AP Psychology - Unit 3 Questions and Answers

Research has shown that a major reason for poor performance while multitasking is that while multitasking, people A) switch their attention rapidly from task to task, so they miss critical information associated with a task that is not receiving their attention B) confuse information in long-term memory associated with the various tasks they are trying to perform C) have a heightened awareness of each task they are trying to perform, so it is difficult for them to ignore one task temporarily in

A) switch their attention rapidly from task to task, so they miss critical information associated with a task that is not receiving their attention

Tina is reading an important letter when she accidentally splashes water on the paper. The water has smudged a few words, but she is still able to understand what the letter says. This can be explained by A) top-down processing B) bottom-up processing C) parallel processing D) retinal disparity E) color constancy

A) top-down processing

The process of converting incoming physical energy into a neural code that can be processed is called A) transduction B) sensory threshold C) sensory adaptation D) parallel processing E) transferred excitation

A) transduction

People who are color blind most likely have deficiencies in their A) rods B) cones C) lens D) optic nerve E) occipital lobe

B) cones

Eleanor Gibson and her colleagues have used the visual cliff to measure an infant's ability to perceive A) patterns B) depth C) size constancy D) shape constancy E) different hues

B) depth

The reversible figure above illustrates the Gestalt organizing principle of A) proximity B) figure-ground C) closure D) common fate E) simplicity

B) figure-ground

When a pair of lights flashing in quick succession seems to an observer to be one light moving from place to place, the effect is referred to as A) stroboscopic movement B) the phi phenomenon C) autokinetic motion D) binocular vision E) induced displacement

B) the phi phenomenon

A researcher studied 30 people ages twenty to forty, 30 people ages forty-one to sixty, and 30 people ages sixty-one to eighty. The researcher set up two rooms—one with a faint rose smell, and one with a faint lemon smell. Each participant was asked to enter each room and identify the smell in the room. What research method did the researcher use, and what outcome would be found? A) Cross-sectional. As people age, their sense of smell diminishes, especially in older age. B) Cross-sectional. M

A) Cross-sectional. As people age, their sense of smell diminishes, especially in older age.

Which of the following is true of how the human eye detects the color red? A) It relies on only cones. B) It relies on only rods. C) It relies on both rods and cones. D) It occurs at the level of the pupil. E) It occurs at the level of the lens.

A) It relies on only cones.

Feature detectors are neurons that are turned on or off by specific features of visual stimuli like edges and movement. Where in the visual system are these feature detectors located? A) Occipital cortex B) Retina C) Optic chiasm D) Lens E) Cornea

A) Occipital cortex

When Kaylee's friends discovered she was going to have her tonsils removed, they told her she was going to be in a great deal of pain. After the surgery Kaylee reported that she was in a lot of pain, although most of her pain should have been alleviated by her pain medication. Given this scenario, which of the following best explains Kaylee's reporting of pain? A) Top-down processing B) Change blindness C) Biological preparedness D) Opponent-process theory E) Sensory adaptation

A) Top-down processing

One-year-old Marcus turns away in disgust if a bitter substance is placed on his tongue. The reason for such a reaction is most likely A) an inborn distaste for bitter that protects us from potential poisons in the environment B) an inherited familial characteristic C) an example of imitation of behavior modeled by other family members D) a classically conditioned taste aversion response E) a common but temporary aversion to bitter tastes produced by cold viruses

A) an inborn distaste for bitter that protects us from potential poisons in the environment

The tendency of most people to identify a three-sided figure as a triangle, even when one of its sides is incomplete, is the result of a perceptual process known as A) closure B) proximity C) similarity D) feature analysis E) shape constancy

A) closure

While attending a concert, Anthony finds that he can clearly recognize the melody coming from the lead violin above all the other instruments playing in the orchestra, even though the other instruments may be louder. Gestalt psychologists would explain Anthony's ability using the principle of A) figure-ground B) closure C) simplicity D) constancy E) proximity

A) figure-ground

The psychological experience of pitch is related to a sound wave's A) frequency B) amplitude C) complexity D) timbre E) power

A) frequency

In the dark, an object is more clearly seen when viewed in peripheral vision than when viewed directly. This phenomenon occurs because the rods located in the retina are A) more sensitive in the dark than cones and are not found in the fovea B) less sensitive in the dark than cones and are not found in the fovea C) as sensitive in the dark as cones and are few in number in the fovea D) more numerous than cones are in the fovea E) as numerous as cones are all over the retina

A) more sensitive in the dark than cones and are not found in the fovea

Alice is shopping with her daughter when she hears the word "mom." Alice answers, only to realize that the sales clerk said "ma'am" to a customer. This inaccurate perception can be attributed to A) perceptual expectancy B) the Müller-Lyer illusion C) Weber's law D) figure-ground organization E) sound constancy

A) perceptual expectancy

Climbing an irregular set of stairs is more difficult for an individual who wears a patch over one eye primarily because A) some depth perception is lost B) half of the visual field is missing C) the ability to perceive interposition is lost D) the patch disrupts the functioning of the vestibular system E) the patch alters the ability of the open eye to compensate

A) some depth perception is lost

Which of the following scenarios best demonstrates a context effect? A) Carol performs better in her recital when she practices in short sessions, several times a day. B) Edgar solves his jigsaw puzzles faster when he completes the edges first. C) Rosemarie shoots more accurately at her archery competition when other people are around. D) Vernon is more social at parties when he has had caffeine. E) Jeannette does better on her exam when she takes it in the same room where she studi

E) Jeannette does better on her exam when she takes it in the same room where she studies.

Ana is instructed by her doctor to wear a patch over one eye while an infection heals. While wearing the patch, Ana will lose her ability to use which of the following depth perception cues? A) Relative size B) Interposition C) Texture gradient D) Linear perspective E) Retinal disparity

E) Retinal disparity

Which of the following is the correct path a neural impulse will follow through the different layers of the retina? A) Ganglion cells, bipolar cells, rods and cones, optic nerve B) Bipolar cells, ganglion cells, rods and cones, optic nerve C) Optic nerve, ganglion cells, bipolar cells, rods and cones D) Rods and cones, ganglion cells, bipolar cells, optic nerve E) Rods and cones, bipolar cells, ganglion cells, optic nerve

E) Rods and cones, bipolar cells, ganglion cells, optic nerve

When Rosa has a cold, she cannot taste the flavor of her pizza. Which of the following psychological terms describes Rosa's inability to taste? A) Vestibular sense B) Just-noticeable difference C) Feature analysis D) Optic chiasm E) Sensory interaction

E) Sensory interaction

Domingo has just hit Play to begin listening to a new song he bought. Based on the structure of the ear, what will the sound waves contact first after moving through Domingo's auditory canal? A) The cochlea B) The auditory nerve C) The anvil D) The stirrup E) The eardrum

E) The eardrum

Ernie comes in from outdoors on a bright, sunny day and finds it to be very dark inside. Over the next few minutes, however, it becomes easier for Ernie to see inside. The perceptual process this scenario is describing is A) perceptual binding B) parallel processing C) perceptual constancy D) bottom-up processing E) dark adaptation

E) dark adaptation

An individual's ability to focus on a particular conversation in a noisy and crowded room is called A)auditory localization B) dichotic listening C) deep processing D) divided attention E) selective attention

E) selective attention

Using cell phones while driving increases the number of accidents because use of the phones requires A) perceptual constancy B) feature detection C) sensory adaptation D) blindsight E) selective attention

E) selective attention

Balance is influenced by the A) cochlea B) basilar membrane C) eardrum D) auditory nerve E) semicircular canals

E) semicircular canals

A reason that one typically does not notice a blind spot in the visual field is that A) the blind spot is very small, and no visual stimuli are likely to be so small that the blind spot completely obscures them B) most visual stimuli affect only one visual hemisphere, and one hemisphere can cover for the other C) visual stimuli usually affect the occipital cortex in both hemispheres D) the blind spot habituates to a stimulus when the head is held still E) the brain fills in missing information

E) the brain fills in missing information so there is no awareness that the visual field is incomplete

Alicia has a condition in which tiny crystals break loose and randomly touch and bend the hair cells in her semicircular canals. Which of the following is the most likely effect of this condition? A) Loss of feeling in her limbs B) Confusion about right and left directions C) Dizziness and loss of balance D) Inability to recognize her body parts E) Inability to determine the position of her joints

C) Dizziness and loss of balance

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? A) Convergence B) Binocular disparity C) Linear perspective D) Similarity E) Closure

C) Linear perspective

Ernest and Josephine Hilgard conducted experiments in which participants had one hand in painfully icy water and the other hand on a button to alert the experimenter of feelings of pain. After the participants were hypnotized to not feel pain, participants did not verbally report feeling pain even though they subconsciously pressed the button to indicate that they felt pain. How did the experimenters explain the contradiction in pain perception? A) The participants cannot be hypnotized. B) The

C) The participants are experiencing dissociation.

When struck by light energy, cones and rods in the retina generate neural signals that then activate the A) parietal lobe B) ganglion cells C) bipolar cells D) ciliary muscle E) optic nerve fibers

C) bipolar cells

The Gestalt principle that refers to an individual's tendency to perceive an incomplete figure as whole is called A) figure-ground B) motion parallax C) closure D) proximity E) shape constancy

C) closure

A person is asked to listen to a series of tones presented in pairs, and asked to say whether the tones in each pair are the same or different in pitch. In this situation the experimenter is most likely measuring the individual's A) sound localization ability B) dichotic listening ability C) difference threshold D) echoic memory E) attention span

C) difference threshold

The area labeled A contains the A) auditory nerves B) pinna C) ossicles D) cochlea E) semi-circular canals

C) ossicles

In vision, transduction occurs within the A) optic nerve B) visual cortex C) retina D) lens E) cornea

C) retina

After spending hours in her kitchen preparing dinner, Rebecca no longer notices the strong smell of garlic until her guests arrive and mention the smell. Her failure to notice the smell of garlic illustrates A) anosmia B) synesthesia C) sensory adaptation D) subliminal perception E) the just-noticeable difference

C) sensory adaptation

In the figure above, what letter corresponds to the nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain? A) A B) B C) C D) D E) E

E) E

Visual acuity is best in the A) lens B) iris C) pupil D) fovea E) cornea

D) fovea

It can be assumed that an individual described as a supertaster A) is a man B) represents a majority of the United States population C) has a low density of taste buds on the tongue D) is very sensitive to hot peppers E) learned to be a supertaster from others

D) is very sensitive to hot peppers

Gustatory receptors are sensitive to all of the following taste qualities EXCEPT A) bitter B) sweet C) salty D) spicy E) sour

D) spicy

Luz, a math major, sees the drawing above as a Venn diagram. Her brother, an art major, sees it as two circles. The difference in perception is an example of A) synesthesia B) stereotyping C) stimulus variables D) top-down processing E) feature detection

D) top-down processing

All summer Thomas hears the sound of the icecream truck approaching before his brother Oscar hears it. Thomas most likely has which of the following? A) A lower absolute threshold for hearing than Oscar B) A greater difference threshold for hearing than Oscar C) A deficit in a sensory system other than hearing D) A greater amount of experience with approaching ice-cream trucks than Oscar E) A tendency for confabulation

A) A lower absolute threshold for hearing than Oscar

Which of the following structures is part of the vestibular system? A) A B) B C) C D) D E) E

B) B

Which part of the brain receives messages from the hair-like receptors that are involved in the vestibular sense? A) Frontal lobes B) Cerebellum C) Medulla D) Hypothalamus E) Amygdala

B) Cerebellum

The ability to see a cube in the diagram above is best explained by which of the following? A) The resting potential of neurons in the optic nerve B) Gestalt principles of closure and continuity C) The inverted and reversed image that a visual stimulus produces on the retina D) The opponent process theory of vision E) The trichromatic theory of vision

B) Gestalt principles of closure and continuity

John moves to a new job in a large urban area. For the first few days, John is continuously distracted by the sounds of traffic and street noise. By the end of the first week, John barely notices the sounds of the city. Which of the following has occurred? A) Sensitization B) Habituation C) Accommodation D) Signal detection E) Conduction deafness

B) Habituation

Damage to which of the following best explains conduction deafness? A) Basilar membrane B) Hammer, anvil, and stirrup C) Auditory nerve D) Temporal lobe E) Central sulcus

B) Hammer, anvil, and stirrup

After staring at a green, black, and orange "American flag" for about a minute, an individual will see a red, white, and blue flag afterimage. Which of the following explains this phenomenon? A) Trichromatic theory B) Opponent-process theory C) Retinex theory D) Color constancy E) Convergence

B) Opponent-process theory

The intensity at which a sound becomes audible for a given individual is known as the individual's A) contrast sensitivity B) absolute threshold C) response threshold D) critical frequency E) just noticeable difference

B) absolute threshold

Which of the following supports the opponent-process theory of color vision? A) Color constancy B) Feature detection C) Subtractive color mixing D) Afterimages E) Parallel processing

D) Afterimages

Which of the following theories most accurately explains pitch perception? I. Opponent process II. Frequency III. Place A) I only B) II only C) I and II only D) II and III only E) I, II, and III

D) II and III only

Which of the following is a binocular cue for depth perception? A) Linear perspective B) Texture gradient C) Interposition D) Retinal disparity E) Motion parallax

D) Retinal disparity

The place in the retina where the optic nerve exits to the brain is called the A) lens B) sclera C) fovea D) blind spot E) aqueous humor

D) blind spot

Which study is a researcher who wants to draw correct cause-and-effect conclusions about the sense of smell likely to conduct? A) A case study in which the researcher records a person's facial expressions when the person encounters different smells and then determines that when a person smells a good smell, the person smiles. B) A case study in which the researcher asks a person to name the smells the person is experiencing and then finds that the person has a hard time naming smells that are

E) A study in which the researcher randomly assigns 50 people to a group that is exposed to a strong smell of roses and 50 people to a group that experiences an odor-free environment to see whether the group exposed to the strong smell of roses reports experiencing more memories.