Question 1

Denise was momentarily blinded when paparazzi snapped her picture using a blue flash.Following the flash,she saw spots for several minutes.What colour were the spots,based on the opponent process theory of colour vision

Accepted Answer

According to the opponent process theory, the visual system interprets color in opposing pairs: blue-yellow and red-green. When exposed to a blue flash, the blue receptors are overstimulated and temporarily fatigued, leading to the perception of the complementary color, yellow, in the afterimage.

Question 2

Which concept helps to explain why three people could look at the same sketch and report seeing three different things

Accepted Answer

Perceptual set is the concept that describes how past experiences, context, and expectations can influence our perception of sensory information. In the case of the sketch, each person's perceptual set could be different, causing them to focus on different aspects of the drawing and perceive it in different ways.

Question 3

Vanessa describes a new melody that she heard at a concert by telling you each of the individual notes in the order that they were played.In providing this type of description,which type of processing does Vanessa appear to use

Accepted Answer

Vanessa appears to use bottom-up processing because she is describing the melody by starting with the individual notes and the order in which they were played, without any preconceived idea or influence from higher-level processes.

Question 4

Eli has been wearing green welding goggles for the past 30 minutes.Based on the opponent process theory of colour vision,what colour will white objects appear to be for a brief time after Eli takes off the green goggles

Accepted Answer

The answer of Eli has been wearing green welding goggles...

Question 5

At the musical he attended over the weekend,Andrew noticed that whenever the red and green spotlights overlapped,they seemed to change to a yellow spotlight.Which principle explains this perception

Accepted Answer

Additive color mixing occurs when different colors of light are combined, and the overlapping colors add up to create a new color. In this case, the red and green spotlights are being combined to create yellow light.

Question 6

Mike and Sandy were walking down the street,and Mike was telling Sandy a story about a party he went to.As they were walking,a car full of clowns drove past and waved at them.Sandy waved back.Later,Mike reported truthfully that he had never seen the clowns and did not notice that Sandy waved at them.What could explain this apparent lapse in perception

Accepted Answer

This situation seems to indicate inattentional blindness, which occurs when a person fails to perceive a visual stimulus that is in plain sight because their attention is focused elsewhere. In this case, Mike's attention was focused on telling Sandy the story, so he did not notice the passing car of clowns waving at them. Sandy, on the other hand, was not as focused on the conversation and waved back at the clowns.

Question 7

What differs in the visual perception of a human dichromat and a human trichromat

Accepted Answer

The visual perception of a human dichromat is different from that of a trichromat in terms of colour vision. Dichromats only have two types of cones in their eyes, while trichromats have three. This means that dichromats have difficulty distinguishing between certain colours that trichromats can easily differentiate.

Question 8

According to one theory of colour vision,colours are signalled in pairs by neurons that fire faster to one colour and slower to another colour.What is this theory called

Accepted Answer

The theory described is the opponent process theory, which suggests that there are pairs of neurons that signal opposite colours (red-green, blue-yellow, black-white). When one member of the pair fires more quickly, we perceive one colour, and when the other member of the pair fires more quickly, we perceive the opposite colour. The names in the other answer options describe different theories of colour vision, but do not match the description given in the question.

Question 9

Which theory of colour vision is supported by the action of the lateral geniculate nucleus

Accepted Answer

The opponent process theory of color vision suggests that color perception is based on the activity of three opponent mechanisms: black/white, blue/yellow, and red/green. These mechanisms work in opposition to each other, meaning that when one is activated, the other is inhibited. This theory is supported by the action of the lateral geniculate nucleus, which has neurons that respond to opponent color pairs.

Question 10

Sima was listening to a tape recording of a famous speech that was being played backward.She just heard gibberish until a classmate told her that the phrase "meet me in St.Louis" was clearly spoken.The tape was rewound and as Sima listened she clearly heard the phrase this time.Which model of perception is illustrated by Sima's ability to detect the phrase the second time through the tape

Accepted Answer

Sima's ability to detect the phrase on the second listen was due to top-down processing, as she had prior knowledge of what to listen for and was able to use that knowledge to perceive the phrase more clearly.

Question 11

Television sets can re-create the entire visible spectrum by mixing three primary colours of light.Which theory of human colour vision is similar to this mechanism

Accepted Answer

The trichromatic theory, also known as the Young-Helmholtz theory, suggests that the human eye has three types of color receptors, each sensitive to a specific range of wavelengths. These receptors work together to allow us to perceive a range of colors by mixing signals from the red, green, and blue cones in the eyes, much like how a television set mixes primary colors to create the entire visible spectrum.

Question 12

Which statement is the best description of the current view of how colour is coded in the visual system

Accepted Answer

The current view of how color is coded in the visual system is known as the dual-process theory. This theory proposes that color processing involves two stages: the trichromatic stage, where three types of cones in the retina respond to different wavelengths of light, and the opponent stage, where signals from the cones are processed by neurons that are sensitive to opposing pairs of colors (red-green, blue-yellow, and black-white). The opponent process is thought to begin in the retina and continue into the brain's visual processing areas, leading to the perception of color and color contrasts. Thus, the correct answer is D, which suggests that color processing begins with a trichromatic process and then switches to an opponent process.

Question 13

If you mix red,green,and blue paint,what colour will you get

Accepted Answer

Mixing red, green, and blue paint, which are subtractive primary colors, typically results in a dark color, often perceived as black, due to the absorption of most wavelengths of light.

Question 14

Which type of processing is most important for the ability to rapidly process words that you are reading

Accepted Answer

Top-down processing involves using prior knowledge, context, and expectations to interpret and process incoming information. When reading, top-down processing allows us to quickly recognize entire words based on their familiar shape and context, rather than having to analyze each letter individually using bottom-up or feature analysis processing. This rapid recognition of familiar words is crucial for efficient reading comprehension.

Question 15

If you were to shine lights of different colours onto a surface,so that the lights overlap,what type of colour mixing are you using

Accepted Answer

Additive color mixing is used when lights of different colors are overlapped, as they add together to create new colors. This is commonly used in electronic devices such as televisions and computer screens. Subtractive color mixing, on the other hand, is used with physical substances such as paint or ink, where different colors of pigment are overlaid to create new colors by subtracting certain wavelengths of light. Opponent processes refer to the way that the human visual system processes color information, with opposing pairs of colors (such as red/green and blue/yellow) being perceived in a mutually exclusive manner. Saturation refers to the intensity or purity of a color.

Question 16

After having your picture taken with a yellow flash,you momentarily see blue spots floating before your eyes.Which process best explains this phenomenon

Accepted Answer

Opponent process theory states that there are three pairs of opposing colors: blue-yellow, red-green, and black-white. The exposure to yellow light causes a depletion of the yellow opponent process, leading to an increase in the blue component of the retinal image. This can lead to temporary blue spots floating before the eyes.

Question 17

Feature analysis assumes that we progress from individual elements to the whole in the formation of our perceptions.Which process best describes feature analysis

Accepted Answer

Feature analysis is a type of bottom-up processing, which means that it starts with the individual elements (features) of a stimulus and builds up to form a complete perception. The process involves detecting and combining basic features such as shape, color, and size, to form more complex representations. This bottom-up processing is in contrast to top-down processing, which starts with pre-existing knowledge and expectations to interpret incoming sensory information.

Question 18

What do we mean when we say that perception is influenced by a perceptual set

Accepted Answer

Perceptual set refers to the tendency of individuals to perceive the world based on their expectations, beliefs, and previous experiences. In other words, people often see what they expect to see, and their perception is influenced by their mindset or perceptual set. This can result in individuals selectively attending to certain aspects of a situation while ignoring others, which can affect how they interpret and respond to the situation.

Question 19

Hering's opponent process theory suggests that receptors are linked antagonistically in pairs.What are his opposed pairs

Accepted Answer

Hering's opponent process theory suggests that there are three pairs of color receptors that work in an oppositional or antagonistic manner: red-green, yellow-blue, and black-white. Option C includes these three pairs, while the other options have either incorrect pairs or missing pairs.

Question 20

If you project a red,a green,and a blue light into space,what colour will be perceived at the point where the three lights cross

Accepted Answer

When red, green and blue lights are projected into space and intersect at the same point, they will create white light. This is because white light is made up of all the colors of the visible spectrum, and combining the three primary colors of light (red, green, and blue) in equal amounts creates white.

Quiz 4: A: Sensation and Perception