PSY 101 EXAM 2 UB QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2026 UPDATE WITH COMPLETE SOLUTION.
Question 1
Which process describes how our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent
stimulus energies from our environment?
A) Perception
B) Sensation
C) Transduction
D) Cognition
E) Adaptation
Correct Answer: B) Sensation
Rationale: Sensation is the initial process of detecting physical energy from the environment
and encoding it as neural signals. It is the "raw input" before the brain organizes or
interprets it.
Question 2
According to Signal Detection Theory, detecting a faint stimulus depends on which of the
following?
A) Only the intensity of the stimulus
B) Only the person's hearing or sight threshold
C) The stimulus intensity and the person's psychological state
D) The physical distance from the stimulus
E) The wavelength of the light or sound
Correct Answer: C) The stimulus intensity and the person's psychological state
Rationale: Signal Detection Theory predicts that there is no absolute threshold; instead,
detection depends on a person's experience, expectations, motivation, and level of fatigue
(MEEF).
Question 3
A ship captain is much better at spotting a faint beam of light on the horizon than a passenger.
This difference in detection is primarily due to which factor of Signal Detection Theory?
A) Motivation
B) Level of fatigue
C) Expectation
D) Experience
E) Sensory adaptation
Correct Answer: D) Experience
Rationale: Experience refers to how practiced an individual is at detecting a specific
stimulus. Because the captain does this daily, their brain is trained to pick up signals that
others might miss.
Question 4
You are more likely to hear a faint "ping" on your phone if you are expecting an important text
message. This is an example of which detection factor?
, Page 2
A) Motivation
B) Level of fatigue
C) Expectation
D) Experience
E) Top-down processing
Correct Answer: C) Expectation
Rationale: Expectation influences detection because the brain is "primed" to receive a
specific signal, making it easier to notice even when the stimulus is very faint.
Question 5
A student is trying to listen for their name being called in a noisy hallway but is extremely tired
after a long night of studying. They fail to hear it. Which factor likely caused this failure?
A) Experience
B) Motivation
C) Expectation
D) Level of fatigue
E) Bottom-up processing
Correct Answer: D) Level of fatigue
Rationale: The brain has physiological limits; when an individual is tired, the cognitive
resources required to filter background noise and detect signals are diminished.
Question 6
Filtering out your mother's voice because you are focused on a video game and don't want to
hear her is an example of which factor influencing detection?
A) Motivation
B) Experience
C) Fatigue
D) Expectation
E) Perception
Correct Answer: A) Motivation
Rationale: Motivation refers to the desire to detect or ignore a stimulus. If you have no
desire to hear a specific sound, your brain can effectively filter it out as background
"noise."
Question 7
The process of organizing and interpreting sensory information to recognize meaningful objects
and events is known as:
A) Sensation
B) Perception
C) Transduction
D) Linear Perspective
E) Convergence
, Page 3
Correct Answer: B) Perception
Rationale: Perception is the "mental" side of the process. While sensation brings in the data,
perception organizes that data into something understandable, like recognizing a face or a
song.
Question 8
Which type of processing starts with our thoughts and expectations and "trickles down" to lower-
level functions like our senses?
A) Bottom-up processing
B) Parallel processing
C) Top-down processing
D) Serial processing
E) Sensory adaptation
Correct Answer: C) Top-down processing
Rationale: Top-down processing occurs when the brain uses existing knowledge or context
to impose meaning on the sensory world around us.
Question 9
You see a flickering orange light and immediately perceive it as a hot fire because of your past
experiences. This prevents you from touching it. This is an example of:
A) Bottom-up processing
B) Top-down processing
C) Signal detection
D) Rod-based vision
E) Transduction
Correct Answer: B) Top-down processing
Rationale: Your brain is using information it already has (fire is hot) to interpret the visual
stimulus (orange light) before you ever physically feel the heat.
Question 10
A child touches a hot stove, feels the pain, moves their hand away, and then realizes "that was
hot." This sequence describes:
A) Top-down processing
B) Bottom-up processing
C) Perception only
D) Cognitive mapping
E) Spontaneous recovery
Correct Answer: B) Bottom-up processing
Rationale: Bottom-up processing starts with the stimulus (the heat) and leads to higher
cognitive function (the realization it was hot). The sensory input comes first.
Question 1
Which process describes how our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent
stimulus energies from our environment?
A) Perception
B) Sensation
C) Transduction
D) Cognition
E) Adaptation
Correct Answer: B) Sensation
Rationale: Sensation is the initial process of detecting physical energy from the environment
and encoding it as neural signals. It is the "raw input" before the brain organizes or
interprets it.
Question 2
According to Signal Detection Theory, detecting a faint stimulus depends on which of the
following?
A) Only the intensity of the stimulus
B) Only the person's hearing or sight threshold
C) The stimulus intensity and the person's psychological state
D) The physical distance from the stimulus
E) The wavelength of the light or sound
Correct Answer: C) The stimulus intensity and the person's psychological state
Rationale: Signal Detection Theory predicts that there is no absolute threshold; instead,
detection depends on a person's experience, expectations, motivation, and level of fatigue
(MEEF).
Question 3
A ship captain is much better at spotting a faint beam of light on the horizon than a passenger.
This difference in detection is primarily due to which factor of Signal Detection Theory?
A) Motivation
B) Level of fatigue
C) Expectation
D) Experience
E) Sensory adaptation
Correct Answer: D) Experience
Rationale: Experience refers to how practiced an individual is at detecting a specific
stimulus. Because the captain does this daily, their brain is trained to pick up signals that
others might miss.
Question 4
You are more likely to hear a faint "ping" on your phone if you are expecting an important text
message. This is an example of which detection factor?
, Page 2
A) Motivation
B) Level of fatigue
C) Expectation
D) Experience
E) Top-down processing
Correct Answer: C) Expectation
Rationale: Expectation influences detection because the brain is "primed" to receive a
specific signal, making it easier to notice even when the stimulus is very faint.
Question 5
A student is trying to listen for their name being called in a noisy hallway but is extremely tired
after a long night of studying. They fail to hear it. Which factor likely caused this failure?
A) Experience
B) Motivation
C) Expectation
D) Level of fatigue
E) Bottom-up processing
Correct Answer: D) Level of fatigue
Rationale: The brain has physiological limits; when an individual is tired, the cognitive
resources required to filter background noise and detect signals are diminished.
Question 6
Filtering out your mother's voice because you are focused on a video game and don't want to
hear her is an example of which factor influencing detection?
A) Motivation
B) Experience
C) Fatigue
D) Expectation
E) Perception
Correct Answer: A) Motivation
Rationale: Motivation refers to the desire to detect or ignore a stimulus. If you have no
desire to hear a specific sound, your brain can effectively filter it out as background
"noise."
Question 7
The process of organizing and interpreting sensory information to recognize meaningful objects
and events is known as:
A) Sensation
B) Perception
C) Transduction
D) Linear Perspective
E) Convergence
, Page 3
Correct Answer: B) Perception
Rationale: Perception is the "mental" side of the process. While sensation brings in the data,
perception organizes that data into something understandable, like recognizing a face or a
song.
Question 8
Which type of processing starts with our thoughts and expectations and "trickles down" to lower-
level functions like our senses?
A) Bottom-up processing
B) Parallel processing
C) Top-down processing
D) Serial processing
E) Sensory adaptation
Correct Answer: C) Top-down processing
Rationale: Top-down processing occurs when the brain uses existing knowledge or context
to impose meaning on the sensory world around us.
Question 9
You see a flickering orange light and immediately perceive it as a hot fire because of your past
experiences. This prevents you from touching it. This is an example of:
A) Bottom-up processing
B) Top-down processing
C) Signal detection
D) Rod-based vision
E) Transduction
Correct Answer: B) Top-down processing
Rationale: Your brain is using information it already has (fire is hot) to interpret the visual
stimulus (orange light) before you ever physically feel the heat.
Question 10
A child touches a hot stove, feels the pain, moves their hand away, and then realizes "that was
hot." This sequence describes:
A) Top-down processing
B) Bottom-up processing
C) Perception only
D) Cognitive mapping
E) Spontaneous recovery
Correct Answer: B) Bottom-up processing
Rationale: Bottom-up processing starts with the stimulus (the heat) and leads to higher
cognitive function (the realization it was hot). The sensory input comes first.
