AP Psych- Sensation and Perception (Questions)
1. The process by which we receive, transform, and process stimuli is
a) sensation.
b) perception.
c) transduction.
d) reduction.
e) psychophysics.: a) sensation.
2. The study of how physical sources of stimulation are related to our
experience of these stimuli is termed a) sensation.
b) perception.
c) biophysics.
d) psychophysics.
e) sensory adaptation.: d) psychophysics.
3. Which German scientist is credited with initiating the scientific approach to
psychology with his book Elements of Psychophysics? a) Ernst Weber
b) Torsten Wiesel
c) Gustav Fechner
d) Max Wertheimer
e) Wilhelm Wundt: c) Gustav Fechner
4. Dr. Dawson's research program is concerned with how a person's
experience changes as the intensity of a sound is increased. Dr. Dawson is
studying a) psychophysics.
b) sensation.
c) perception.
d) transformation.
e) biophysics.: a) psychophysics.
5. The smallest amount of a stimulus that a person can reliably detect is
called the
a) absolute threshold.
b) difference threshold.
c) just-noticeable difference.
d) just-noticeable threshold.
e) constant threshold.: a) absolute threshold.
, AP Psych- Sensation and Perception (Questions)
6. When the house was quiet, Rhonda, lying in bed, was able to hear the
babysitter's watch ticking in the living room, from a distance of 15 feet away,
about 50 percent of the time. But when the babysitter moved from the chair
to the couch, another foot away, Rhonda was no longer able to hear the watch.
The fact that Rhonda can hear the detect the ticking of the watch from that
distance signals a(n)
a) difference threshold.
b) just-noticeable difference.
c) perceptual set.
d) absolute threshold.
e) subliminal threshold.: d) absolute threshold.
7. Which of the following is a test for an absolute threshold for taste?
a) Detecting a bitter taste in broccoli because one is a supertaster
b) Detecting a difference in tastes between two spots on the tongue that are
one-eighth of an inch apart
c) Detecting one teaspoon of sugar dissolved in two gallons of water
d) Detecting the number and type of lemons that were used to make a
pitcher of lemonade
e) Detecting the sweetness of a fruit while blindfolded: c) Detecting one
teaspoon of sugar dissolved in two gallons of water
8. The absolute threshold for vision involves being able to see the flame of
a candle flickering on a dark, clear night from a distance of about a) 30 feet.
b) 300 feet.
c) 3 miles.
d) 30 miles.
e) 300 miles.: d) 30 miles.
9. The ability to feel the wing of a bee falling on one's cheek from about
1 centimeter away is a(n)
a) difference threshold
b) example of subliminal perception.
c) just-noticeable difference.
d) absolute threshold for touch.
e) example of sensory adaptation.: d) absolute threshold for touch.
10. The minimal difference between two stimuli that people can reliably
detect is
, AP Psych- Sensation and Perception (Questions)
a) the absolute threshold.
b) the difference threshold.
c) the perceptual threshold.
d) the sensitivity threshold.
e) Weber's constant.: b) the difference threshold.
11. Weber's constant for the volume of sound is 1/10. A car alarm is sounding
off at 60 decibels. After 5 minutes, it is programmed to get louder. How loud
does it have to be for people to perceive it as louder?
a) At least 61 decibels
b) At least 62 decibels
c) At least 65 decibels
d) At least 66 decibels
e) At least 70 decibels: d) At least 66 decibels
12. "Make the TV louder," said Paula. "I did," said Jack, pointing at the remote.
"Doesn't sound louder to me," said Paula. "Does to me," said Jack. Jack is
failing to consider the discrepancy between his ______ and Paula's.
a) Weber's constant
b) subliminal difference
c) difference threshold
d) absolute threshold
e) absolute difference: c) difference threshold
13. Weber's law suggests that
a) absolute threshold measurements underestimate true perceptual sensitiv-
ity.
b) difference thresholds are a constant proportion of the original stimulus.
c) difference thresholds are a constant quantity.
d) difference thresholds decrease as stimuli increase.
e) difference thresholds increase as stimuli decrease.: b) difference
thresholds are a constant proportion of the original stimulus.
14. With reference to Weber's constants, people are LEAST sensitive
to changes in which of the following?
a) Pitch of sounds
b) Saltiness of food
c) Heaviness of weights
d) Brightness of lights
, AP Psych- Sensation and Perception (Questions)
e) Odor: b) Saltiness of food
15. A recipe requires 10 grams of salt. Since Weber's constant for saltiness is
1/5, how much more salt must a chef add to make the recipe noticeably
saltier?
a) 0.2 gram
b) 2 grams
c) 5 grams
d) 10.2 grams
e) 10.5 grams: b) 2 grams
16. According to Weber's law, people are most sensitive to changes in which
sensation?
a) The loudness of sounds
b) The heaviness of weight
c) The saltiness of food
d) The brightness of lights
e) The pitch of sounds: e) The pitch of sounds
17. The idea that the threshold for sensing a stimulus depends not only on
the properties of the stimulus itself but also on the level of background
stimulation is explained by
a) Weber's law.
b) dual-process theory.
c) opponent-process theory.
d) signal-detection theory.
e) sensory adaptation.: d) signal-detection theory.
18. Which of the following is a psychological factor that influences a person's
threshold for determining a visual signal?
a) The sensitivity of her visual system
b) Her level of fatigue
c) Her physical health
d) Her level of alertness
e) Her level of motivation: e) Her level of motivation
19. If you are expecting a telephone call, you may be more likely to notice
the telephone ringing while you are in the shower than if you were not
expecting a call. This example is an illustration of
a) signal-detection theory.
1. The process by which we receive, transform, and process stimuli is
a) sensation.
b) perception.
c) transduction.
d) reduction.
e) psychophysics.: a) sensation.
2. The study of how physical sources of stimulation are related to our
experience of these stimuli is termed a) sensation.
b) perception.
c) biophysics.
d) psychophysics.
e) sensory adaptation.: d) psychophysics.
3. Which German scientist is credited with initiating the scientific approach to
psychology with his book Elements of Psychophysics? a) Ernst Weber
b) Torsten Wiesel
c) Gustav Fechner
d) Max Wertheimer
e) Wilhelm Wundt: c) Gustav Fechner
4. Dr. Dawson's research program is concerned with how a person's
experience changes as the intensity of a sound is increased. Dr. Dawson is
studying a) psychophysics.
b) sensation.
c) perception.
d) transformation.
e) biophysics.: a) psychophysics.
5. The smallest amount of a stimulus that a person can reliably detect is
called the
a) absolute threshold.
b) difference threshold.
c) just-noticeable difference.
d) just-noticeable threshold.
e) constant threshold.: a) absolute threshold.
, AP Psych- Sensation and Perception (Questions)
6. When the house was quiet, Rhonda, lying in bed, was able to hear the
babysitter's watch ticking in the living room, from a distance of 15 feet away,
about 50 percent of the time. But when the babysitter moved from the chair
to the couch, another foot away, Rhonda was no longer able to hear the watch.
The fact that Rhonda can hear the detect the ticking of the watch from that
distance signals a(n)
a) difference threshold.
b) just-noticeable difference.
c) perceptual set.
d) absolute threshold.
e) subliminal threshold.: d) absolute threshold.
7. Which of the following is a test for an absolute threshold for taste?
a) Detecting a bitter taste in broccoli because one is a supertaster
b) Detecting a difference in tastes between two spots on the tongue that are
one-eighth of an inch apart
c) Detecting one teaspoon of sugar dissolved in two gallons of water
d) Detecting the number and type of lemons that were used to make a
pitcher of lemonade
e) Detecting the sweetness of a fruit while blindfolded: c) Detecting one
teaspoon of sugar dissolved in two gallons of water
8. The absolute threshold for vision involves being able to see the flame of
a candle flickering on a dark, clear night from a distance of about a) 30 feet.
b) 300 feet.
c) 3 miles.
d) 30 miles.
e) 300 miles.: d) 30 miles.
9. The ability to feel the wing of a bee falling on one's cheek from about
1 centimeter away is a(n)
a) difference threshold
b) example of subliminal perception.
c) just-noticeable difference.
d) absolute threshold for touch.
e) example of sensory adaptation.: d) absolute threshold for touch.
10. The minimal difference between two stimuli that people can reliably
detect is
, AP Psych- Sensation and Perception (Questions)
a) the absolute threshold.
b) the difference threshold.
c) the perceptual threshold.
d) the sensitivity threshold.
e) Weber's constant.: b) the difference threshold.
11. Weber's constant for the volume of sound is 1/10. A car alarm is sounding
off at 60 decibels. After 5 minutes, it is programmed to get louder. How loud
does it have to be for people to perceive it as louder?
a) At least 61 decibels
b) At least 62 decibels
c) At least 65 decibels
d) At least 66 decibels
e) At least 70 decibels: d) At least 66 decibels
12. "Make the TV louder," said Paula. "I did," said Jack, pointing at the remote.
"Doesn't sound louder to me," said Paula. "Does to me," said Jack. Jack is
failing to consider the discrepancy between his ______ and Paula's.
a) Weber's constant
b) subliminal difference
c) difference threshold
d) absolute threshold
e) absolute difference: c) difference threshold
13. Weber's law suggests that
a) absolute threshold measurements underestimate true perceptual sensitiv-
ity.
b) difference thresholds are a constant proportion of the original stimulus.
c) difference thresholds are a constant quantity.
d) difference thresholds decrease as stimuli increase.
e) difference thresholds increase as stimuli decrease.: b) difference
thresholds are a constant proportion of the original stimulus.
14. With reference to Weber's constants, people are LEAST sensitive
to changes in which of the following?
a) Pitch of sounds
b) Saltiness of food
c) Heaviness of weights
d) Brightness of lights
, AP Psych- Sensation and Perception (Questions)
e) Odor: b) Saltiness of food
15. A recipe requires 10 grams of salt. Since Weber's constant for saltiness is
1/5, how much more salt must a chef add to make the recipe noticeably
saltier?
a) 0.2 gram
b) 2 grams
c) 5 grams
d) 10.2 grams
e) 10.5 grams: b) 2 grams
16. According to Weber's law, people are most sensitive to changes in which
sensation?
a) The loudness of sounds
b) The heaviness of weight
c) The saltiness of food
d) The brightness of lights
e) The pitch of sounds: e) The pitch of sounds
17. The idea that the threshold for sensing a stimulus depends not only on
the properties of the stimulus itself but also on the level of background
stimulation is explained by
a) Weber's law.
b) dual-process theory.
c) opponent-process theory.
d) signal-detection theory.
e) sensory adaptation.: d) signal-detection theory.
18. Which of the following is a psychological factor that influences a person's
threshold for determining a visual signal?
a) The sensitivity of her visual system
b) Her level of fatigue
c) Her physical health
d) Her level of alertness
e) Her level of motivation: e) Her level of motivation
19. If you are expecting a telephone call, you may be more likely to notice
the telephone ringing while you are in the shower than if you were not
expecting a call. This example is an illustration of
a) signal-detection theory.
