AP Psych Unit 3 Exam

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

B) B

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 so there is no awareness that the visual field is incomplete

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

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 order to complete another task D) process information associated with the various tasks at a deep level, so they encode too much information to recall easily and therefore their performance deteriorates E) encode information efficiently, but they have a difficult time retrieving it for use on a given task

A) switch their attention rapidly from task to task, so they miss critical information associated with a task that is not receiving their 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? A) Constancy B) Absolute threshold C) Saturation D) Contrast E) Illusion

A) Constancy

Martin fell off his skateboard and badly bruised his elbow. He immediately began rubbing the area around the bruise until the pain subsided. This method of reducing pain can be explained by which of the following? A) Gate-control theory B) Opponent-process theory C) Trichromatic theory D) Expectancy theory E) Phantom pain

A) Gate-control theory

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

Which of the following explains transduction? A) The process by which sensory stimuli are converted into neural signals B) The degree of stimulation needed for a signal to be detected 50 percent of the time C) The difference in signal strength needed for that difference to be detected D) The process by which a person's eyes adapt to the dark E) The process by which a false negative is identified

A) The process by which sensory stimuli are converted into neural signals

The change in the curvature of the lens that enables the eye to focus on objects at various distances is called A) accommodation B) adaptation C) conduction D) convergence E) consonance

A) accommodation

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

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 thalamus processes information for all of the following senses EXCEPT A) smell B) hearing C) taste D) vision E) touch

A) smell

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

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

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? A) Shape constancy B) Color constancy C) Perceptual adaptation D) Interposition E) Absolute threshold

B) Color constancy

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

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

Latisha noticed that in the early evening she begins to have difficulty seeing the vibrant colors in her artwork. Which of the following best explains her difficulty? A) Her rods are functioning improperly and are not sensing color. B) Her cones cannot detect color well in dim light. C) Light adaptation prevents sensation of color. D) Lateral antagonism inhibits color sensation. E) Her optic chiasm is not correctly transferring color neural impulses.

B) Her cones cannot detect color well in dim light.

Hyrum is at a concert when a flute player hits a very high note at the end of a song. Which of the following best explains why the pitch of the note sounds so high? A) It has a long wavelength and high frequency. B) It has a short wavelength and high frequency. C) It has a long wavelength and low frequency. D) It has a large amplitude. E) It has a small amplitude.

B) It has a short wavelength and high frequency.

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

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

At the beginning of the school year, Juan had trouble paying attention in class because he was distracted by posters in the classroom. Midway through the semester, he could pay attention more easily because he no longer noticed the posters. His decreased attention to the posters is most likely related to A) signal detection B) habituation C) perceptual set D) the cocktail party effect E) visual capture

B) habituation

Receptors that are especially important for helping a person maintain balance are located in the A) gyrus cinguli B) inner ear C) tendons D) ossicles E) ligaments

B) inner ear

The most common form of color blindness is related to deficiencies in the A) blue-yellow system B) red-green system C) process of visual summation D) bipolar cells E) secretion of rhodopsin

B) red-green system

While at a crowded gathering, Zach realized that his attention was being drawn away from his conversation every time a person nearby said the word "exactly." Zach's response is an example of A) the Gestalt principle of closure B) the cocktail party effect C) sensory adaptation D) bottom-up processing E) the just-noticeable difference

B) the cocktail party effect

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

Bob is concerned because his children have been eating too much of an expensive breakfast cereal, so he brings home a less expensive version that looks and tastes exactly the same to him. His children immediately notice that the new cereal is less sweet. Which of the following concepts best explains the conflicting perceptions of Bob and his children? A) Perceptual adaptation B) Sensory adaptation C) Difference threshold D) Signal-detection theory E) Absolute threshold

C) Difference threshold

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 participants are experiencing a psychotic breakdown. C) The participants are experiencing dissociation. D) The participants are repressing the pain in their unconscious. E) The participants are dreaming.

C) The participants are experiencing dissociation.

Julia is practicing her trumpet and produces a loud sound. Which of the following is the best explanation for the loudness of the sound? A) The sound has a long wavelength. B) The sound has a short wavelength. C) The sound has a high-amplitude sound wave. D) The sound has a low-amplitude sound wave. E) The sound is complex.

C) The sound has a high-amplitude sound wave.

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

Receptors for olfaction are located A) on the basilar membrane of the cochlea B) in taste buds on the tongue C) in the nasal cavity D) in the esophagus E) in the dermis

C) in the nasal cavity

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

As you watch a friend walk away from you, your retinal image of your friend gets smaller. Despite this, you do not perceive him to be shrinking. This is an example of A) motion parallax B) retinal disparity C) size constancy D) continuity E) common fate

C) size constancy

A developmental psychologist who is using a visual cliff is most likely studying which of the following? A) Color vision B) Blindsight C) Synesthesia D) Depth perception E) Peripheral vision

D) Depth perception

Which of the following refers to the just-noticeable difference between two stimuli? A) Absolute threshold B) Sensation C) Perception D) Difference threshold E) Subliminal stimulus

D) Difference threshold

The pitch of a sound is analogous to which of the following features of light? A) Brightness B) Size C) Saturation D) Hue E) Intensity

D) Hue

The coiled tube in the inner ear that contains the auditory receptors is called the A) semicircular canal B) ossicle C) pinna D) cochlea E) oval window

D) cochlea

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

People who live in environments with buildings with square corners and right angles are more susceptible to the Müller-Lyer illusion than are people who live in environments without such angles and corners. The difference in perception between the two groups of people reveals that A) a decrease in change blindness results from exposure to a carpentered world B) a decrease in depth perception in illusions results from regular exposure to linear perspective C) people in highly technological societies are generally less prone to visual illusions than are more primitive societies D) people develop perceptual hypotheses based on experiences in their lives E) people who are used to buildings with square corners are more likely to be affected by binocular depth cues

D) people develop perceptual hypotheses based on experiences in their lives

In visual perception, size constancy occurs as an object comes closer to the viewer because the A) image on the retina becomes smaller B) image on the retina remains constant in size C) perceived distance of the object becomes greater D) perceived distance of the object becomes smaller E) perceived distance of the object remains constant

D) perceived distance of the object becomes smaller

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

Which study is a researcher who wants to draw correct cause-and-effect conclusions about the sense of smell likely to conduct? 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 offensive. C) A study in which 50 participants are asked to rate the degree to which different smells evoke happy memories. The researcher then determines which smells are associated with happy memories. D) A study in which the researcher randomly selects two groups of 30 people and exposes one group to the smell of roses and the other group to the smell of gasoline to determine whether members of the group that smelled roses 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

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.

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? A) Perceptual constancy B) Bottom-up processing C) The mere-exposure effect D) Sensory adaptation E) Inattentional blindness

E) Inattentional blindness

Makayla and Noah are listening to a song that ends with all the instruments playing the same note. Makayla can distinguish the various instruments playing the note, while Noah cannot. Which of the following best explains their perceptual differences? A) Makayla has synesthesia while Noah does not. B) Makayla has a lower absolute threshold for sound than Noah. C) Makayla has a higher difference threshold for sound than Noah. D) Makayla is better at discriminating amplitude than Noah. E) Makayla is better at discriminating timbre than Noah.

E) Makayla is better at discriminating timbre than Noah.

Which of the following phenomena can the opponent-process theory of color vision explain that the trichromatic theory cannot? A) The presence of the blind spot B) Accommodation of the lens C) The detection of white light D) Light and dark adaptation E) Negative afterimages

E) Negative afterimages

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

Hearing the word "ocean" makes Alice think of waves, surfboards, bathing suits, sharks, swimmers, boats, and the beach. The associations she has to the word "ocean" represent which of the following concepts? A) Procedural memory B) Sensory memory C) Accommodation D) Functional fixedness E) Schema

E) Schema

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

Consider the relationship between various body parts and the size of their corresponding somatosensory cortex areas in the brain. How does a body part relate to the devoted cortical area? A) The larger the body part, the larger the area of the somatosensory cortex. B) The closer the body part is to the brain, the smaller the area of the somatosensory cortex. C) The closer the body part is to the trunk, the larger the area of the somatosensory cortex. D) The more muscular the body part, the larger the area of the somatosensory cortex. E) The more sensitive the body part, the larger the area of the somatosensory cortex.

E) The more sensitive the body part, the larger the area of the somatosensory cortex.

The perceived pitch of a tone is largely determined by its A) loudness B) timbre C) amplitude D) complexity E) frequency

E) frequency

A sound is often detected by one ear more intensely and a fraction of a second earlier than it is detected by the other ear. These cues help individuals determine the A) pitch of the sound wave B) timbre of the sound wave C) absolute threshold for sound perception D) frequency of the sound wave E) location of the source

E) location of the source

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