Question 1

Alyson looks at a picture of arrows and sees white arrows pointing to the right against a black background. She looks at the picture longer, and then sees black arrows pointing to the left against a white background. Her perception of this stimulus is an example of _____.

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is an example of perceptual segregation, where the brain separates the different features of a stimulus into different perceptual experiences. In this case, the brain initially perceives white arrows pointing to the right on a black background, but after prolonged viewing, the brain separates the colors and directions, resulting in the perception of black arrows pointing to the left on a white background.

Question 2

A masking stimulus is primarily used to _____.

Accepted Answer

A masking stimulus is used to stop or reduce persistence of vision, which refers to the phenomenon of a visual image persisting in the retina even after the stimulus has been removed. This is often done in experiments to prevent subjects from perceiving stimuli that may interfere with the task or bias their responses.

Question 3

Which of the following is a general determinant of figure-ground segregation

Accepted Answer

The lower region is more likely to be perceived as a figure than an upper region due to the natural tendency to perceive objects as resting on a surface, which is often associated with the lower part of a visual field.

Question 4

Structuralists would be most likely to endorse which of the following statements

Accepted Answer

Structuralism emphasizes the importance of breaking down complex experiences into basic components, or sensations. Therefore, the starting point for perceptions (complex experiences) is the sensations that make them up. A is incorrect because structuralists would view sensations and perceptions as separate units of thought. B is more aligned with Gestalt psychology, which emphasizes the whole being greater than its parts. D is incorrect as past experience is seen as a factor that can influence perception formation in structuralism.

Question 5

In one reversible figure/ground study, Gibson and Peterson (1994) used an image in which one area looks like a woman when upright, but does not resemble anything when turned upside down. Their general finding was that _____.

Accepted Answer

The study by Gibson and Peterson found that the meaningfulness of an image had a large effect on figure-ground segregation, as demonstrated by the image of the woman that only appeared as a figure when viewed in one orientation.

Question 6

The principle of _____ can account for grouping of stimuli that share orientation, shape, and/or size.

Accepted Answer

The principle of similarity explains that stimuli that share similar features such as orientation, shape, or size are perceived as belonging together or grouped together. Thus, choice D (similarity) is the best option.

Question 7

Border ownership means that when figure-ground segregation occurs, the border between the figure and background _____.

Accepted Answer

Border ownership refers to the perception that the border between the figure and background is associated with the figure rather than the background, so the best choice is C. This phenomenon has been demonstrated in various visual contexts, such as edge detection and occlusion, and is thought to be mediated by neural mechanisms that assign a contextual frame of reference to visual stimuli.

Question 8

Corey looks at a flock of seagulls flying in one direction, when suddenly, five of the seagulls start flying in another direction. He now perceives two groups of birds, because of the Gestalt principle of _____.

Accepted Answer

The Gestalt principle of common fate states that objects that move together are perceived as belonging to the same group. In this scenario, the seagulls that were initially flying together were perceived as one group, but when five of them started flying in a different direction, they were perceived as a separate group due to their common fate of moving together.

Question 9

Jimmy looks at a moderately blurred picture of Princess Diana's face. Jimmy will most likely _____.

Accepted Answer

Jimmy will most likely be able to correctly identify the face despite it being moderately blurred. People are often able to recognize faces even when they are slightly distorted or blurred.

Question 10

The demonstration of apparent movement provides support for the Gestalt approach because _____.

Accepted Answer

The demonstration of apparent movement, such as in the phi phenomenon, cannot be explained by sensations alone but must also involve the perceiver's interpretation and organization of the stimuli, which aligns with the Gestalt approach.

Question 11

The Bev Doolittle print of "The Forest Has Eyes" exemplifies the way _____ affects perceptual organization.

Accepted Answer

The Bev Doolittle print of "The Forest Has Eyes" is a great example of how meaningfulness affects perceptual organization. The image is composed of various parts that, when organized and interpreted together, create a large-scale image of a wolf's face. It is only when the individual elements are perceived meaningfully as part of a larger picture that the full image becomes clear. This demonstrates how our brain seeks out meaning and organization in visual stimuli, even when it is not immediately apparent.

Question 12

Current computer programs are able to identify some objects _____.

Accepted Answer

Current computer programs can identify objects but often make errors that humans would not, highlighting limitations in their accuracy and understanding compared to human perception.

Question 13

The Olympic symbol is an example of the Gestalt principle of _____.

Accepted Answer

The Gestalt principle of Pragnanz (also known as the law of good figure or simplicity) states that our minds perceive things in the simplest way possible, organizing individual elements into a cohesive and meaningful whole. The Olympic symbol - five interlocking rings - is a clear example of this principle as it creates a unified and easily recognizable image from five separate, distinct elements.

Question 14

"Viewpoint invariance" means that _____.

Accepted Answer

"Viewpoint invariance" is the ability to recognize objects from different viewpoints, and this is a trait that humans possess. Option A, B, and D are all incorrect as they do not accurately describe "viewpoint invariance".

Question 15

Wundt is to _____ as Wertheimer is to _____.

Accepted Answer

Wundt is widely regarded as the father of structuralism, a school of psychology that focused on analyzing consciousness into its component parts. Wertheimer, on the other hand, was one of the founders of Gestalt psychology, which emphasized the importance of looking at the whole of an experience or perception, rather than breaking it down into individual components. Therefore, A (structuralism; Gestalt psychology) is the best choice.

Question 16

Humans need approximately _____ to perceive the gist of a scene.

Accepted Answer

According to research, humans need approximately 250 milliseconds (or a quarter of a second) to perceive the gist of a scene. This is because the brain is able to quickly process and categorize visual information in order to make sense of the environment.

Question 17

Sally recently looked at some visual illusions. In one reversible-image illusion, she saw a vase in the middle of a blue box. What is Sally most likely to remember about this illusion

Accepted Answer

Sally is most likely to remember the vase she saw in the illusion since it was the main object in the image that was the focus of the illusion. The other details like the box and the faces on the side were likely secondary to the main illusion.

Question 18

In a scene, the objects in the foreground are best described as _____, whereas the image making up the background is best described as the _____.

Accepted Answer

In art and photography, foreground objects are considered as the figure, while the background is considered as the ground. The foreground, or figure, usually includes the main subject or point of interest in the image, while the background, or ground, provides context and sets the scene.

Question 19

Gestalt psychologists used the example of illusory contours to support the claim that _____.

Accepted Answer

The Gestalt psychologists used illusory contours to support the claim that the whole is different than the sum of its parts, also known as the "Gestalt principle of emergence." This principle emphasizes the idea that the perceived whole (in this case, a shape or object) is perceived as more than just the sum of its individual parts, and that the brain organizes sensory information into meaningful, holistic units.

Question 20

The _____ problem shows that numerous physical stimuli can create exactly the same image on the retina.

Accepted Answer

The inverse projection problem refers to the challenge in determining the source of a particular image on the retina because many different physical objects can produce the same retinal image. This highlights the complexity of visual perception and the brain's role in interpreting sensory information.

Quiz 5: Perceiving Objects and Scenes