Psychology Quiz on Perception

An individual’s ability to focus on a particular conversation in a noisy and crowded room is called

• auditory localization

• dichotic listening

• divided attention

• selective attention

Kaori is traveling on an airplane for the first time. As the plane takes off, she watches the automobiles driving on the freeway below. Even though the automobiles seem to get smaller as the airplane gains altitude, Kaori does not perceive the cars as shrinking but still perceives them to be their normal size. Which perceptual principle best describes this phenomenon?

• Constancy

• Absolute threshold

• Contrast

• Illusion

Ana injured her eye in an accident and has to wear a patch over the eye while it heals. Which of the following cues would she best be able to use to make judgments about the distance objects are from her?

• Convergence

• Binocular disparity

• Linear perspective

• Closure

Convergence is a binocular depth cue that is based on which of the following?

• Change in the size of the pupil

• Muscular tension that leads to the lens changing shape

• Muscular tension that occurs when the eyes turn inward

• Fact that there are more rods on the periphery of the retina

The difference between divided attention and selective attention is that divided attention

• requires more automatic processing than selective attention does

• is used primarily in simple tasks, whereas selective attention is used primarily in complex tasks

• is more highly correlated with intelligence than selective attention is

• is related only to auditory processing, whereas selective attention is related only to visual processing

In psychology, Gestalt principles are used to explain

• somatic behavioral disorders

• perceptual organization

• stimulus-detection thresholds

• altered states of consciousness

Jason is attending a parade that features the local high school band. Jason’s friend Brent plays the trombone in the band. It is difficult for Jason to hear Brent play at the parade. Which of the following would best allow Jason to hear Brent’s trombone?

• Sensory adaptation

• Selective attention

• Perceptual constancy

• Weber’s law

In a groundbreaking study, a researcher shared a translation of an American Indian folk tale with middle-class British participants. Later, the participants were asked to repeat the story. The researcher measured the accuracy of their recollections when they were repeating the story. Several of the participants changed the words “canoes” to “boats” and “hunting seals” to “fishing”. Which of the following explains why the participants made errors in their recollections?

• The participants only had the chance to repeat the story five times.

• The participants had difficulty repeating the story because the details didn’t fit with their cultural schema.

• The participants were experienced drive-reduction and, therefore, could not carefully to the story.

• The participants experienced the serial position effect.

Observers watch a group of people passing a basketball back and forth. A researcher asks the observers to count the number of passes made. As they count passes, many of the observers fail to notice a person in a gorilla costume walking through the basketball court. Which of the following is the most likely reason many of the observers do not notice the person in the gorilla costume?

• Perceptual constancy

• Bottom-up processing

• The mere-exposure effect

• Inattentional blindness

Even though it was nearly dark outside, Kaci could still tell that the basketball she was playing with was orange. Which of the following concepts is best illustrated in this example?

• Shape constancy

• Color constancy

• Perceptual adaptation

• Absolute threshold