c. Transduction
d. Recognition
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.01 - Explain the seven steps of the perceptual process.
12. Which statement best describes the steps of the perceptual process?
a. The steps are unidirectional, starting at the environmental stimulus and ending at perception.
b. The steps are unidirectional, starting at the environmental stimulus and ending at knowledge.
c. The steps are unidirectional, starting at transduction and ending at recognition.
d. The sequence of steps is dynamic and constantly changing.
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.01 - Explain the seven steps of the perceptual process.
13. If a person sees the unambiguous “rat” stimulus and then views the ambiguous “rat-man” figure, the person will most
likely report seeing what?
a. A rat, because of the effect of knowledge.
b. A person, because we tend to see things that match our species.
c. A rat, because of the effect of action.
d. A rat or a person equally.
ANSWER: a
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.03 - Describe how knowledge can influence perception.
14. Justin forgot to wear his glasses to class, so the writing he sees on the chalkboard is blurry. Even so, he is sure it reads,
“Pop Quiz!” because he knows there are pop quizzes in the class and he can read the “P” and the “Q”. What allows him to
read the board?
a. Bottom-up processing
b. Oblique processing
c. Top-down processing
d. Compression
ANSWER: c
DIFFICULTY: The Perceptual Process
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.02 - Differentiate between “top-down” and “bottom-up” processing.
15. What type of processing is based on the stimuli reaching the receptors?
a. Bottom-up
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
3|Page
,______________________________________________________________________________________________
Test Bank - Sensation and Perception, 11th Edition (Goldstein, 2022)
b. Oblique
c. Top-down
d. Receptor
ANSWER: a
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.02 - Differentiate between “top-down” and “bottom-up” processing.
16. Trying to read a note written by someone with poor handwriting involves
a. only top-down processing.
b. only bottom-up processing.
c. both top-down and bottom-up processing.
d. only data-based processing.
ANSWER: c
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.02 - Differentiate between “top-down” and “bottom-up” processing.
17. The physiological level of analysis involves the relationship between
a. stimulus and physiology only.
b. physiology and perception only.
c. stimulus and perception only.
d. both stimulus and physiology and physiology and perception.
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.04 - Understand how perception can be studied by determining the
relationships between stimulus and behavior, stimulus and physiology, and
physiology and behavior.
18. Kimmy is casting shadows on the wall and watching whether or not her cat, Tiger, jumps at the shadows. She uses
different hand motions to see if there is a difference in whether Tiger jumps or not. Kimmy is informally studying which
relationship?
a. The stimulus-physiology relationship
b. The physiology-perception relationship
c. The stimulus-perception relationship
d. The perception-behavior relationship
ANSWER: c
DIFFICULTY: Studying the Perceptual Process
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.04 - Understand how perception can be studied by determining the
relationships between stimulus and behavior, stimulus and physiology, and
physiology and behavior.
19. The psychophysical method in which stimuli of varying intensities are presented in ascending and descending orders
in discrete steps is called the method of
a. limits.
b. constant stimuli.
c. searching.
d. scaling.
ANSWER: a
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
4|Page
,______________________________________________________________________________________________
Test Bank - Sensation and Perception, 11th Edition (Goldstein, 2022)
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.05 - Explain “absolute threshold” and “difference threshold” and the various
methods that can be used to measure them.
20. When using the method of limits, the absolute threshold is determined by calculating
a. the stimulus intensity detected 66% of the time.
b. the stimulus intensity detected 75% of the time.
c. the stimulus intensity detected 100% of the time.
d. the average of the “cross-over” values.
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.05 - Explain “absolute threshold” and “difference threshold” and the various
methods that can be used to measure them.
21. The method of limits takes into account the variability of human perception by
a. consistently presenting subliminal stimuli to avoid bias.
b. using deception to hide the true purpose.
c. averaging the results of several trials.
d. measuring brain activity concurrently.
ANSWER: c
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.05 - Explain “absolute threshold” and “difference threshold” and the various
methods that can be used to measure them.
22. Fechner’s and Weber’s methods not only made it possible to measure the ability to detect stimuli, but they also made
it possible to
a. determine mechanisms responsible for experiences.
b. identify the subconscious rationales for the responses.
c. provide scientific justification for introspection.
d. localize brain lesions responsible for poor performance.
ANSWER: a
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.05 - Explain “absolute threshold” and “difference threshold” and the various
methods that can be used to measure them.
23. The smallest difference between two stimuli that enables us to tell the difference between them is called the
a. necessary difference.
b. difference threshold.
c. discriminant equation.
d. determinant level.
ANSWER: b
DIFFICULTY: Measuring Perception
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.05 - Explain “absolute threshold” and “difference threshold” and the various
methods that can be used to measure them.
24. Based on the dark adaptation curve, what would you expect the absolute threshold to do as time in a darkened room
increased?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
5|Page
,______________________________________________________________________________________________
Test Bank - Sensation and Perception, 11th Edition (Goldstein, 2022)
a. Get larger
b. Remain unchanged
c. Get smaller
d. Vary unpredictably
ANSWER: c
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.05 - Explain “absolute threshold” and “difference threshold” and the various
methods that can be used to measure them.
25. One of the important limitations of the knowledge derived from determining thresholds is that
a. perception includes far more than just what happens at the threshold.
b. the methods are based fundamentally on introspection.
c. the outcomes are of extremely limited reliability.
d. generalization from the laboratory to real life is not possible.
ANSWER: a
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.05 - Explain “absolute threshold” and “difference threshold” and the various
methods that can be used to measure them.
26. A patient recently had a stroke that has damaged their ability to name objects. The neurologist shows the patient a pen
and asks them to name what it is. This is best described as a test of
a. recognition.
b. magnitude.
c. reaction time.
d. description.
ANSWER: a
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.06 - Describe how perception above threshold can be measured by considering
five questions about the perceptual world.
27. The game “Whack-a-Mole,” in which the player must “whack” randomly appearing moles with a hammer as quickly
as possible when they peek their heads out, is best described as what type of task?
a. Recognition
b. Magnitude
c. Reaction time
d. Description
ANSWER: c
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.06 - Describe how perception above threshold can be measured by considering
five questions about the perceptual world.
28. A medical laboratory worker is being trained to read the results of certain laboratory tests. In this phase of training, the
worker looks at prepared slides and then writes a summary of what they see. What type of task is this?
a. Recognition
b. Magnitude
c. Reaction time
d. Description
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
6|Page
,______________________________________________________________________________________________
Test Bank - Sensation and Perception, 11th Edition (Goldstein, 2022)
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.06 - Describe how perception above threshold can be measured by considering
five questions about the perceptual world.
29. Which methods are used to measure the quantitative relationship between the stimulus and perception?
a. Description
b. The phenomenological methods
c. Reflection
d. Classical psychophysical methods
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.06 - Describe how perception above threshold can be measured by considering
five questions about the perceptual world.
30. Fechner’s psychophysical methods
a. are important from a historical perspective only.
b. were developed in the early 1960s.
c. showed that mental activity cannot be measured quantitatively.
d. are currently used to test a person’s hearing and vision.
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.05 - Explain “absolute threshold” and “difference threshold” and the various
methods that can be used to measure them.
31. What is it called when a participant is given a “standard stimulus” and is asked to assign a numerical value to that
stimulus?
a. Recognition
b. Description
c. Phenomenological method
d. Magnitude estimation
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.06 - Describe how perception above threshold can be measured by considering
five questions about the perceptual world.
32. The method of magnitude estimation yields a measure of what sort of magnitude?
a. Objective
b. Perceived
c. Difference
d. Absolute
ANSWER: b
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.06 - Describe how perception above threshold can be measured by considering
five questions about the perceptual world.
33. As a part of the interview process for a job in quality control at a small, luxury chocolate manufacturer, an applicant is
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
7|Page
, ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Test Bank - Sensation and Perception, 11th Edition (Goldstein, 2022)
asked to taste small pieces of chocolate and then describe what they taste. The applicant is most likely being asked to
provide a(n)
a. phenomenological report.
b. magnitude estimation.
c. adaptation curve.
d. absolute thresholds.
ANSWER: a
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.06 - Describe how perception above threshold can be measured by considering
five questions about the perceptual world.
34. The question “What do you see?” is asking about
a. sensation.
b. discrimination.
c. recognition.
d. perception.
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.06 - Describe how perception above threshold can be measured by considering
five questions about the perceptual world.
35. The question “What is it?” is asking about
a. sensation.
b. discrimination.
c. recognition.
d. perception.
ANSWER: d
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.06 - Describe how perception above threshold can be measured by considering
five questions about the perceptual world.
36. Classical psychophysical methods opened the way for the founding of scientific psychology by providing methods to
measure
a. an aspect of the mind.
b. neurological activation.
c. response bias.
d. multicultural effects.
ANSWER: a
DIFFICULTY: Easy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 01.06 - Describe how perception above threshold can be measured by considering
five questions about the perceptual world.
37. A driver in a car notices that stationary objects closer to them move faster than stationary objects that are farther away.
The driver is using what technique regarding perception of a stimulus?
a. Detection
b. Search
c. Phenomenological
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
8|Page
