8A
Attention
Attention
True or False: Attention is the process of actively focusing on specific information while simultaneously ignoring other stimuli.
True.
True or False: Bottom-up processing relies heavily on our past experiences and expectations to make sense of what we see.
False. (That is top-down processing; bottom-up relies on the physical sensory data).
True or False: In visual perception, "Selection" is the stage where the brain assigns meaning to the sensory information it has received.
False. (Selection is the first stage where we attend to certain stimuli; Interpretation is the stage where meaning is assigned).
True or False: Gustation is the sensory term for the perception of taste.
True. (While "flavour" involves smell and touch, "gustation" specifically refers to the sense of taste).
Question: What type of attention is being used when a student stays focused on a 45-minute psychology lecture without getting distracted?
Sustained attention.
Name the three stages of the perceptual process in the correct order.
Selection, Organisation, and Interpretation.
hat is the term for the biological "hardware" in our eyes (such as the rods and cones) that converts light energy into neural impulses?
Photoreceptors.
Name the five basic taste qualities that the human tongue can detect.
Sweet, Sour, Salty, Bitter, and Umami (Savoury).
If you are trying to listen to your friend's voice in a loud, crowded cafeteria, which specific form of attention are you using?
Selective attention.
Which stage of perception involves the brain assigning meaning to sensory information so that we can understand it?
Interpretation.
How does the psychological factor of "Motivation" influence visual perception?
Motivation acts as a perceptual set where we are more likely to see what we want to see (e.g., a thirsty person in a desert might perceive a mirage as a pool of water).
What is the difference between a stimulus and a receptor in the context of taste?
The stimulus is the chemical molecule in food/drink; the receptor is the taste bud (or gustatory cell) that detects those chemicals.
Describe the difference in "task loading" between selective attention and divided attention.
Selective attention involves focusing on one task/stimulus, while divided attention involves distributing focus across multiple tasks at once.
How does top-down processing help us read a sentence even if some of the letters are jumbled or missing?
It uses our prior knowledge of language and context to "fill in the gaps" rather than looking at every individual letter.
Explain the role of "Context" as a psychological factor in visual perception.
Context refers to the setting or environment in which a stimulus occurs; it provides a framework that helps us interpret a stimulus (e.g., a bright light in the sky is perceived as a star at night, but might be perceived as a plane or flare in a different context).
How does the biological factor of age typically change a person's gustatory perception?
As we age, the number of taste buds decreases and they are replaced more slowly, leading to a diminished or less sensitive sense of taste (which is why older people may prefer more seasoning or stronger flavours).
Explain why divided attention is generally less effective than selective attention when completing complex new tasks.
Because the brain has a limited capacity for processing information; spreading resources across multiple complex tasks leads to a higher rate of error and slower processing.
Define a perceptual set and name one factor (e.g., motivation, context) that can create one.
A perceptual set is a predisposition or readiness to perceive something in a specific way. Factors include: Context, Motivation, Emotional State, Past Experience, or Culture.
Describe how Emotional State can create a perceptual set that leads to a distortion in visual interpretation.
Our current feelings (like fear or happiness) can lead us to interpret neutral stimuli in a way that matches our mood. For example, a child who is afraid of the dark might perceive a shadow on the wall as a monster rather than a coat hanging on a door.
Describe how culture acts as a social factor in shaping taste preference.
We are socialised from birth to prefer flavours that are common in our community; exposure to certain spices or traditional foods creates a perceptual set where we perceive those familiar tastes as more appealing or "correct."