Learning Curve 6b. Sensory and Perceptual Processing

The way in which one quickly groups the individual letters in this test item into separate words BEST illustrates the Gestalt principle of _____.

proximity

The amount of energy in a light wave—its intensity—is perceived as _____.

brightness

Railroad tracks appear to converge in the distance. This provides a cue for depth perception known as _____.

linear perspective

Denise wears an extremely bright safety yellow sweatshirt when she cycles to the gym after dark. The sweatshirt's brightness reflects the _____ of the light it reflects. A. short wavelength B. high amplitude C. long wavelength D. low amplitude

B. high amplitude

Alicia is traveling on a train. She stares out the window at a house. The sidewalk in front of the house will appear to: A. move forward B. move backward C. not move D. move toward her

B. move backward

Afterimages are best explained by: A. young-helmholtz trichromatic theory B. opponent process theory C. blindsight D. colorblindness

B. opponent process theory

A building contractor is surveying the progress on a home that is being built. From one angle, it appears that the home is completely framed. However, when the contractor moves to the right she can see the gaps. This illustrates the principle of: A. disparity B. interposition C. closure D. proximity

C. closure

Gestalt psychologists were fond of saying that, in perception, the whole may _____ the sum of its parts. A. reduce B. delete C. exceed D. minimize

C. exceed

Snakes can detect infrared waves radiated by the bodies of their prey. As compared with humans, snakes can see _____ waves. A. higher-amplitude B. lower-wavelength C. higher wavelength D. Lower amplitude

C. higher wavelength

Tomas wakes up early in the morning and his room is fairly dark. He looks over and sees his shirt hanging on a hook. He knows it is his red shirt because he hung it up there before he went to bed, but in the dark he cannot see its color. It looks dark gray to him. Why is that? A. his pupils do not dilate in the darkness B. his optic chiasm does not function well in darkness C. in the dim light, the cones in his eyes are ineffectual D. in the dim light, the rods in his eyes are ineffectual

C. in the dim light, the cones in his eyes are ineffectual

The FBI is considering a new identification method. Instead of using old-fashioned fingerprints, they have decided to scan the eye's _____ to confirm people's identity. A. retina B. cornea C. iris D. lens

C. iris

A door casts an increasingly trapezoidal image on one's retinas as it opens, yet one still perceives it as rectangular. This illustrates: A. retinal disparity B. perceptual set C. shape constancy D. linear perspective

C. shape constancy

Talia is 45 years old. She has started to notice that newspaper print is too small for her to read. Talia needs reading glasses because the lenses of her eyes are less able to adjust, or _____.

accommodate

According to the Gestalt psychologists, people tend to fill in the gaps to create a complete, whole object. This is called the principle of _____.

closure

Mia is attracted to a man she is chatting with in a nightclub. What is probably happening to her eyes?

her pupils are dilating