PSU Psych 100 Exam 2 with Verified
Solutions 2024
sensation - Answer -the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and
represent stimulus energies from our environment
perception - Answer -the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to
recognize meaningful objects and events
bottom-up processing - Answer -analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the
brain's integration of sensory information
top-down processing - Answer -information processing guided by higher level mental processes, as when
we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations
transduction - Answer -conversion of one form of energy into another. In sensation, the transforming of
stimulus energies, such as sights, sounds, and smells, into neural impulses our brain can interpret
psychophysics - Answer -the study of the relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli,
such as their intensity and our psychological experience of them
absolute threshold - Answer -the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent
of the time
signal detection theory - Answer -a theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint
stimulus (signal) amid background stimulation (noise). Assumes there is no single absolute threshold and
that detection depends partly on a person's experience, expectations, motivation, and alertness.
subliminal - Answer -below one's absolute threshold for conscious awareness
priming - Answer -the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one's
perception, memory, or response
difference threshold - Answer -the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50
percent of the time.
Weber's Law - Answer -the principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a given
percentage
sensory adaptation - Answer -diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation
perceptual set - Answer -a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not the other
, wavelength - Answer -the distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next.
electromagnetic wavelengths vary from the short blips of cosmic rays to the long pulses of radio
transmission
hue - Answer -the dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light; when we know as
the color names
intensity - Answer -the amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we perceive as brightness or
loudness, as determined by the wave's amplitude
pupil - Answer -the adjustable opening in the center of the eye which light enters
iris - Answer -a ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and
controls the size of the pupil opening
lens - Answer -the transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on
the retina
retina - Answer -the light-sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones plus
layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual information
accomodation - Answer -the process by which the eye's lens changes shape to focus near or far objects
on the retina
rods - Answer -retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray; necessary for peripheral and twilight
vision, when cones don't respond
cones - Answer -retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that
function in daylight or in well-lit conditions. The cones detect fine detail and give rise to color sensations.
optic nerve - Answer -the nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain
blind spot - Answer -the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a "blind" spot because no
receptor cells are located there
fovea - Answer -the central focal point in the retina, around which the eye's cones cluster
feature detectors - Answer -nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such
as shape, angle, or movement
opponent-process theory - Answer -the theory that opposing retinal processes enable color vision.
parallel processing - Answer -the processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain's
natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision. Contrasts with the step-by-
step (serial) processing of most computers and of conscious problem solving
Solutions 2024
sensation - Answer -the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and
represent stimulus energies from our environment
perception - Answer -the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to
recognize meaningful objects and events
bottom-up processing - Answer -analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the
brain's integration of sensory information
top-down processing - Answer -information processing guided by higher level mental processes, as when
we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations
transduction - Answer -conversion of one form of energy into another. In sensation, the transforming of
stimulus energies, such as sights, sounds, and smells, into neural impulses our brain can interpret
psychophysics - Answer -the study of the relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli,
such as their intensity and our psychological experience of them
absolute threshold - Answer -the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent
of the time
signal detection theory - Answer -a theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint
stimulus (signal) amid background stimulation (noise). Assumes there is no single absolute threshold and
that detection depends partly on a person's experience, expectations, motivation, and alertness.
subliminal - Answer -below one's absolute threshold for conscious awareness
priming - Answer -the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one's
perception, memory, or response
difference threshold - Answer -the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50
percent of the time.
Weber's Law - Answer -the principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a given
percentage
sensory adaptation - Answer -diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation
perceptual set - Answer -a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not the other
, wavelength - Answer -the distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next.
electromagnetic wavelengths vary from the short blips of cosmic rays to the long pulses of radio
transmission
hue - Answer -the dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light; when we know as
the color names
intensity - Answer -the amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we perceive as brightness or
loudness, as determined by the wave's amplitude
pupil - Answer -the adjustable opening in the center of the eye which light enters
iris - Answer -a ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and
controls the size of the pupil opening
lens - Answer -the transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on
the retina
retina - Answer -the light-sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones plus
layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual information
accomodation - Answer -the process by which the eye's lens changes shape to focus near or far objects
on the retina
rods - Answer -retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray; necessary for peripheral and twilight
vision, when cones don't respond
cones - Answer -retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that
function in daylight or in well-lit conditions. The cones detect fine detail and give rise to color sensations.
optic nerve - Answer -the nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain
blind spot - Answer -the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a "blind" spot because no
receptor cells are located there
fovea - Answer -the central focal point in the retina, around which the eye's cones cluster
feature detectors - Answer -nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such
as shape, angle, or movement
opponent-process theory - Answer -the theory that opposing retinal processes enable color vision.
parallel processing - Answer -the processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain's
natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision. Contrasts with the step-by-
step (serial) processing of most computers and of conscious problem solving
