This phenomenon is best explained by:

Answer: Sensory adaptation, in which receptors become less responsive to constant stimuli Sensory adaptation occurs when receptors decrease their response to a constant stimulus, so a new stimulus is judged relative to the adapted baseline. Each hand adapted to its own temperature, making the same neutral water feel different to each.

Weber's law states that the JND is

Answer: A constant proportion of the original stimulus To detect a difference, the change must be a fixed percentage of the original (e.g., 2% for weight).

Kinesthesis (proprioception) is the sense of

Answer: Body part position and movement Stretch receptors in muscles and joints provide this awareness.

AP Psychology · Topic 1.6

Sensation: Vision, Hearing, and Other Senses Practice

Part of Biological Bases of Behavior.

Practice questions

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Sample questions

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Sample 1difficulty 2/5
$In a study, researchers had participants place one hand in a bowl of warm water (40 degrees C) and the other in a bowl of cold water (10 degrees C) for two minutes. Participants then placed both hands simultaneously into a bowl of room-temperature water (22 degrees C). The hand previously in cold water felt warm, while the hand previously in warm water felt cool, even though both were now in the same water.$
$This phenomenon is best explained by:$
- A
  $Sensory adaptation, in which receptors become less responsive to constant stimuli$
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- B
  $Selective attention shifting between hands$
- C
  $Synesthesia between temperature and pressure receptors$
- D
  $Bottom-up processing of new sensory information$
Why
$Sensory adaptation occurs when receptors decrease their response to a constant stimulus, so a new stimulus is judged relative to the adapted baseline. Each hand adapted to its own temperature, making the same neutral water feel different to each.$
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Sample 2difficulty 3/5
$Weber's law states that the JND is$
- A
  $Random and unpredictable from trial to trial$
- B
  $A constant fixed amount across all stimuli$
- C
  $A constant proportion of the original stimulus$
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- D
  $Always exactly one perceptual unit difference$
Why
$To detect a difference, the change must be a fixed percentage of the original (e.g., 2% for weight).$
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Sample 3difficulty 3/5
$Kinesthesis (proprioception) is the sense of$
- A
  $Taste and smell stimuli$
- B
  $Skin pressure and warmth$
- C
  $Body part position and movement$
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- D
  $Balance and head orientation$
Why
$Stretch receptors in muscles and joints provide this awareness.$
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Sample 4difficulty 3/5
$In a study, researchers asked radiologists to detect faint tumors in chest X-rays under two conditions. In condition A, they were told tumors were rare; in condition B, they were told tumors were common. Hit rates and false alarm rates were recorded. Radiologists in condition B identified more tumors correctly but also produced more false alarms than those in condition A. Sensitivity to the actual signal was unchanged.$
$The shift in radiologists' performance between conditions reflects a change in which aspect of signal detection?$
- A
  $Absolute threshold$
- B
  $Difference threshold$
- C
  $Response criterion (decision threshold)$
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- D
  $Sensitivity (d-prime)$
Why
$Because sensitivity (d-prime) was unchanged but both hits and false alarms increased, the radiologists shifted their decision criterion to be more liberal in condition B.$
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Sample 5difficulty 3/5
$Sound waves are transduced into neural signals in the$
- A
  $Eardrum (specifically by the tympanic membrane)$
- B
  $Auditory nerve (specifically by myelinated axons only)$
- C
  $Outer ear (specifically by the pinna and ear canal)$
- D
  $Cochlea (specifically by hair cells)$
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Why
$Vibrations move hair cells on the basilar membrane, generating neural signals.$
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