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AP Psychology Sensation and Perception — practice questions

Explore 21 free Sensation and Perception questions in AP Psychology Psychology. Open each question or exercise to read its content, reference answers and available explanation.

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Sensation and Perception questions and exercises with answers

Showing questions 1–21 of 21.

Sensation is said to have occurred when sensory information is detected by a:Read the answer and worked solution →The conversion of sensory stimulus energy into an action potential is called:Read the answer and worked solution →The smallest amount of a stimulus a sensory system can detect is its:Read the answer and worked solution →The smallest detectable change between two stimuli is called the difference threshold or the:Read the answer and worked solution →No longer noticing a constant flashing light demonstrates:Read the answer and worked solution →Identifying a stimulus embedded in a distracting background is explained by:Read the answer and worked solution →Perception is described as involving both top-down processing and:Read the answer and worked solution →Attention captured by a sudden sound from the environment is an example of:Read the answer and worked solution →Sensation and perception are described as closely associated but:Read the answer and worked solution →How we interact with the world is ultimately shaped not just by collecting information but by:Read the answer and worked solution →The absolute threshold expresses a sensory system's:Read the answer and worked solution →Sensory adaptation shows that a stimulus can be:Read the answer and worked solution →Transduction has to occur in every sense because the nervous system can only carry:Read the answer and worked solution →Signal detection theory differs from the absolute threshold because it addresses stimuli that are:Read the answer and worked solution →Bottom-up and top-down processing are both needed because perception combines the signal with:Read the answer and worked solution →A just noticeable difference is measured between:Read the answer and worked solution →Stop on the right stageRead the answer and worked solution →Match each sensation termRead the answer and worked solution →Bottom-up or top-down?Read the answer and worked solution →True or false: sensation and perceptionRead the answer and worked solution →Complete the threshold rulesRead the answer and worked solution →

Worked practice questions

Sensation is said to have occurred when sensory information is detected by a:

  1. Sensory receptor
  2. The frontal lobe
  3. A muscle fibre
  4. A blood vessel
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Correct answer: A. Sensory receptor

1. The chain from world to mind starts at a specialised cell. 2. When sensory information is detected by a sensory receptor, sensation has occurred. 3. Perception is what happens afterwards, when that information is interpreted. 4. The frontal lobe is involved much later in the chain, not at detection. _Source: OpenStax Psychology 2e (CC BY 4.0), Ch 5 'Sensation and Perception', sections 5.1-5.6_

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The conversion of sensory stimulus energy into an action potential is called:

  1. Attenuation
  2. Transduction
  3. Adaptation
  4. Perception
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Correct answer: B. Transduction

1. Light, sound and pressure have to become something a neuron can carry. 2. The conversion from sensory stimulus energy to action potential is known as transduction. 3. Every sense performs it, though each uses a different receptor to do so. 4. Adaptation describes a receptor's response fading rather than energy being converted. _Source: OpenStax Psychology 2e (CC BY 4.0), Ch 5 'Sensation and Perception', sections 5.1-5.6_

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The smallest amount of a stimulus a sensory system can detect is its:

  1. Signal ceiling
  2. Adaptation point
  3. Absolute threshold
  4. Difference threshold
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Correct answer: C. Absolute threshold

1. Sensitivity is measured by the faintest thing a system can register. 2. The sensitivity of a given sensory system to the relevant stimuli can be expressed as an absolute threshold. 3. Below that level the stimulus is present but not detected. 4. The difference threshold instead concerns telling two stimuli apart. _Source: OpenStax Psychology 2e (CC BY 4.0), Ch 5 'Sensation and Perception', sections 5.1-5.6_

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