Question 1

_____ is defined as an active process of combining sensory input into meaningful patterns that represent external events.

Accepted Answer

Perception refers to the interpretation of sensory information, where sensory input is transformed into meaningful patterns that represent external events. Attention refers to the process of selectively focusing on certain aspects of sensory information, while sensation refers to the initial detection and encoding of sensory information. Habituation refers to a decrease in response to a stimulus after repeated exposure.

Question 2

The analysis of information starting with low-level features and building into a complete perception is known as

Accepted Answer

Bottom-up processing involves analyzing sensory information starting from its basic features and building up into a complete perception. It is also known as data-driven processing, where the input from the environment guides the processing of information. Therefore, option C is the correct answer. Perceptual expectancy and top-down processing are opposite to bottom-up processing, as they involve using prior knowledge and expectations to guide perception. Perceptual habituation is the decrease in responsiveness to the sensory input due to repeated exposure to it over time.

Question 3

Regarding vision and perception, which of the following statements is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

While video surveillance systems can detect suspicious behavior and alert security personnel, they cannot currently "perceive" that a robbery is in progress and notify the police. This would require advanced artificial intelligence and decision-making capabilities that are not currently available in such systems.

Question 4

Applying higher-level knowledge to rapidly organize sensory information into a meaningful perception is known as

Accepted Answer

Top-down processing involves using higher-level knowledge (such as context, expectations, and memories) to quickly organize and interpret incoming sensory information, whereas bottom-up processing involves building up perceptions based on specific sensory cues. Perceptual dishabituation and habituation refer to changes in perception due to repeated exposure or lack thereof to a stimulus.

Question 5

A young child opens a book and sees the various letters printed on the page.However, this child must assemble these "marks" into meaningful patterns.This process that will allow the child to "read" this book is known as

Accepted Answer

Perception involves the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information in order to make it meaningful. In the case of reading, the child must perceive and interpret the letters on the page as words and sentences in order to understand the meaning of the text.

Question 6

Perceptual construction proceeds in two major ways, which involve _____ processing.

Accepted Answer

The two major ways of perceptual construction are top-down processing, which involves using prior knowledge and expectations to interpret sensory information, and bottom-up processing, which involves analyzing individual sensory information and combining it into a cohesive perception. Inductive and intuitive processes do not specifically relate to perceptual construction, while deductive and divergent processes do not involve sensory information. Lateral and vertical processes do not specifically relate to perception.

Question 7

_____ processing is like putting together a picture puzzle you've seen many times.

Accepted Answer

Top-down processing involves using pre-existing knowledge, expectations, and context to interpret incoming sensory information. This is comparable to putting together a picture puzzle you've seen before, where you can use your memory of the finished picture to guide the assembly process. Bottom-up processing, on the other hand, involves analyzing incoming sensory information starting from the smallest details and building up to a larger understanding. Left-right processing and selective processing are not relevant to this analogy.

Question 8

A meaningful mental model of external events is known as a(n)

Accepted Answer

A meaningful mental model of external events is a perceptual construction. This refers to the process by which individuals create a meaningful interpretation of their experiences based on their previous knowledge and experiences. It involves both bottom-up processing of sensory information and top-down processing based on expectations and prior knowledge.

Question 9

You decide to practice working the algebra problems that the teacher worked in class.You already know what the correct answer should be, so you work the problem with this answer in mind.This scenario illustrates

Accepted Answer

Top-down processing refers to when we use prior knowledge or context to make sense of new information. In this scenario, the individual is using their prior knowledge of the correct answer to guide their problem-solving process.

Question 10

When you use inductive reasoning, you reason from specific facts and construct a general principle from these facts.Thus, inductive reasoning is similar to

Accepted Answer

Inductive reasoning starts with specific examples or observations and builds towards a general conclusion or principle, similar to how bottom-up processing starts with sensory input and builds towards perception. Top-down processing, on the other hand, starts with a general framework or expectation and applies it to specific instances. Perceptual expectancy and habituation are related to how our brain processes and responds to stimuli, but they are not directly related to the process of inductive reasoning.

Question 11

The brain actively selects, organizes, and integrates sensory information to construct a model of the world through the process known as

Accepted Answer

Perception is the process in which the brain actively selects, organizes, and integrates sensory information to construct a model of the world. Sensory information is received through various sensory organs like eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin. These sensory inputs are processed and interpreted by the brain to create a meaningful perception of the external environment. Attention is a process that directs sensory information towards the brain, but it does not involve the construction of a perceptual model. Realization is not a process involved in constructing the perceptual model of the world.

Question 12

At the beginning of the chapter, one of the authors of the textbook described an apparent murder, but it turned out to be something quite different.The girl's words that "someone is killing her father" had completely shaped the author's perceptions.This illustrates that our experiences are _____ that are filtered through our expectations and beliefs.

Accepted Answer

The scenario described in the question demonstrates how our experiences are perceptual constructions, which means they are shaped or influenced by our expectations and beliefs. In this case, the author's preconceived notion that there was a murder taking place caused them to interpret the situation in a certain way, despite it turning out to be something else entirely. The other answer choices – habituations, cognitive styles, and sensory sets – do not accurately describe the phenomenon being discussed.

Question 13

When you look at a scene,

Accepted Answer

When you look at a scene, your brain recognizes and understands patterns in the messages sent from the rods and cones in your eyes. This process is called visual perception, and it involves a complex series of neurological processes, including pattern recognition, attention, and memory.

Question 14

When you use deductive reasoning, you start with a general principle and deduce specific information from this principle.Thus, deductive reasoning is similar to

Accepted Answer

Deductive reasoning is a form of top-down processing because it involves starting with a broad principle or idea and then applying it to a specific situation or observation. Top-down processing refers to the use of prior knowledge, expectations, and context to guide our interpretation of sensory information, which is exactly what happens when we use deductive reasoning.

Question 15

Like most experiences, seeing a "sunrise" is a(n) _____, or mental model of an event, that is actively created by your brain.

Accepted Answer

Perceptual construction refers to the way our brain actively creates mental representations of the world based on sensory input. Seeing a sunrise is a perfect example of this, as our brain processes the visual and sensory information to create a perception of the event.

Question 16

_____ processing is like putting together a picture puzzle you've never seen before.

Accepted Answer

Bottom-up processing involves taking in individual sensory stimuli and using them to construct a complete perception. This is similar to putting together a puzzle where each piece represents a sensory input, and you must assemble them into a coherent whole. Top-down processing, on the other hand, involves using prior knowledge and expectations to guide perception, which is more like starting with a complete picture and breaking it down into its individual parts. Horizontal-vertical and selective processing are not relevant to this analogy.

Question 17

Knowing that the title of the painting in this chapter is The Big N allows you to use _____ processing in viewing the painting.

Accepted Answer

Top-down processing involves using prior knowledge and experience to interpret sensory information, such as identifying objects based on their names or shapes. Knowing the title of the painting allows the viewer to use top-down processing to interpret the painting and understand its meaning.

Question 18

The analysis of information starting with pre-existing knowledge in order to organize features into a meaningful whole is known as

Accepted Answer

Top-down processing involves using prior knowledge or expectations to organize features into a meaningful whole. This is in contrast to bottom-up processing, which involves analyzing individual features and building up to complete perception. Perceptual habituation and perceptual dishabituation refer to changes in perception due to repeated exposure to a stimulus.

Question 19

Which of the following best characterizes the process of perception?

Accepted Answer

Perception is an active process that involves selecting, organizing, and integrating sensory input to create a meaningful experience of the world around us. It is not a passive activity, as suggested in option A, nor is it simply a recording of energy, as in option B. Option C suggests that perception relies solely on stored images, which is not accurate as perception also involves processing new sensory input.

Question 20

Perception is a process by which

Accepted Answer

Perception involves taking sensory information and organizing it into something meaningful. This involves assembling sensations into patterns that represent external events, which is option B. Option A describes sensation, which is the initial process of detecting stimuli, but perception involves more complex cognitive processing. Option C is incorrect because experiences and memories are stored in the brain through processes like encoding and retrieval, but this is not the main function of perception. Option D describes the transduction process, which is how sensory information is converted into electrical signals in the nervous system, but this is not the same as perception.

Quiz 5: Extension A: Perceiving the World