Question 1

Shown the hollow face illusion, people will mistakenly perceive the inside of a mask as a protruding face. Yet, they will accurately reach into the inverted mask to flick off a buglike target stuck on the face. This best illustrates the capacity for

Accepted Answer

The capacity to perceive the hollow face illusion while also accurately reaching into the inverted mask to flick off a target stuck on a face demonstrates the concept of dual processing, where the brain processes information on both conscious and unconscious levels simultaneously. This phenomenon highlights how perception and action can operate independently, allowing for accurate motor responses even in the presence of perceptual illusions.

Question 2

A condition in which a person can respond to a visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it is known as

Accepted Answer

Blindsight is a phenomenon in which a person is able to respond to visual stimuli without being consciously aware of it. This typically occurs as a result of damage to the visual cortex, but the individual is still able to respond to visual information through other brain pathways. The other options (A, B, and C) do not involve unconscious processing of visual stimuli.

Question 3

The pop-out phenomenon illustrates that some stimuli almost inevitably trigger

Accepted Answer

The pop-out phenomenon refers to the ability of certain stimuli to capture our attention automatically and involuntarily, even if we are trying to ignore them. This suggests that selective attention is at work, as our attention is being drawn to a specific visual feature (such as color or shape) within the scene, regardless of whether we intend to focus on it or not. The other options (visual action track, parallel processing, and change blindness) do not accurately describe the pop-out phenomenon.

Question 4

If asked to watch a video and press a key each time a black-shirted player passed a basketball, most research participants remained unaware of an umbrella-toting woman strolling across the video screen. This illustrated

Accepted Answer

The answer of If asked to watch a video and...

Question 5

Drivers are slower to detect traffic signals if they are talking on a cell phone. This best illustrates the impact of

Accepted Answer

Selective attention refers to our ability to focus on certain stimuli while ignoring others. In this case, drivers who are talking on a cell phone are not able to fully process the traffic signals because they are distracted by their conversation, demonstrating the impact of selective attention on driving performance.

Question 6

While reading a novel, Raoul isn't easily distracted by the sounds of the TV or even by his brothers' loud arguments. This best illustrates

Accepted Answer

Selective attention is the ability to focus on a specific sensory input, such as reading a novel, while filtering out other distracting stimuli, such as the TV and arguments. Therefore, Raoul's ability to stay focused on the novel despite the distractions illustrates selective attention.

Question 7

A capacity to monitor simultaneously the color, shape, and motion of an object best illustrates

Accepted Answer

Parallel processing refers to the ability of the brain to simultaneously process multiple aspects of a stimulus, such as color, shape, and motion.

Question 8

Consciousness is to unconsciousness as ________ is to ________.

Accepted Answer

Consciousness and unconsciousness are opposite states, just as sequential processing and parallel processing are opposite forms of information processing. Sequential processing involves completing one task before moving on to the next, while parallel processing involves multitasking and working on multiple tasks simultaneously. This is similar to how consciousness involves focused attention and awareness of one's surroundings, while unconsciousness involves a lack of awareness and attention.

Question 9

Although unable to report the width of a block in front of her, a woman identified as D. F. could grasp the block with just the right finger-thumb distance. Her experience best illustrates

Accepted Answer

D. F.'s ability to grasp the block without being able to report its width suggests that she has blindsight, which is the ability to respond to visual stimuli without consciously perceiving them.

Question 10

When their attention is focused on a task such as reading, people are less likely to ________ than when their mind is wandering.

Accepted Answer

The answer of When their attention is focused on a...

Question 11

Compared with unconscious information processing, conscious information processing is relatively

Accepted Answer

Conscious information processing is slower but more effective for solving new problems that require attention and deliberate thinking, while unconscious information processing is faster and more effective for routine problems that do not require conscious attention.

Question 12

The cocktail party effect provides an example of

Accepted Answer

The cocktail party effect refers to the ability to selectively attend to a single conversation among many happening in a crowded room. This requires selective attention, as the brain filters out irrelevant information while focusing on the desired conversation. Choice blindness refers to a phenomenon where individuals fail to notice a change in their own choices, sequential processing refers to the order in which stimuli are processed, and cognitive neuroscience refers to the study of the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive processes.

Question 13

A bank teller was so distracted by the sight of a bank robber's weapon that she failed to perceive important features of the criminal's physical appearance. This best illustrates

Accepted Answer

Selective attention refers to our tendency to focus on a limited aspect of all that we perceive. In this case, the bank teller was highly focused on the robber's weapon, causing her to ignore other important information about the criminal's physical appearance.

Question 14

Failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere is called

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is referred to as inattentional blindness, where we are unable to perceive objects that are right in front of us when our attention is focused on something else. This can occur even if the object is highly visible and conspicuous. The other choices do not accurately describe this phenomenon.

Question 15

Even if musically inclined, it is difficult to tap a steady three times with your left hand while tapping four times with your right hand because both tasks require

Accepted Answer

Both tasks require conscious attention because they involve complex, coordinated motor skills that are difficult to perform simultaneously without focused mental effort.

Question 16

Our inability to consciously process all the sensory information available to us at any single point in time best illustrates the necessity of

Accepted Answer

Selective attention is the ability to focus on a specific stimulus while ignoring others. Our brain cannot consciously process all the sensory information available to us simultaneously, so we need to selectively attend to what is most relevant or important at any given moment.

Question 17

Focusing conscious awareness on a particular stimulus is called

Accepted Answer

Focusing conscious awareness on a particular stimulus is called selective attention.

Question 18

While a man provides directions to a construction worker, two experimenters rudely interrupt by passing between them carrying a board. The man's failure to notice that the construction worker was replaced by a different person during this interruption illustrates

Accepted Answer

The man's failure to notice that the construction worker was replaced by a different person during the interruption is an example of change blindness. Change blindness occurs when a person fails to detect a change in an environment or scene, particularly when the change is introduced during a brief interruption or distraction. In this case, the experimenters passing between them carrying a board acted as a distraction, causing the man to be unaware of the change in the construction worker.

Question 19

A visual perception track enables most people to recognize objects at nearly the same time that a visual action track enables them to avoid bumping into the objects. This best illustrates

Accepted Answer

Dual processing refers to the concept that information is often processed at the same time on separate conscious and unconscious tracks. The visual perception track and visual action track are examples of two separate processes that occur simultaneously, allowing individuals to both recognize and react to objects in their environment.

Quiz 7: Brain States and Consciousness