MCB-30806 Sensory Perception & Consumer Preference - Example Exam Questions
Lecture 2 - Sensory Information Processing 1 (G. Dijksterhuis)
2.1 Explain the difference between sensory information and perceptive information and elaborate on
the relationship between the two concepts.
Sensory information is information coming in from the senses. Perceptive information is the meaning.
Perception is more than sensation + meaning/information.
2.2 Explain the steps of the perception process and then explain how this is linked to hedonics with an
example?
Perception process: sensation – perception – identification -recognition.
Hedonics: liking something. Difficult to place it in a fixed position in the perception process: you can
like something, without recognizing it.
2.3 What are the main sensory systems? Give examples on how they directly relate to sensory
perception.
Sensory systems:
1) vision. Example: colour, shape.
2) olfaction. Example: food.
3) temperature. Example: heat or cold.
4) kinesthetics. Example: measure position of your joints, jaw movement when eating food.
5) pain. Example: spicyness in food capesine, carbonation in drinks.
6) balance.
7) smoothness, touch.
2.4 Explain why the sentence ‘strange smells filled in the room’ is not necessarily correct?
Because “smells” are not a thing in itself. There are aromatic molecules in the air and you are able to
perceive a smell, once you sense the molecules with receptors in your nose. Smell is something you
perceive. It is a perception (experience). Smell does not fill the room itself.
2.5 Name the six aspects of the sensory information processing model and explain them shortly.
1) reduce: abstract relevant information, pay attention to some things and ignore other things. ->
2) elaborate: link info to what you already know and form associations ->
3) store: storage in memory ->
4) transform: receptor turns external energy into a neural code and this turns it into a memory ->
5) recover: you can find the memory back ->
6) use: navigating through your world and stay alive, use information for a purpose
2.6 Can you have the exact same experience twice?
No, because the second time it is not new anymore. Although it is like the first time. Your memory
makes your second experience different from the first one. It is a memory of the first time, it influences
your second experience.
2.7 Name the sensory systems and anatomical structures.
System: audition. Structure: coglea, inner ear.
System: taste. Structure: tongue.
2.8 What is the difference between stimuli, sensations and perception?
1
, Stimuli: stimulate neurons (external).
Sensation: on your sensory system.
Perception: couple information, experience with sensation.
2.9 What is the contraction bias?
Contraction bias: the memory of strength of stimulation. Example: small, medium and large balls. You
only memory the average.
Peak-end rule: you have a stimulation. Afterwards: how much you liked the experience? Liking =
average between highest (peak) and last part (end) how much you liked the stimulation. Example:
endoscopy, the memory of the experience is based on the average of the worst pain and the last pain.
2.10 Odour perception can be subliminal yet affect us so much, both internally and externally. Name
two ways in which this can be done.
External was meant like affecting your behaviour and internal was meant like actual taste & smell.
Odour can unconsciously affect behaviour.
2.11 Why do we have to train people to transform them into reliable descriptive panel members or
creative cooks?
Since there is no absolute measure of smell. So, you must train people to smell what a smell is like.
Train them to recognize certain properties of food. Trained panel is not about liking, it is about sensory
properties, not the hedonic part.
2.12 How does conditioned taste aversion (CTA) differ from operant and classical conditioning
regarding food acceptance?
CTA can be based on one single (negative) experience and many never go. It can be undone unlike
operant and classical conditioning.
2.13 what are the four properties of perceptual objects?
1) quality
2) intensity
3) hedonic
4) information
Lecture 3 - Sensory Information Processing 2 (G. Dijksterhuis)
3.1 What is the difference between classical and operant conditioning
Classical conditioning: associate an involuntary response (= natural response) and a stimulus.
Operant conditioning: associate a voluntary behaviour (= unnatural response) and a consequence.
3.2 What is working memory and from which sources the information in working memory is taken?
Working memory is short-term memory and you can do something with it.
3.3 What are the different memory processes and give everyday life examples.
Encoding = mental representation is formed in memory
Storage= retention of encoded material
Retrieval= recovery of stored information
3.4 Why do people gamble according to operant conditioning?
Since sometimes they get rewarded. So, there is a possibility of getting rewarded. Which makes it
addictive.
2
Lecture 2 - Sensory Information Processing 1 (G. Dijksterhuis)
2.1 Explain the difference between sensory information and perceptive information and elaborate on
the relationship between the two concepts.
Sensory information is information coming in from the senses. Perceptive information is the meaning.
Perception is more than sensation + meaning/information.
2.2 Explain the steps of the perception process and then explain how this is linked to hedonics with an
example?
Perception process: sensation – perception – identification -recognition.
Hedonics: liking something. Difficult to place it in a fixed position in the perception process: you can
like something, without recognizing it.
2.3 What are the main sensory systems? Give examples on how they directly relate to sensory
perception.
Sensory systems:
1) vision. Example: colour, shape.
2) olfaction. Example: food.
3) temperature. Example: heat or cold.
4) kinesthetics. Example: measure position of your joints, jaw movement when eating food.
5) pain. Example: spicyness in food capesine, carbonation in drinks.
6) balance.
7) smoothness, touch.
2.4 Explain why the sentence ‘strange smells filled in the room’ is not necessarily correct?
Because “smells” are not a thing in itself. There are aromatic molecules in the air and you are able to
perceive a smell, once you sense the molecules with receptors in your nose. Smell is something you
perceive. It is a perception (experience). Smell does not fill the room itself.
2.5 Name the six aspects of the sensory information processing model and explain them shortly.
1) reduce: abstract relevant information, pay attention to some things and ignore other things. ->
2) elaborate: link info to what you already know and form associations ->
3) store: storage in memory ->
4) transform: receptor turns external energy into a neural code and this turns it into a memory ->
5) recover: you can find the memory back ->
6) use: navigating through your world and stay alive, use information for a purpose
2.6 Can you have the exact same experience twice?
No, because the second time it is not new anymore. Although it is like the first time. Your memory
makes your second experience different from the first one. It is a memory of the first time, it influences
your second experience.
2.7 Name the sensory systems and anatomical structures.
System: audition. Structure: coglea, inner ear.
System: taste. Structure: tongue.
2.8 What is the difference between stimuli, sensations and perception?
1
, Stimuli: stimulate neurons (external).
Sensation: on your sensory system.
Perception: couple information, experience with sensation.
2.9 What is the contraction bias?
Contraction bias: the memory of strength of stimulation. Example: small, medium and large balls. You
only memory the average.
Peak-end rule: you have a stimulation. Afterwards: how much you liked the experience? Liking =
average between highest (peak) and last part (end) how much you liked the stimulation. Example:
endoscopy, the memory of the experience is based on the average of the worst pain and the last pain.
2.10 Odour perception can be subliminal yet affect us so much, both internally and externally. Name
two ways in which this can be done.
External was meant like affecting your behaviour and internal was meant like actual taste & smell.
Odour can unconsciously affect behaviour.
2.11 Why do we have to train people to transform them into reliable descriptive panel members or
creative cooks?
Since there is no absolute measure of smell. So, you must train people to smell what a smell is like.
Train them to recognize certain properties of food. Trained panel is not about liking, it is about sensory
properties, not the hedonic part.
2.12 How does conditioned taste aversion (CTA) differ from operant and classical conditioning
regarding food acceptance?
CTA can be based on one single (negative) experience and many never go. It can be undone unlike
operant and classical conditioning.
2.13 what are the four properties of perceptual objects?
1) quality
2) intensity
3) hedonic
4) information
Lecture 3 - Sensory Information Processing 2 (G. Dijksterhuis)
3.1 What is the difference between classical and operant conditioning
Classical conditioning: associate an involuntary response (= natural response) and a stimulus.
Operant conditioning: associate a voluntary behaviour (= unnatural response) and a consequence.
3.2 What is working memory and from which sources the information in working memory is taken?
Working memory is short-term memory and you can do something with it.
3.3 What are the different memory processes and give everyday life examples.
Encoding = mental representation is formed in memory
Storage= retention of encoded material
Retrieval= recovery of stored information
3.4 Why do people gamble according to operant conditioning?
Since sometimes they get rewarded. So, there is a possibility of getting rewarded. Which makes it
addictive.
2
