PSYC 2000 Exam 2 Questions with Correct Answers Latest Update 2025/2026
To represent the world, we must detect physical energy (stimuli) from the environment and
convert it into neural signals, What is this process called? - Answers sensation
______ occurs when special receptors in the sense organs are activated, allowing various forms
of outside stimuli to become _______ in the brain. - Answers sensation
neural signals
The process of converting outside stimuli into neural activity is called ________. - Answers
transduction
______ are the neurons that transduce specific environment stimuli. - Answers sensory receptors
The Somatic Nervous System contains our sensory organs: eyes stimulated by _____
ears stimulated by _____
taste buds and nose stimulated by _____
touch stimulated by _____ - Answers light
vibration
chemicals
pressure or temperature
What are the cells that make up the nervous system? - Answers sensory receptors
Receptor cells are stimulated by _____. - Answers different kinds of energy
When we select, organize, and interpret our sensations, this process is called _______. - Answers
perception
Perception occurs when we give meaning to our sensations, interpreting them so we can ______.
- Answers act upon them
How do we perceive or detect? - Answers -absolute threshold
-difference threshold (just noticeable threshold)
______is the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time. -
Answers absolute threshold
______ is the minimum difference between 2 stimuli for detection 50% of the time, also called
_______. - Answers difference threshold
,just noticeable difference (JND)
To humans, the ________ increase in population to the size of the stimulus. - Answers JND
Two stimuli must differ by a _____ rather than a ____, to be perceived as different. - Answers
constant minimum percentage
constant amount
What is the Weber fraction? - Answers k=ΔI/I
constant=change/initial
Can we sense subliminal stimuli? Why? - Answers no because these stimuli are only strong
enough to activate the sensory receptors but not strong enough for people to be consciously
aware of them
Stimuli acting upon the unconscious mind, influencing behavior in a process called _____. -
Answers subliminal perception
Priming occurs when ___________________. - Answers the presentation of one stimuli changes the
response to a subsequent test stimulus either positively or negatively (increase or decrease in
the speed or accuracy of the response to the test stimulus)
The ______ and other experiments reveal that we can process information from stimuli too weak
to recognize or detect (below the absolute threshold). - Answers priming effect
_______ is your ability to attend to only one voice among many. - Answers cocktail party effect
This refers to the complete failure to consciously perceive an otherwise salient object or event
when attention and expectation are otherwise engaged. - Answers inattentional blindness
______ is a form of inattentional blindness, where 2/3 of direction-giving individuals failed to
notice a change in the individual who was asking for directions. - Answers change blindness
______ is the tendency of the brain to stop attending to constant, unchanging information. -
Answers habituation
What is the tendency of sensory receptors to become less responsive to a stimulus that is
unchanging? - Answers sensory adaptation
What is the process by which information from the outside world enters the brain and body? -
Answers sensation
What is the basics/process of sensation? - Answers 1) information enters by way of activation
of the sensory receptors on the various sense organs
2) when sensory receptors are stimulated, they convert the different types of environmental
, stimuli into neural activity
3) then they can consciously or unconsciously sense stimuli based on strength of the
stimulation
4) to help manage the large amount of environmental stimuli available, or brains and bodies
selectively attend to those stimuli deemed most salient, often ignoring stimuli that do not
change thru sensory adaptation or cognitive habituation
What is the transformation of stimulus energy into neural impulses? - Answers transduction
What is the conversion of light energy into neural impulses that the brain can understand? -
Answers phototransduction
What is the main difference between habituation and sensory adaptation? - Answers -
habituation is ignoring stimuli that are being sensed, but do not change
-sensory adaptation is when the receptors are less responsive to the stimulus and therefore no
longer send signals to the brain
What are the light characteristics and what are they measured by? - Answers -brightness
measured by amplitude
-color (hue) measured by wavelength
-saturation (purity) measured by mixture of wavelengths
What is determined by the length of the wave, distance between wave peaks? - Answers
wavelength
What is determined by the height of the wave, how high or low the wave actually is? - Answers
amplitude
What is determined by the purity of a color people perceive? - Answers saturation
Different wavelengths of light result in different __________. - Answers colors
What is the entire spectrum of light people can see? - Answers visible spectrum
What is the amount of energy in a wave determined by amplitude; related to perceived
brightness? - Answers intensity (brightness)
Bright colors and loud sounds represents _____? - Answers great amplitude
Dull colors and soft sounds represents _____? - Answers small amplitude
What is the transport tissue where light enters the eye? - Answers cornea
To represent the world, we must detect physical energy (stimuli) from the environment and
convert it into neural signals, What is this process called? - Answers sensation
______ occurs when special receptors in the sense organs are activated, allowing various forms
of outside stimuli to become _______ in the brain. - Answers sensation
neural signals
The process of converting outside stimuli into neural activity is called ________. - Answers
transduction
______ are the neurons that transduce specific environment stimuli. - Answers sensory receptors
The Somatic Nervous System contains our sensory organs: eyes stimulated by _____
ears stimulated by _____
taste buds and nose stimulated by _____
touch stimulated by _____ - Answers light
vibration
chemicals
pressure or temperature
What are the cells that make up the nervous system? - Answers sensory receptors
Receptor cells are stimulated by _____. - Answers different kinds of energy
When we select, organize, and interpret our sensations, this process is called _______. - Answers
perception
Perception occurs when we give meaning to our sensations, interpreting them so we can ______.
- Answers act upon them
How do we perceive or detect? - Answers -absolute threshold
-difference threshold (just noticeable threshold)
______is the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time. -
Answers absolute threshold
______ is the minimum difference between 2 stimuli for detection 50% of the time, also called
_______. - Answers difference threshold
,just noticeable difference (JND)
To humans, the ________ increase in population to the size of the stimulus. - Answers JND
Two stimuli must differ by a _____ rather than a ____, to be perceived as different. - Answers
constant minimum percentage
constant amount
What is the Weber fraction? - Answers k=ΔI/I
constant=change/initial
Can we sense subliminal stimuli? Why? - Answers no because these stimuli are only strong
enough to activate the sensory receptors but not strong enough for people to be consciously
aware of them
Stimuli acting upon the unconscious mind, influencing behavior in a process called _____. -
Answers subliminal perception
Priming occurs when ___________________. - Answers the presentation of one stimuli changes the
response to a subsequent test stimulus either positively or negatively (increase or decrease in
the speed or accuracy of the response to the test stimulus)
The ______ and other experiments reveal that we can process information from stimuli too weak
to recognize or detect (below the absolute threshold). - Answers priming effect
_______ is your ability to attend to only one voice among many. - Answers cocktail party effect
This refers to the complete failure to consciously perceive an otherwise salient object or event
when attention and expectation are otherwise engaged. - Answers inattentional blindness
______ is a form of inattentional blindness, where 2/3 of direction-giving individuals failed to
notice a change in the individual who was asking for directions. - Answers change blindness
______ is the tendency of the brain to stop attending to constant, unchanging information. -
Answers habituation
What is the tendency of sensory receptors to become less responsive to a stimulus that is
unchanging? - Answers sensory adaptation
What is the process by which information from the outside world enters the brain and body? -
Answers sensation
What is the basics/process of sensation? - Answers 1) information enters by way of activation
of the sensory receptors on the various sense organs
2) when sensory receptors are stimulated, they convert the different types of environmental
, stimuli into neural activity
3) then they can consciously or unconsciously sense stimuli based on strength of the
stimulation
4) to help manage the large amount of environmental stimuli available, or brains and bodies
selectively attend to those stimuli deemed most salient, often ignoring stimuli that do not
change thru sensory adaptation or cognitive habituation
What is the transformation of stimulus energy into neural impulses? - Answers transduction
What is the conversion of light energy into neural impulses that the brain can understand? -
Answers phototransduction
What is the main difference between habituation and sensory adaptation? - Answers -
habituation is ignoring stimuli that are being sensed, but do not change
-sensory adaptation is when the receptors are less responsive to the stimulus and therefore no
longer send signals to the brain
What are the light characteristics and what are they measured by? - Answers -brightness
measured by amplitude
-color (hue) measured by wavelength
-saturation (purity) measured by mixture of wavelengths
What is determined by the length of the wave, distance between wave peaks? - Answers
wavelength
What is determined by the height of the wave, how high or low the wave actually is? - Answers
amplitude
What is determined by the purity of a color people perceive? - Answers saturation
Different wavelengths of light result in different __________. - Answers colors
What is the entire spectrum of light people can see? - Answers visible spectrum
What is the amount of energy in a wave determined by amplitude; related to perceived
brightness? - Answers intensity (brightness)
Bright colors and loud sounds represents _____? - Answers great amplitude
Dull colors and soft sounds represents _____? - Answers small amplitude
What is the transport tissue where light enters the eye? - Answers cornea
