NPTEL Online Certification Course
The Human Behaviour
Assignment 2: Detailed Solution
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
Question 1. The potential range of physical stimuli that each species can detect and respond
to seems to
A. Appear randomly across species.
B. be optimal for the survival of that species.
C. be the same across all species.
D. be the same across all senses for that species.
Answer: B
Detailed Explanation: Each species is equipped with sensory systems that are fine-tuned to detect
the specific range of stimuli that are most important for its survival and reproduction
Question 2. The psychological experience of a sensory event occurs in the
A. spinal cord
B. receptors of the sense organ
C. brain area which represents the sense
D. sense organ itself
Answer: C
Detailed Explanation: While sensory receptors in the sense organs (like the eyes, ears, or skin)
detect stimuli, the psychological experience of those stimuli occurs in the brain.
Question 3. Before light is absorbed by cells in the retina, it travels through a number of
structures at the front of the eye. What is the correct order of these structures?
A. cornea; pupil; lens
B. pupil; cornea; lens
C. cornea; lens; pupil
D. pupil; lens; cornea
Answer: A
Detailed Explanation: Light first enters the eye through the cornea, which helps focus it. Then it
passes through the pupil, the opening that controls the amount of light entering the eye. The light
then travels through the lens, which fine-tunes the focus before reaching the retina.
Question 4. The scientific methods used to discover relationships between the physical dimensions
of stimuli and the psychological experience which results are referred to as
A. psychophysical procedures
B. psychophysiological productions
C. perceptual methods
D. Weber's methods
Answer: A
Detailed Explanation: Psychophysical procedures are used to measure how changes in physical
stimuli (like intensity or frequency) affect our psychological experience of them.
Question 5. What transmits electrical information from the ear to the brain?
A. outer hair cells
B. auditory nerve fibres
C. ganglion cells
D. rods and cones
Answer: B
Detailed Explanation: Auditory nerve fibers transmit electrical signals from the hair cells in the
cochlea (inside the inner ear) to the brain, where they are processed and interpreted as sound
Question 6. The minimum amount of stimulation required to distinguish one stimulus from
another is called
A. absolute threshold
B. difference threshold
C. psychophysical function
D. absolute difference
Answer: B
Detailed Explanation: The difference threshold refers to the smallest amount of change in a
stimulus that a person can detect, distinguishing it from another stimulus.
Question 7. If someone shines a bright light in your eyes, how do the photoreceptors tell your brain
that the intensity of the light has just increased?
A. the rate of neural firing and the number of neurons firing
B. the size of the neural impulse
C. specific neural energies
D. the location of the neurons firing
Answer: A
Detailed Explanation: When the intensity of light increases, the photoreceptors in the retina (rods
and cones) respond by firing more rapidly or by triggering more neurons to fire. This change in
firing rate and the number of activated neurons conveys to the brain that the light intensity has
increased.
Question 8. Rod photoreceptors are principally involved in processing
A. colour
B. movement
C. visual acuity
D. location
Answer: B
Detailed Explanation: Rod cells play a key role in perceiving movement and providing vision in
dim lighting.
Question 9. The fovea contains a concentration of
A. cones
B. rods
C. rods and cones
D. vitreous humour
Answer: A
Detailed Explanation: The fovea is the central part of the retina and contains a high concentration
of cones, which are responsible for color vision and sharp visual acuity
Question 10. According to signal detection theory, we are constantly trying to detect a _____
embedded in environmental _____.
A. hits; false alarms
B. bias; sensation.
C. signal; noise
D. criterion; responses
Answer: C
Detailed Explanation: According to signal detection theory, we are constantly trying to detect a
signal (the important stimulus) embedded in environmental noise
NPTEL Online Certification Course
<COURSE NAME>
<Assignment Number>: Detailed Solution
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
NPTEL Online Certification Course
<COURSE NAME>
<Assignment Number>: Detailed Solution
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
NPTEL Online Certification Course
<COURSE NAME>
<Assignment Number>: Detailed Solution
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
NPTEL Online Certification Course
<COURSE NAME>
<Assignment Number>: Detailed Solution
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
NPTEL Online Certification Course
<COURSE NAME>
<Assignment Number>: Detailed Solution
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
NPTEL Online Certification Course
<COURSE NAME>
<Assignment Number>: Detailed Solution
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
NPTEL Online Certification Course
<COURSE NAME>
<Assignment Number>: Detailed Solution
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
NPTEL Online Certification Course
<COURSE NAME>
<Assignment Number>: Detailed Solution
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
