A stage magician moved her right hand with a flourish that made a snapping sound, and then quietly dropped an object she had been holding in her left hand. A cognitive psychologist would MOST likely explain the audience's belief that the object had disappeared as an effect created by:
A) a visual and auditory illusion.
B) a visual and auditory hallucination.
C) distraction and inattentional blindness.
D) a memorable experience based on a schema.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The magician created a distraction, which led to the audience experiencing inattentional blindness and not noticing the object being dropped. This explains their belief that the object had disappeared. There was no visual or auditory illusion or hallucination, and the experience was not based on a schema.

A Stage Magician Moved Her Right Hand with a Flourish