N O I TA S N E S · 1 0 1 Y S P
★
University of Wisconsin–Madison
College of Letters & Science — Department of Psychology
NUMEN LUMEN
EST. 1848
NUMEN LUMEN · GOD, OUR LIGHT
PSY 101 — Sensation & Perception Study Guide
D E PT H P E R C E PT I O N · AU D I TO RY SYST E M · G USTAT I O N · O L FACT I O N · TO U C H & PA I N
INSTITUTION University of Wisconsin–Madison COURSE CODE PSY 101
PROGRAM Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor of ACADEMIC YEAR
Science — Psychology
EXAM TITLE PSY 101 — Sensation & Perception TOTAL QUESTIONS 37 Questions
Study Guide
COURSE TITLE Introduction to Psychology FORMAT Multiple Choice — Select the
Single Best Answer
STUDY GUIDE INSTRUCTIONS
▸ Select the single best answer for each question.
▸ Questions cover depth perception cues, auditory system anatomy and theories, gustation, olfaction,
touch, and pain perception.
▸ Understanding definitions, mechanisms, and theoretical frameworks is emphasized.
▸ Correct answers and rationales appear below each question for self-assessment.
▸ All content reflects PSY 101 sensation and perception learning objectives.
, SECTION I — SENSATION & PERCEPTION: VISION,
Questions 1 – 37
AUDITION, CHEMICAL SENSES & TOUCH
1. The amplitude of a sound wave corresponds to which perceptual quality?
A. Pitch
B. Timbre
C. Loudness
D. Frequency
CORRECT ANSWER C
RATIONALE Amplitude corresponds to loudness — higher amplitude sound waves produce
louder perceived sounds. Frequency (A) corresponds to pitch. Timbre (B)
corresponds to purity/complexity of the sound wave.
2. Which of the following correctly lists the primary tastes?
A. Sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami
B. Sweet, sour, spicy, minty, and bitter
C. Salty, sweet, fatty, and acidic
D. Sweet, bitter, pungent, astringent, and sour
CORRECT ANSWER A
RATIONALE The five primary tastes are sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami
(savory/glutamate). Spicy and minty are not taste sensations — they involve
trigeminal nerve stimulation.
, 3. Texture gradients serve as a pictorial depth cue because:
A. Distant objects appear larger in the visual field
B. Detail of texture is greater when the surface is closer, and details become too small to see
when far away
C. Shadows create the illusion of depth
D. Lines converge at the horizon
CORRECT ANSWER B
RATIONALE Texture gradients provide depth information because we can see fine details on
nearby surfaces, but these details become increasingly dense and
indistinguishable with distance.
4. The gate-control theory of pain holds that:
A. Pain signals are transmitted directly to the cortex without modulation
B. Incoming pain sensations must pass through a "gate" in the spinal cord that can be
closed, thus blocking ascending pain signals
C. Pain is entirely psychological with no physiological basis
D. All pain signals travel through the limbic system before reaching the cortex
CORRECT ANSWER B
RATIONALE Melzack and Wall's gate-control theory proposes a neural mechanism in the
spinal cord that can inhibit or facilitate pain signal transmission. The gate is a
pattern of neural activity, not an anatomical structure.
★
University of Wisconsin–Madison
College of Letters & Science — Department of Psychology
NUMEN LUMEN
EST. 1848
NUMEN LUMEN · GOD, OUR LIGHT
PSY 101 — Sensation & Perception Study Guide
D E PT H P E R C E PT I O N · AU D I TO RY SYST E M · G USTAT I O N · O L FACT I O N · TO U C H & PA I N
INSTITUTION University of Wisconsin–Madison COURSE CODE PSY 101
PROGRAM Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor of ACADEMIC YEAR
Science — Psychology
EXAM TITLE PSY 101 — Sensation & Perception TOTAL QUESTIONS 37 Questions
Study Guide
COURSE TITLE Introduction to Psychology FORMAT Multiple Choice — Select the
Single Best Answer
STUDY GUIDE INSTRUCTIONS
▸ Select the single best answer for each question.
▸ Questions cover depth perception cues, auditory system anatomy and theories, gustation, olfaction,
touch, and pain perception.
▸ Understanding definitions, mechanisms, and theoretical frameworks is emphasized.
▸ Correct answers and rationales appear below each question for self-assessment.
▸ All content reflects PSY 101 sensation and perception learning objectives.
, SECTION I — SENSATION & PERCEPTION: VISION,
Questions 1 – 37
AUDITION, CHEMICAL SENSES & TOUCH
1. The amplitude of a sound wave corresponds to which perceptual quality?
A. Pitch
B. Timbre
C. Loudness
D. Frequency
CORRECT ANSWER C
RATIONALE Amplitude corresponds to loudness — higher amplitude sound waves produce
louder perceived sounds. Frequency (A) corresponds to pitch. Timbre (B)
corresponds to purity/complexity of the sound wave.
2. Which of the following correctly lists the primary tastes?
A. Sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami
B. Sweet, sour, spicy, minty, and bitter
C. Salty, sweet, fatty, and acidic
D. Sweet, bitter, pungent, astringent, and sour
CORRECT ANSWER A
RATIONALE The five primary tastes are sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami
(savory/glutamate). Spicy and minty are not taste sensations — they involve
trigeminal nerve stimulation.
, 3. Texture gradients serve as a pictorial depth cue because:
A. Distant objects appear larger in the visual field
B. Detail of texture is greater when the surface is closer, and details become too small to see
when far away
C. Shadows create the illusion of depth
D. Lines converge at the horizon
CORRECT ANSWER B
RATIONALE Texture gradients provide depth information because we can see fine details on
nearby surfaces, but these details become increasingly dense and
indistinguishable with distance.
4. The gate-control theory of pain holds that:
A. Pain signals are transmitted directly to the cortex without modulation
B. Incoming pain sensations must pass through a "gate" in the spinal cord that can be
closed, thus blocking ascending pain signals
C. Pain is entirely psychological with no physiological basis
D. All pain signals travel through the limbic system before reaching the cortex
CORRECT ANSWER B
RATIONALE Melzack and Wall's gate-control theory proposes a neural mechanism in the
spinal cord that can inhibit or facilitate pain signal transmission. The gate is a
pattern of neural activity, not an anatomical structure.
