Question 1

According to the text,people sometimes believe they have found evidence for ESP when they attribute meaning to coincidental links between variables or events.Such an attribution is called:

Accepted Answer

Illusory correlation refers to the tendency to perceive a relationship between two variables, even when no relationship exists. In the case of ESP, people may attribute meaning to coincidental links between events, leading them to believe that there is a relationship between these events that cannot be explained by normal means. This is an example of an illusory correlation.

Question 2

Although there is really no scientific evidence for ESP,contemporary mainstream psychologists might at least consider the topic because:

Accepted Answer

Contemporary mainstream psychologists might consider the topic of ESP because it has been addressed by a credible scientist in a peer-reviewed psychological journal, which suggests that it has been subjected to some level of scientific scrutiny and discussion.

Question 3

An African tribesperson examining a drawing of elephants interprets one elephant as much smaller than a second.By contrast,an American viewing the same drawing sees the first elephant as more distant than the second,but not smaller.This example illustrates cultural differences in the use of the ______ depth cue of _____.

Accepted Answer

The example suggests that the African tribesperson relies on the monocular depth cue of relative size to interpret the size of the elephants, while the American relies on the monocular depth cue of interposition to perceive the distance between the elephants. Therefore, the best choice is A, which includes the monocular depth cue of relative size as the cue used by the African tribesperson. The other choices include binocular depth cues, which are not mentioned in the example.

Question 4

A team of scientists failed to find the same results when they attempted to repeat Bem's (2011)experiments on the ability to predict the future.In other words,Bem's work failed to find support by means of:

Accepted Answer

The team of scientists attempted to replicate Bem's experiments, which means they were attempting to repeat the methods and procedures used in the original study in order to verify its findings. Therefore, the lack of support for Bem's work came from a failure to replicate his results.

Question 5

Miriam steps out of a store and glances at her car parked across the street.A bus passes by,momentarily blocking her view of her car.Miriam sees the bus as closer than her car due to a depth cue called:

Accepted Answer

Interposition, also known as occlusion, is a depth cue where if one object partially blocks our view of another, we perceive it as closer. Since the bus blocks Miriam's view of her car, she perceives the bus as closer.

Question 6

Taxis on the street produce a small retinal image for an observer standing near the window of an office on a skyscraper's 90th floor.The observer does not perceive the taxis as miniature,however.This example illustrates size:

Accepted Answer

This example illustrates size constancy because despite the small retinal image, the observer does not perceive the taxis as miniature. Size constancy is the phenomenon that allows us to perceive the size of an object as constant even when its image on the retina changes due to changes in distance, angle, etc.

Question 7

Based on the textbook's discussion,cross-cultural differences may be found in:

Accepted Answer

According to the textbook's discussion, cross-cultural differences may be found in both the susceptibility to certain visual illusions and the extent of perceptual constancies.

Question 8

With respect to vision,what exactly is constant in perceptual constancy?

Accepted Answer

Perceptual constancy refers to our ability to perceive objects as maintaining their size, shape, color, and brightness even when viewed from different angles, distances, or lighting conditions. The physical environment and the retinal image constantly change, but our perception of the environment remains relatively stable due to perceptual constancy. Monocular cues, such as linear perspective, overlap, and texture gradient, help us perceive depth and distance, but they are not necessarily constant over time or across different environments.

Question 9

Monocular is to binocular as _____ is to _____.

Accepted Answer

Monocular refers to one eye, while binocular refers to both eyes. In the same way, retinal disparity requires two eyes to perceive depth, while interposition (also known as overlap) can be perceived with just one eye. Linear perspective and texture gradient are both monocular cues that can be perceived with one eye, regardless of whether it is one or both.

Question 10

There is no scientific support for extrasensory perception.With respect to the distinction between sensation and perception,that means that:

Accepted Answer

The answer of There is no scientific support for extrasensory...

Question 11

In a beginning drawing class,Baxter's instructor suggests that an illusion of depth may be created in a two-dimensional picture by including lines that converge at a vanishing point.Baxter's instructor is making reference to a monocular depth cue known as:

Accepted Answer

The instructor is referring to linear perspective, which is the optical illusion that occurs when parallel lines seem to converge in the distance at a vanishing point, creating the illusion of depth in a two-dimensional picture. Texture gradient refers to the gradual change in the appearance of an object's texture as it moves further away, relative size refers to the perceived size of an object compared to other objects in the environment, and interposition refers to an object in the foreground obstructing the view of objects in the background.

Question 12

The door swings open and then closes again as Zannah's roommate enters the apartment.Zannah continues to see the door as rectangular even though the shape of its image on her retina progresses from a wide rectangle,through a series of parallelograms,to a very narrow rectangle,and then back again.Zannah's perception of the door as an unchanging rectangle exemplifies shape:

Accepted Answer

Shape constancy refers to the ability to perceive an object as maintaining its shape despite changes in its image on the retina. In this case, even though the image of the door on Zannah's retina changes as her viewpoint changes, she still perceives it as a rectangular shape. Therefore, the best choice is B, constancy.

Question 13

From the window of an office on a skyscraper's 90th floor,taxis on the street look tiny.Of course,people know they are not toy cars; the taxis are just really far below them.This example illustrates the _____ depth cue of ______.

Accepted Answer

This scenario involves the monocular depth cue of relative size, as the size of the taxis on the street appear smaller due to their distance from the viewer, giving the impression that they are tiny toy cars. Binocular depth cues require both eyes to work together, but in this scenario, only one eye (monocular) is needed to perceive the depth of the scene. Texture gradient is not relevant in this scenario.

Question 14

When one object is closer than a second,it partially blocks one's view of the second object,which then appears more distant than the first.This is a monocular depth cue called:

Accepted Answer

Interposition occurs when one object appears to partially block another object. As a result, the blocked object appears to be farther away than the object that is blocking it. This is a monocular depth cue because it can be perceived with just one eye. Relative size also involves comparing the size of objects to determine distance, but does not involve blocking. Linear perspective and retinal disparity are both binocular cues, meaning they require input from both eyes. Linear perspective involves the convergence of parallel lines to determine distance, while retinal disparity involves the slight differences in the images received by each eye.

Question 15

The difference between the image of a scene received by the right eye and a scene received by the left eye can serve as a depth cue called retinal:

Accepted Answer

Retinal disparity refers to the difference between the images received by the left and right eyes. These differences provide a basis for depth perception and are used as a cue to determine the relative distance of objects in the visual field. Therefore, the correct choice is C, disparity.

Question 16

In its discussion of perceptual set,the textbook suggests that people see what they expect to see.Perceptual set,therefore,is an example of a _____ influence on perception.

Accepted Answer

Perceptual set is based on prior knowledge and expectations, which are examples of top-down influences on perception. Therefore, the best choice is D, knowledge-based or top-down.

Question 17

Brenda is standing on the beach looking at the choppy sea.She observes that the crests of distant waves appear not only smaller,but also closer together than do the crests of waves nearer the beach.This example illustrates a depth cue known as:

Accepted Answer

Texture gradient is a depth cue where objects or patterns appear denser and finer as they recede into the distance, making distant wave crests appear smaller and closer together.

Question 18

Which of the following terms is the BEST synonym for "disparity"?

Accepted Answer

Disparity refers to a difference or inequality between two or more things. Therefore, the best synonym for disparity is "difference."

Question 19

The textbook notes that children who grow up without certain types of stimuli may show size constancy deficits.This finding:

Accepted Answer

The finding that children who lack certain stimuli exhibit size constancy deficits suggests that knowledge-based processes play an important role in perception. This supports option D, that highlights the importance of knowledge-based processes in perception. It also rules out options A and B, which focus only on bottom-up processes, and option C, which claims that the finding is irrelevant to knowledge-based processing.

Question 20

Which depth cue is correctly matched with its description?

Accepted Answer

Linear perspective is the depth cue where parallel lines appear to converge with increasing distance. The other options are: 
A) Relative size - as objects get further away, they appear smaller than objects that are closer. 
B) Texture gradient - the texture of objects appears denser and more detailed when they are closer and less detailed as they are further. 
C) Interposition - when one object blocks another, the blocked object is seen as further away.

Quiz 3: Sensation and Perception