An Experimenter Presents a Subject with a Series of Tones

question 45

Multiple Choice

An experimenter presents a subject with a series of tones. During each trial of the experiment, the experimenter signals the start of the trial by saying "ready," plays the tone, and then asks whether the subject heard it. The experiment begins with a fairly loud, clearly audible tone; on each subsequent trial, the loudness of the tone is reduced at a constant rate of 10 decibels until the subject does not hear the tone. The experimenter then starts a second series of trials with a tone too low to be heard and increases the volume gradually until the subject reports hearing the tone. What is the experimenter trying to measure?

• A) absolute threshold
• B) perceptual defense
• C) method of limits
• D) difference threshold

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Definitions:

Plasticity

The brain's ability to change and adapt as a result of experience or injury.

Surgical Removal

The process of excising or taking out tissue, an organ, or a tumor from the body during an operation.

Broca's Area

A region in the frontal lobe of the dominant hemisphere of the brain with functions linked to speech production.

Cerebral Cortex

The outer layer of neural tissue of the cerebrum of the brain, playing a key role in memory, attention, perception, cognition, awareness, thought, language, and consciousness.