PSYC 230 UIUC EXAM 1 STUDY GUIDE 2026
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
SOLUTIONS
◉ Weber's Law Answer: the just noticeable difference between two
stimuli is based on a proportion of the original stimulus rather than
on a fixed amount of difference
◉ Fechner Answer: father of psychophysics, the study of the relation
between physical stimuli and the perception they elicit
◉ Fechner's Law Answer: sensation is a logarithmic function of
physical intensity
◉ Gestalt Psychology Answer: the whole is greater than the sum of
its parts
◉ Law of Proximity (Gestalt) Answer: elements close to one another
tend to be perceived as a unit
◉ Law of Common Fate (Gestalt) Answer: visual elements that move
in the same speed and/or direction are parts of a single stimulus
,◉ law of closure (gestalt) Answer: we tend to see complete figures
even when part of the information is missing
◉ Law of Similarity (Gestalt) Answer: objects that are similar tend to
be grouped together
◉ Law of Good Continuation (Gestalt) Answer: elements that appear
to follow the same pathway tend to be grouped together
◉ Gibson and Direct Perception Answer: sensation is perception,
what you see is what you get
◉ Information Processing Approach Answer: a perspective on
understanding cognition that divides thinking into specific steps and
component processes (LIKE A COMPUTER)
◉ computational approach Answer: Describes the problem the
system is trying to solve and the constraints it uses in order to solve
it, most abstract
◉ microelectrode Answer: a very fine electrode, generally used to
record activity of individual neurons
, ◉ Neurophysiology Answer: explains the workings of the nervous
system
◉ Agnosia Answer: the inability to recognize familiar objects
◉ Prosopagnosia Answer: inability to recognize faces
◉ EEG (electroencephalogram) Answer: shows brain's electrical
activity by positioning electrodes over the scalp
◉ fMRI (functional MRI) Answer: A technique for revealing
bloodflow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive
MRI scans. fMRI scans show brain function
◉ Psychophysical Scale Answer: a scale that measures the
relationship between human reactions and the physical stimuli
causing these reactions
◉ absolute threshold Answer: the minimum intensity of stimulation
that must occur before you experience a sensation
◉ method of limits Answer: measure a subject's perception of
stimuli by determining at what level a stimulus is detected by a
subject
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
SOLUTIONS
◉ Weber's Law Answer: the just noticeable difference between two
stimuli is based on a proportion of the original stimulus rather than
on a fixed amount of difference
◉ Fechner Answer: father of psychophysics, the study of the relation
between physical stimuli and the perception they elicit
◉ Fechner's Law Answer: sensation is a logarithmic function of
physical intensity
◉ Gestalt Psychology Answer: the whole is greater than the sum of
its parts
◉ Law of Proximity (Gestalt) Answer: elements close to one another
tend to be perceived as a unit
◉ Law of Common Fate (Gestalt) Answer: visual elements that move
in the same speed and/or direction are parts of a single stimulus
,◉ law of closure (gestalt) Answer: we tend to see complete figures
even when part of the information is missing
◉ Law of Similarity (Gestalt) Answer: objects that are similar tend to
be grouped together
◉ Law of Good Continuation (Gestalt) Answer: elements that appear
to follow the same pathway tend to be grouped together
◉ Gibson and Direct Perception Answer: sensation is perception,
what you see is what you get
◉ Information Processing Approach Answer: a perspective on
understanding cognition that divides thinking into specific steps and
component processes (LIKE A COMPUTER)
◉ computational approach Answer: Describes the problem the
system is trying to solve and the constraints it uses in order to solve
it, most abstract
◉ microelectrode Answer: a very fine electrode, generally used to
record activity of individual neurons
, ◉ Neurophysiology Answer: explains the workings of the nervous
system
◉ Agnosia Answer: the inability to recognize familiar objects
◉ Prosopagnosia Answer: inability to recognize faces
◉ EEG (electroencephalogram) Answer: shows brain's electrical
activity by positioning electrodes over the scalp
◉ fMRI (functional MRI) Answer: A technique for revealing
bloodflow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive
MRI scans. fMRI scans show brain function
◉ Psychophysical Scale Answer: a scale that measures the
relationship between human reactions and the physical stimuli
causing these reactions
◉ absolute threshold Answer: the minimum intensity of stimulation
that must occur before you experience a sensation
◉ method of limits Answer: measure a subject's perception of
stimuli by determining at what level a stimulus is detected by a
subject
