Deck 18: Vision and Perceptual Organization and Interpretation

Question 1

The receptor of the eye that functions best in dim light is the

A) fovea.
B) cone.
C) bipolar cell.
D) rod.

Answer 1

rod.

Question 2

Some stroke victims lose the capacity to perceive motion but retain the capacity to perceive shapes and colors. Others lose the capacity to perceive colors but retain the capacity to perceive movement and form. These peculiar visual disabilities best illustrate our normal capacity for

A) sensory adaptation.
B) parallel processing.
C) sensory interaction.
D) accommodation.

Answer 2

parallel processing.

Question 3

Multiple ________ send combined messages to a bipolar cell, whereas a single ________ may link directly to a single bipolar cell.

A) rods; cone
B) cones; rod
C) hair cells; basilar membrane
D) basilar membranes; hair cell

Answer 3

rods; cone

Question 4

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

A) linear perspective.
B) interposition.
C) proximity.
D) continuity.

Question 5

The central focal point in the retina where cones are heavily concentrated is known as the

A) lens.
B) optic nerve.
C) cornea.
D) fovea.

Question 6

The wavelength of light determines its

A) retinal disparity.
B) brightness.
C) amplitude.
D) hue.

Question 7

Which of the following types of cells are located in the brain's visual cortex?

A) rods and cones
B) bipolar cells
C) hair cells
D) feature detectors

Question 8

The fact that we recognize objects as having a consistent form regardless of changing viewing angles illustrates

A) interposition.
B) the phi phenomenon.
C) perceptual constancy.
D) the McGurk effect.

Question 9

A door casts an increasingly trapezoidal image on our retinas as it opens, yet we still perceive it as rectangular. This illustrates

A) retinal disparity.
B) interposition.
C) shape constancy.
D) linear perspective.

Question 10

The size of the pupil is controlled by the

A) lens.
B) retina.
C) cornea.
D) iris.

Question 11

The distance between our right and left eyes functions to provide us with a cue for depth perception known as

A) proximity.
B) interposition.
C) retinal disparity.
D) linear perspective.

Question 12

The Young-Helmholtz theory proposes that

A) there are three different types of color-sensitive cones.
B) retinal cells are excited by one color and inhibited by its complementary color.
C) there are four different types of cones.
D) rod, not cone, vision accounts for our ability to detect fine visual detail.

Question 13

Rules for organizing stimuli into coherent groups were first identified by

A) evolutionary psychologists.
B) behaviorists.
C) Gestalt psychologists.
D) parapsychologists.

Question 14

The opponent-process theory is most useful for explaining a characteristic of

A) interposition.
B) perceptual constancy.
C) accommodation.
D) afterimages.

Question 15

Grass seen through sunglasses appears equally as green as it does without glasses. This best illustrates

A) Weber's law.
B) sensory interaction.
C) accommodation.
D) color constancy.

Question 16

The way in which you quickly group the individual letters in this test item into separate words best illustrates the principle of

A) closure.
B) proximity.
C) interposition.
D) perceptual constancy.

Question 17

The process by which the lens changes its curvature is

A) accommodation.
B) parallel processing.
C) feature detection.
D) transduction.

Question 18

Immanuel Kant and John Locke would have been most likely to disagree about the extent to which perception is influenced by

A) cultural experience.
B) retinal disparity.
C) accommodation.
D) relative luminance.

Question 19

After some practice, Carol was able to read books while holding them upside down. This best illustrates

A) perceptual adaptation.
B) perceptual constancy.
C) interposition.
D) sensory interaction.

Question 20

Psychics are unable to make millions of dollars betting on horse races. This undermines their claims to possess the power of

A) clairvoyance.
B) interposition.
C) precognition.
D) telepathy.

Question 21

Figure is to ground as ________ is to ________.

A) night; day
B) top; bottom
C) cloud; sky
D) sensation; perception

Question 22

Figures tend to be perceived as whole, complete objects, even if spaces or gaps exist in the representation, thus demonstrating the principle of

A) interposition.
B) linear perspective.
C) continuity.
D) closure.

Question 23

Kittens and monkeys reared seeing only diffuse, unpatterned light

A) later had difficulty distinguishing color and brightness.
B) later had difficulty perceiving color and brightness, but eventually regained normal sensitivity.
C) later had difficulty perceiving the shape of objects.
D) showed no impairment in perception, indicating that neural feature detectors develop even in the absence of normal sensory experiences.

Question 24

Most color-deficient people will probably

A) lack functioning red- or green-sensitive cones.
B) see the world in only black and white.
C) also suffer from poor vision.
D) have above-average vision to compensate for the deficit.

Question 25

When we stare at an object, each eye receives a slightly different image, providing a depth cue known as

A) interposition.
B) linear perspective.
C) relative motion.
D) retinal disparity.

Question 26

Which of the following is NOT a monocular depth cue?

A) light and shadow
B) relative height
C) retinal disparity
D) interposition

Question 27

The historical movement associated with the statement "The whole may exceed the sum of its parts" is

A) parapsychology.
B) behavioral psychology.
C) functional psychology.
D) Gestalt psychology.

Question 28

Adults who are born blind but later have their vision restored

A) are almost immediately able to recognize familiar objects.
B) typically fail to recognize familiar objects.
C) are unable to follow moving objects with their eyes.
D) have excellent eye-hand coordination.

Question 29

Which of the following explains why a rose appears equally red in bright and dim light?

A) the Young-Helmholtz theory
B) the opponent-process theory
C) feature detection
D) color constancy

Question 30

The brain breaks vision into separate dimensions such as color, depth, movement, and form, and works on each aspect simultaneously. This is called

A) feature detection.
B) parallel processing.
C) accommodation.
D) opponent processing.

Question 31

The figure-ground relationship has demonstrated that

A) perception is largely innate.
B) perception is simply a point-for-point representation of sensation.
C) the same stimulus can trigger more than one perception.
D) different people see different things when viewing a scene.

Question 32

According to the opponent-process theory

A) there are three types of color-sensitive cones.
B) the process of color vision begins in the cortex.
C) neurons involved in color vision are stimulated by one color's wavelength and inhibited by another's.
D) All of these statements are true.

Question 33

Jack claims that he often has dreams that predict future events. He claims to have the power of

A) telepathy.
B) clairvoyance.
C) precognition.
D) psychokinesis.

Question 34

The Moon illusion occurs in part because distance cues at the horizon make the Moon seem

A) farther away and therefore larger.
B) closer and therefore larger.
C) farther away and therefore smaller.
D) closer and therefore smaller.

Question 35

Which philosopher maintained that knowledge comes from inborn ways of organizing our sensory experiences?

A) Locke
B) Kant
C) Gibson
D) Walk

Question 36

The transduction of light energy into nerve impulses takes place in the

A) iris.
B) retina.
C) lens.
D) optic nerve.

Question 37

Which of the following is true regarding scientific investigations of precognition?

A) A growing body of research demonstrates that some people are truly "psychic."
B) Studies that seem to provide evidence of precognitive ability have been criticized for being badly flawed.
C) The search for a valid test of ESP has resulted in only a handful of studies.
D) All of these statements are true.

Question 38

As we move, viewed objects cast changing shapes on our retinas, although we do not perceive the objects as changing. This is part of the phenomenon of

A) perceptual constancy.
B) relative motion.
C) linear perspective.
D) continuity.

Question 39

A person claiming to be able to read another's mind is claiming to have the ESP ability of

A) psychokinesis.
B) precognition.
C) clairvoyance.
D) telepathy.

Question 40

One light may appear reddish and another greenish if they differ in

A) wavelength.
B) amplitude.
C) opponent processes.
D) brightness.

Question 41

Experiments with distorted visual environments demonstrate that

A) adaptation rarely takes place.
B) animals adapt readily, but humans do not.
C) humans adapt readily, while lower animals typically do not.
D) adaptation is possible during a critical period in infancy but not thereafter.

Question 42

Which of the following statements is consistent with the Gestalt theory of perception?

A) Perception develops largely through learning.
B) Perception is the product of heredity.
C) The mind organizes sensations into meaningful perceptions.
D) Perception results directly from sensation.

Question 43

Which of the following statements best describes the effects of sensory restriction?

A) It produces functional blindness when experienced for any length of time at any age.
B) It has greater effects on humans than on animals.
C) It has more damaging effects when experienced during infancy.
D) It has greater effects on adults than on children.

Question 44

One reason that your ability to detect fine visual details is greatest when scenes are focused on the fovea of your retina is that

A) there are more feature detectors in the fovea than in the peripheral regions of the retina.
B) cones in the fovea are nearer to the optic nerve than those in peripheral regions of the retina.
C) many rods, which are clustered in the fovea, have individual bipolar cells to relay their information to the cortex.
D) many cones, which are clustered in the fovea, have individual bipolar cells to relay their information to the cortex.

Question 45

Wavelength is to ________ as ________ is to brightness.

A) hue; intensity
B) intensity; hue
C) frequency; amplitude
D) brightness; hue

Question 46

Psychologists who study ESP are called

A) clairvoyants.
B) telepaths.
C) parapsychologists.
D) levitators.

Question 47

You probably perceive the diagram below as three separate objects due to the principle of

A) proximity.
B) continuity.
C) closure.
D) retinal disparity.

Question 48

Hubel and Wiesel discovered feature detectors in the visual

A) fovea.
B) optic nerve.
C) iris.
D) cortex.

Question 49

According to the philosopher ________, we learn to perceive the world.

A) Locke
B) Kant
C) Gibson
D) Walk

Question 50

All of the following are laws of perceptual organization EXCEPT

A) proximity.
B) closure.
C) continuity.
D) retinal disparity.

Question 51

Which of the following is the most accurate description of how we process color?

A) Throughout the visual system, color processing is divided into separate red, green, and blue systems.
B) Red-green, blue-yellow, and black-white opponent processes operate throughout the visual system.
C) Color processing occurs in two stages: (1) a three-color system in the retina and (2) opponent-process cells en route to the visual cortex.
D) Color processing occurs in two stages: (1) an opponent-process system in the retina and (2) a three-color system en route to the visual cortex.

Question 52

Studies of the visual cliff have provided evidence that much of depth perception is

A) innate.
B) learned.
C) innate in lower animals, learned in humans.
D) innate in humans, learned in lower animals.

Question 53

Each time you see your car, it projects a different image on the retinas of your eyes, yet you do not perceive it as changing. This is because of

A) closure.
B) retinal disparity.
C) perceptual constancy.
D) figure-ground.

Question 54

The term gestalt means

A) grouping.
B) sensation.
C) perception.
D) whole.

Question 55

The tendency to organize stimuli into smooth, uninterrupted patterns is called

A) closure.
B) continuity.
C) interposition.
D) proximity.

Question 56

Which of the following statements concerning ESP is true?

A) Most ESP researchers are quacks.
B) There have been a large number of reliable demonstrations of ESP.
C) Most research psychologists are skeptical of the claims of defenders of ESP.
D) There have been reliable laboratory demonstrations of ESP, but the results are no different from those that would occur by chance.

Question 57

In the opponent-process theory, the three pairs of processes are

A) red-green, blue-yellow, black-white.
B) red-blue, green-yellow, black-white.
C) red-yellow, blue-green, black-white.
D) dependent upon the individual's experience.

Question 58

Which of the following is the correct order of the structures through which light passes after entering the eye?

A) lens, pupil, cornea, retina
B) pupil, cornea, lens, retina
C) pupil, lens, cornea, retina
D) cornea, pupil, lens, retina

Question 59

The depth cue that occurs when we watch stable objects at different distances as we are moving is

A) linear perspective.
B) interposition.
C) light and shadow.
D) relative motion.

Question 60

The phenomenon of size constancy is based on the close connection between an object's perceived ________ and its perceived ________.

A) size; shape
B) size; distance
C) size; brightness
D) shape; distance

Question 61

The amount of light entering the eye is regulated by the

A) iris.
B) retina.
C) optic nerve.
D) feature detectors.

Question 62

Which of the following is the correct order in which the retina's neural layers process visual stimulation?

A) ganglion cells, rods and cones, bipolar cells
B) rods and cones, ganglion cells, bipolar cells
C) bipolar cells, ganglion cells, rods and cones
D) rods and cones, bipolar cells, ganglion cells

Question 63

The blind spot is located in the area of the retina

A) called the fovea.
B) that contains rods but no cones.
C) where the optic nerve leaves the eye.
D) where bipolar cells connect with ganglion cells.

Question 64

Humans experience the longest visible electromagnetic waves as the color ________ and the shortest visible waves as ________.

A) blue-violet; red
B) red; green
C) red; blue-violet
D) black; white

Question 65

Accommodation refers to the

A) diminishing sensitivity to an unchanging stimulus.
B) quivering eye movements that enable the retina to detect continuous stimulation.
C) process by which stimulus energies are changed into neural messages.
D) process by which the lens changes shape to focus images on the retina.

Question 66

The feature detectors identified by Hubel and Weisel consist of

A) nerve cells in the brain.
B) rods and cones.
C) bipolar cells.
D) ganglion cells.

Question 67

The fovea refers to

A) the outer protective surface of the eye.
B) a coiled, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear.
C) an area of the thalamus that receives information from the optic nerve.
D) the central focal point in the retina.

Question 68

Which cells for visual processing are located closest to the back of the retina?

A) ganglion cells
B) bipolar cells
C) rods and cones
D) feature detectors

Question 69

The pupil is the

A) adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters.
B) transparent structure that focuses light rays in a process called accommodation.
C) light-sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing both rods and cones.
D) central focal point in the retina, around which the eye's cones cluster.

Question 70

Damage to the fovea would probably have the LEAST effect on visual sensitivity to ________ stimuli.

A) brilliantly colored
B) finely detailed
C) dimly illuminated
D) highly familiar

Question 71

The axons of ganglion cells converge to form

A) the basilar membrane.
B) bipolar cells.
C) the auditory nerve.
D) the optic nerve.

Question 72

Hubel and Weisel identified ________ that respond to specific aspects of visual stimulation.

A) feature detectors
B) bipolar cells
C) ganglion cells
D) signal detectors

Question 73

Which process allows more light to reach the periphery of the retina?

A) accommodation of the lens
B) transduction of the blind spot
C) dilation of the pupil
D) sensory adaptation of feature detectors

Question 74

Brightness is to intensity as hue is to

A) amplitude.
B) color.
C) pitch.
D) wavelength.

Question 75

Rods are

A) more light-sensitive and more color-sensitive than are cones.
B) less light-sensitive and less color-sensitive than are cones.
C) more light-sensitive and less color-sensitive than are cones.
D) less light-sensitive and more color-sensitive than are cones.

Question 76

Objects are brought into focus on the retina by changes in the curve and thickness of the

A) rods and cones.
B) lens.
C) bipolar cells.
D) optic nerve.

Question 77

The direct link between a single cone and a single ________ preserves the fine details in the cone's message.

A) rod
B) ganglion cell
C) blind spot
D) bipolar cell

Question 78

Visual information is processed by

A) feature detectors before it is processed by rods and cones.
B) ganglion cells before it is processed by feature detectors.
C) bipolar cells before it is processed by rods and cones.
D) feature detectors before it is processed by bipolar cells.

Question 79

Which receptor cells most directly enable us to distinguish different wavelengths of light?

A) rods
B) cones
C) bipolar cells
D) feature detectors

Question 80

On the way to the visual cortex, neural impulses from the retina are first relayed to the

A) olfactory bulb.
B) thalamus.
C) hippocampus.
D) oval window.