Sensation and Perception

diffusion of responsibility often plays an important role in the

bystander effect

people are less likely to give aid if an emergency occurs in the presence of many observers. this is known as the

bystander effect

class members are asked to work cooperatively in groups on major course papers. every member of a group is to receive exactly the same grade based on the quality of the group's paper. this situation is most likely to lead to

deindividuation

the minimum amount of stimulation a person needs to detect a stimulus 50% of the time is called

difference threshold

fritz heider concluded that people tend to attribute others' behavior either to their

dispositions or their situations

accepting others' opinions about reality is to _______ as the desire to gain approval is to _______

informational social influence, normative social influence

the fundamental attribution error is most likely to lead observers to conclude that unemployed people are

irresponsible and unmotivated

objects are brought into focus on the retina by changes in the curvature and thickness of the

lens

the convergence of parallel lines provides the distance cue known as

linear perspective

cocking your head would be most useful for detecting the ________ of a sound

location

depth perception that uses information transmitted to only one eye depends on

monocular cues

which theory best explains the occurrence of afterimages

opponent processing

the ability to simultaneously recognize the color, shape, size, and speed of an oncoming automobile best illustrates

parallel processing

the process by which we select, organize, and interpret sensory information in order to recognize meaningful objects and events is called

perception

the receptor cells that convert light energy into neural signals are called

photoreceptors

the adjustable opening in the center of the eye is the

pupil

the process of receiving and representing stimulus energies through the nervous system is called

sensation

a cochlear implant would be most helpful for those who suffer

sensorineural hearing loss

the fundamental attribution error refers to our tendency to underestimate the impact of ______ and to overestimate the impact of ______ in explaining the behavior of others

situational influences, personal dispositions

university students were observed to pull harder on a rope when they thought they were pulling alone than when they thought 3 others were pulling with them on the same rope. this best illustrates

social loafing

which branch of psychology is most directly concerned with the study of how people think about, influence, and relate to one another

social psychology

the quick succession of briefly flashed images in a motion picture produces

stroboscopic motion

which of the following best explains why we have difficulty locating sounds that are directly overhead

the sound reaches both ears at the same time

the process by which our sensory systems convert stimulus energies into neural messages is called

transduction

the principle that two stimuli must differ by a constant proportion for their difference to be perceived is known as

Weber's Law

deindividuation refers to

a loss of self awareness and self restraint of group situations

the best explanation for the inaction of bystanders during the kitty genovese murder is that they failed to

assume personal responsibility

a subliminal message is one that is presented

below one's absolute threshold for awareness

taste and smell are both what kind of senses

chemical

the discomfort we feel when 2 thoughts are inconsistent is called

cognitive dissonance

as your teacher dims the lights to show a movie clip, you still perceive your friend's shirt as red. which of the following best explains this phenomenon

color constancy

the foot in the door phenomenon refers to the tendency to

comply with a large request if one has previously complied with a small request

damage to the hammer, anvil, and stirrup is most likely to cause

conduction hearing loss

adjusting one's behavior or thinking toward a group standard is called

conformity

solomon asch asked people to identify which of 3 comparison lines was identical to a standard. his research was designed to study

conformity

according to milgram, the most fundamental lesson to be learned from his study of obedience is that

even ordinary people can become agents of destruction

the pitch of a sound is determined by what

frequency of wavelength

normative social influence results from peoples' desire to

gain social approval

who emphasized that the whole may exceed the sum of its parts

gestalt psychologists

the perceptual tendency to group together stimuli that are near each other is called

grouping/ proximity

the light sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing the rods and cones, is the

retina

a 3-D movie enhances our sense of depth perception by simulating the effects of

retinal disparity

the set of prescribed behaviors associated with a particular social position is best described as a

role

during the months when there is a large amount of pollen in the air, your hay fever severely affects your sense of smell. at the same time your food all seems to taste the same. this illustrates the importance of

sensory interaction

bottom up processing involves analysis that begins with the

sensory receptors