Chapter Five Perception

Question Imagine that your roommate adjusts the volume on your stereo to determine the smallest difference in volume that you are able to detect. This is a good example of what psychologists call a(n) _____________. response criterion coding response absolute threshold just-noticeable difference

Answer Choice d is correct. A just noticeable difference (JND) is defined as the smallest detectable difference in stimulus energy, such as the volume of music playing on your stereo. The JND is also known as a difference threshold. (Chapter 5, Judging Differences: Has Anything Changed? section)

Question If your professor groups the students in his class into two groups based on how close they are sitting to each other, he is making use of which of the following Gestalt principles? Proximity Similarity Continuity Closure

Answer Choice a is correct. The Gestalt principle of proximity holds that the closer objects are to each other, the more likely they are to be perceived as belonging together. (Chapter 5, Basic Processes in Perceptual Organization section)

Question For art class, you sketch a road that includes a vanishing point, which is a point on the horizon where the two sides of the road converge. In doing so, you are making use of which of the following stimulus cues for depth perception? Relative size Interposition Linear perspective Texture gradient

Answer Choice c is correct. The apparent convergence of parallel lines toward a single point provides a cue known as linear perspective. This is commonly known in art as a vanishing point. (Chapter 5, Perception of Location and Distance section)

Question As your plane takes off, your young nephew says, “Hey! Look at all those tiny houses down there!” You deduce that he is NOT showing evidence of which of the following perceptual constancies? Size constancy Shape constancy Brightness constancy Distance constancy

Answer Choice a is correct. Size constancy involves the perception of objects as constant in size despite changes in their retinal image. (Chapter 5, Perceptual Constancy section)

Question Based on what you’ve learned about dividing and focusing attention, what would you predict would happen in a study of the effect of talking on a cell phone while driving on driving performance? Talking on a cell phone while driving would have no impact on driving performance. Talking on a cell phone while driving would improve driving performance. Talking on a cell phone while driving would impair driving performance. Talking on a cell phone while driving would make you look really cool.

Answer Choice c is correct. Attention is a limited resource. If you try to spread it over too many targets, you “run out” of attention. In this case, you might expect attention to the cell phone conversation to negatively impact driving performance. (Chapter 5, Divided Attention section (also Traffic Safety section))