Neil Is Seated in a Dark Room and Asked to Look

question 306

Multiple Choice

Neil is seated in a dark room and asked to look at a screen. He watches as flashes of light, varying in brightness, are flashed one at a time. Whenever he notices a flash he informs the researchers. What are the researchers measuring?

• A) Neil's difference threshold for brightness
• B) Neil's functional encoding of brightness
• C) Neil's anatomical encoding of brightness
• D) Neil's absolute threshold for brightness

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Definitions:

Objective Observation

The process of gathering data or information through sensory input without bias or preconceived ideas influencing the perception.

Mary Anning

A pioneering 19th-century British paleontologist who made important contributions to the field through her discoveries of Jurassic marine fossil beds along the English Channel at Lyme Regis.

Paleontology

The scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene Epoch (approximately 11,700 years ago). It involves the examination of fossils to understand the processes of evolution and the history of life on Earth.

Marine Animals

Organisms that inhabit the saltwater environments of oceans and seas.