Question 1

Flying in an airplane you look out your window and notice that everything on the ground far below looks hazy and blurred. This is an example of which depth perception cue?
A)motion parallax
B)relative size
C)aerial perspective
D)linear perspective

Accepted Answer

Aerial perspective refers to the phenomenon wherein distant objects appear hazy or blurred due to atmospheric conditions such as humidity, air pollution or dust in the atmosphere. This leads to a lack of contrast and sharpness, making it difficult to distinguish fine details. The other depth perception cues listed such as motion parallax, relative size and linear perspective are not relevant in this scenario.

Question 2

Feedback from the muscles of the eye can help us judge the distance of an object, because the lens of the eye thickens when we change our focus from a distant object to a nearby object. This visual cue is called:
A)relative size.
B)accommodation.
C)linear perspective.
D)motion parallax.

Accepted Answer

Accommodation is the visual cue that helps us to judge the distance of an object based on the thickness of the lens of the eye. As we change our focus from a distant object to a nearby object, the muscles in our eye adjust to thicken the lens to bring the object into focus. This change is noticed by the brain, which uses it to estimate the distance of the object. Relative size refers to the idea that objects that are closer appear larger than those that are farther away. Linear perspective refers to the way parallel lines appear to converge in the distance. Motion parallax refers to the way objects at different distances appear to move at different speeds when we move our eyes or head. While these cues can also inform our perception of distance, they do not directly involve the lens of the eye. Thus, B (accommodation) is the best choice.

Question 3

When you watch a movie, it appears as if the images on the screen are moving smoothly. In fact, the movie is produced by a series of still photographs that are projected on the screen. You perceive the images as moving smoothly rather than as a jerky series of images because of:
A)motion parallax.
B)stroboscopic motion.
C)induced motion.
D)the dot-and-frame principle.

Accepted Answer

Stroboscopic motion is the visual phenomenon that occurs when a series of still images are presented in rapid succession, creating the illusion of smooth, continuous motion. This principle underlies the perception of motion in movies and animations.

Question 4

Standing on the commuter train platform you glance down the tracks to see if the train is coming. As you do, you notice that the parallel rails of the train track appear to come together and meet in the distance. This is an example of which depth perception cue?
A)linear perspective
B)stroboscopic motion
C)motion parallax
D)aerial perspective

Accepted Answer

Linear perspective is a depth perception cue where parallel lines appear to come together and converge in the distance. This is exactly what is being observed on the train platform where the parallel rails of the train tracks appear to meet in the distance. The other depth perception cues, stroboscopic motion, motion parallax, and aerial perspective, are not applicable in this scenario.

Question 5

You notice a red car and a white car parked next to each other in a parking lot. You perceive the red car as being closer to you because it blocks part of the image of the white car. This is an example of which perceptual cue?
A)overlap
B)motion parallax
C)linear perspective
D)aerial perspective

Accepted Answer

Overlap is a perceptual cue that occurs when one object blocks part of the image of another object, making the blocked object appear further away. In this case, the red car is blocking part of the image of the white car, making the white car appear further away and the red car appear closer. This is why the observer perceives the red car as being closer to them.

Question 6

If you perceive any right angles in the cube depicted, it is because of the perceptual principle called: 
A)size constancy.
B)visual acuity.
C)the Müller-Lyer illusion.
D)shape constancy.

Accepted Answer

The principle of shape constancy allows us to perceive the cube as a three-dimensional object with right angles, even when it is depicted on a two-dimensional surface. This principle helps us maintain a stable perception of an object's shape, size, and orientation regardless of changes in distance or angle of view. Choice A (size constancy) refers to the ability to perceive objects as maintaining their size despite changes in distance, while choice B (visual acuity) refers to the sharpness of our vision. Choice C (the Müller-Lyer illusion) is a perceptual distortion that affects our perception of line length.

Question 7

Perceiving motion often involves the psychological assumption that the _____ is moving and the _____ is stationary.
A)monocular cue; binocular cue
B)larger object; smaller object
C)background; figure
D)figure; background

Accepted Answer

Perceiving motion often involves the psychological assumption that the figure (the object of focus) is moving and the background (the surrounding environment) is stationary. This helps in distinguishing movement of objects from the movement of the observer or the environment.

Question 8

As you drive down the highway a child in the back seat asks why the tall buildings downtown are moving so slowly when the roadside is moving so quickly. Because you have read your psychology text, you are able to answer her question by responding that this is an example of:
A)linear perspective.
B)relative size.
C)aerial perspective.
D)motion parallax.

Accepted Answer

The phenomenon described in the question is motion parallax, which is the apparent movement of objects in the foreground compared to those in the background, caused by the relative motion of the observer. This occurs because objects that are closer to the observer appear to move faster than those that are farther away.

Question 9

An ambulance passes you on the highway and speeds into the distance. As the ambulance gets farther away, its retinal image shrinks. Nevertheless, you still perceive the ambulance as being the same size. How do you arrive at this conclusion?
A)You use the Gestalt principle called the law of good continuation.
B)The brain integrates information about the size of the retinal image and the relative distance of the ambulance.
C)You rely on the cues of relative size and overlap to determine the size of the ambulance.
D)The retinal image of the ambulance shrinks, but binocular cues and accommodation help us determine its actual size and location.

Accepted Answer

The brain integrates information about the size of the retinal image and the relative distance of the ambulance. This process is known as size constancy, where the brain takes into account the size of the retinal image and adjusts our perception of the size of the object based on our distance from it. As the ambulance gets farther away, its retinal image shrinks, but our brain automatically adjusts for this change in order to perceive it as being the same size.

Question 10

If you look at a faraway street sign first with your left eye and then your right eye, the images look virtually identical. But if you look at your finger held just in front of your nose one eye at a time, the two images look very different. This phenomenon is an example of which distance cue?
A)binocular distance
B)monocular disparity
C)linear parallax
D)binocular disparity

Accepted Answer

The phenomenon described is an example of binocular disparity, which refers to the difference in image location of an object seen by the left and right eyes, resulting from the eyes’ horizontal separation. This disparity is a key binocular cue for depth perception, more pronounced when objects are closer.

Question 11

The phenomenon of induced motion can be explained by our tendency to:
A)assume that a background remains stationary while objects move.
B)assume that a background moves while objects remain stationary.
C)separate images into figure-ground relationships.
D)underestimate the distance of faraway objects.

Accepted Answer

Induced motion occurs when the movement of one object causes the perceptual illusion of movement in another stationary object. This can be explained by our tendency to assume that a background remains stationary while objects move. Therefore, when a background is in motion, it can make stationary objects appear as if they are moving in the opposite direction.

Question 12

Karl Duncker was the:
A)German Gestalt psychologist who is best known for his studies on the perception of motion and, in particular, the phenomenon of induced motion.
B)American psychologist who invented the Shepard Tables illusion.
C)German psychologist who founded Gestalt psychology in the early 1900s.
D)American psychologist who proposed the carpentered-world hypothesis.

Accepted Answer

Karl Duncker was a German Gestalt psychologist renowned for his work on problem-solving and functional fixedness, not specifically for studies on the perception of motion or induced motion. However, his contributions are often associated with the broader field of Gestalt psychology, which focuses on patterns and wholes in perception. The other choices refer to different psychologists with distinct contributions: Shepard Tables illusion (Roger N. Shepard), founding of Gestalt psychology (Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Köhler, Kurt Koffka), and the carpentered-world hypothesis (Marshall Segall, Donald Campbell, and Melville Herskovits).

Question 13

Without _____ our perception of reality would be in a continual state of flux.
A)depth perception
B)sensation
C)motion cues
D)perceptual constancy

Accepted Answer

Perceptual constancy refers to the ability of our brain to perceive objects as appearing relatively stable and unchanging despite changes in the sensory information we receive. Without this ability, our perception of reality would be constantly changing and inconsistent.

Question 14

Objects produce different retinal images when they are seen from different angles, in different levels of light, and so forth. Despite these changes in sensory input, people have the tendency to perceive familiar objects as constant and unchanging. This tendency is called:
A)depth perception.
B)the law of good continuation.
C)the law of similarity.
D)perceptual constancy.

Accepted Answer

Perceptual constancy refers to the tendency of the brain to perceive familiar objects as constant and unchanging, despite changes in the sensory input received. This helps us to recognize objects in different conditions, such as seeing a red apple as red even under different lighting conditions.

Question 15

Distance cues that involve both eyes are called _____ cues.
A)binocular
B)telescopic
C)monocular
D)microscopic

Accepted Answer

Binocular cues refer to the visual information taken in by both eyes and processed by the brain to determine depth perception and distance. Some examples of binocular cues include convergence (the eyes moving inward to focus on a nearby object) and disparity (slight differences in the images received by each eye, helping to determine distance). Telescopic and microscopic cues are not related to distance perception, while monocular cues only involve information from one eye.

Question 16

As you walk on the beach every detail of the rocks, shells, and sand beneath your feet seems crisp and distinct. As you look farther down the beach, however, the details of the ground in the distance seem fuzzy and blurred. Because of the depth perception cue of _____, you perceive the ground beneath your feet to be much closer than the ground that extends into the distance.
A)psychokinesis
B)texture gradient
C)convergence
D)linear perspective

Accepted Answer

Texture gradient is a depth perception cue where objects seen at closer distances appear more detailed and textured, while those further away appear smoother and less distinct. This explains why the ground appears clearer beneath your feet and fuzzier in the distance.

Question 17

The phenomenon of induced motion was first studied by Gestalt psychologist:
A)Max Wertheimer.
B)Roger Shepard.
C)Karl Duncker.
D)Johann Müller-Lyer.

Accepted Answer

Karl Duncker was the Gestalt psychologist who first studied the phenomenon of induced motion, contributing significantly to our understanding of perceptual organization.

Question 18

An important aspect of _____ is that if the retinal image of an object does not change but the perception of its distance increases, the object is perceived as larger.
A)size constancy
B)visual acuity
C)the Müller-Lyer illusion
D)shape constancy

Accepted Answer

This statement is describing size constancy, which is the ability to perceive the size of an object as constant even when the distance from the object changes. This explains why an object perceived as further away may appear larger, even though the retinal image size has not changed.

Question 19

Distance cues that require the use of only one eye are called _____ cues.
A)kinesthetic
B)monocular
C)binocular
D)vestibular

Accepted Answer

Monocular cues are visual cues that require the use of only one eye to perceive depth and distance, such as relative size, texture gradient, linear perspective, and aerial perspective. The other options are not relevant to the question.

Question 20

Two identical model cars are parked at the far end of the parking lot. You are able to determine that one of the cars is closer to you than the other because it appears to be slightly larger, even though you know it is the same size as the other. This is an example of which perceptual cue?
A)linear parallax
B)texture gradient
C)relative size
D)overlap

Accepted Answer

The perceptual cue described is relative size, which involves interpreting the size of objects based on their distance from us. In this case, the closer car appears slightly larger even though both are identical in size.

Quiz 3: Section 2: Sensation and Perception

Flying in an airplane you look out your window and notice that everything on the ground far below looks hazy and blurred. This is an example of which depth perception cue?

Feedback from the muscles of the eye can help us judge the distance of an object, because the lens of the eye thickens when we change our focus from a distant object to a nearby object. This visual cue is called:

When you watch a movie, it appears as if the images on the screen are moving smoothly. In fact, the movie is produced by a series of still photographs that are projected on the screen. You perceive the images as moving smoothly rather than as a jerky series of images because of:

Standing on the commuter train platform you glance down the tracks to see if the train is coming. As you do, you notice that the parallel rails of the train track appear to come together and meet in the distance. This is an example of which depth perception cue?

You notice a red car and a white car parked next to each other in a parking lot. You perceive the red car as being closer to you because it blocks part of the image of the white car. This is an example of which perceptual cue?

If you perceive any right angles in the cube depicted, it is because of the perceptual principle called:

Perceiving motion often involves the psychological assumption that the _ is moving and the _ is stationary.

As you drive down the highway a child in the back seat asks why the tall buildings downtown are moving so slowly when the roadside is moving so quickly. Because you have read your psychology text, you are able to answer her question by responding that this is an example of:

An ambulance passes you on the highway and speeds into the distance. As the ambulance gets farther away, its retinal image shrinks. Nevertheless, you still perceive the ambulance as being the same size. How do you arrive at this conclusion?

If you look at a faraway street sign first with your left eye and then your right eye, the images look virtually identical. But if you look at your finger held just in front of your nose one eye at a time, the two images look very different. This phenomenon is an example of which distance cue?

The phenomenon of induced motion can be explained by our tendency to:

Karl Duncker was the:

Without _____ our perception of reality would be in a continual state of flux.

Objects produce different retinal images when they are seen from different angles, in different levels of light, and so forth. Despite these changes in sensory input, people have the tendency to perceive familiar objects as constant and unchanging. This tendency is called:

Distance cues that involve both eyes are called _____ cues.

The phenomenon of induced motion was first studied by Gestalt psychologist:

An important aspect of _____ is that if the retinal image of an object does not change but the perception of its distance increases, the object is perceived as larger.

Distance cues that require the use of only one eye are called _____ cues.

Two identical model cars are parked at the far end of the parking lot. You are able to determine that one of the cars is closer to you than the other because it appears to be slightly larger, even though you know it is the same size as the other. This is an example of which perceptual cue?