Exercise 4 Part 1

1. Vigilance is harder to maintain while driving on an unfamiliar road because of: 1m

a. Sensory modality

b. Clarity of stimuli

c. Temporal Uncertainty

d. Spatial Uncertainty

2. Two statements are given in the question below as Assertion (A) and Reasoning 1m
(R). Read the statements and choose the appropriate option.

Assertion(A): Car number plates contain only four-digit numbers with some
alphabets.

Reason(R): The amount of information an observer can grasp from a complex

array of stimuli at a single momentary exposure is known as automatic
processing.

Options:

a. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A

b. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A
c. A is true, R is false
d. A is false, R is true
3. 1m
Two statements are given in the question below as Assertion (A) and Reasoning
(R). Read the statements and choose the appropriate option.

Assertion(A): Animated videos are more attention-grabbing than simple

photographs on Instagram

Reason(R): Large, bright, and moving stimuli easily catch our attention.

Options:

a. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A

b. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A
c. A is true, R is false
d. A is false, R is true

4. Why must medication be used with caution when treating ADHD? 2m

= A drug, called Ritalin, is widely used, which decreases children’s over-

 activity and distractibility, and at the same time increases their attention and
ability to concentrate. However, it does not “cure” the problem, and often also
results in such negative side-effects as the suppression in normal growth of
height and weight. Therefore, this medication must be used with caution.

5. 1. You are concentrating on the TV show you are watching and from the corner of 2m
your eye you notice your cat running by. Identify the focus and the fringe of the
field of awareness and justify your answer.

2. = Attention has a focus as well as a fringe. When the field of awareness is

centered on a particular object or event, it is called focus or the focal point of
attention. This is the TV show you’re watching. On the contrary, when the
objects or events are away from the center of awareness and one is only vaguely
aware of them, they are said to be at the fringe of attention. This is the cat
running by.

6. Distinguish between external and internal factors affecting selective attention. 3m

= Define selective attention (1m)

External Factors Internal Factors

External factors are related to the Internal Factors lie within the
features of the stimuli individual
Other things kept constant, the size, They are Motivational factors
intensity, motion and novelty of (relating to biological and social
stimuli are important determinants of needs) and cognitive factors like
attention. They affect most interest, attitude and preparatory set.
individuals. They are subjective in experience
Any Example Any Example
7. Discuss the conditions required for divided attention with a suitable example. 4m

= Define divided attention (1m)

Conditions affecting divided attention – familiarity, sensory modality (0.5)

Automatic Processing – characteristics (1.5m)

Example (1m)
 Divided attention is the ability to attend to two or more things at the same time.

It becomes possible to allocate attention in this manner only with highly

practiced activities, because they become almost automatic and require less
attention to perform than new or slightly practiced activities.

Automatic processing has three main characteristics:

• It occurs without intention

• Takes place unconsciously

• It involves very little or no thought

For example, tying your shoelaces while talking to your family. Both highly
familiar and practiced tasks.

8. Football referees have to constantly monitor the action on the field during a 6m
match. What is this type of attention process? Discuss the factors that affect it.

= Sustained Attention (0.5)

Definition (0.5m)

Characteristics (vigilance, concentration, example) (1m)

Factors – Define + Example (1X4m): Sensory Modality, Clarity of Stimuli,

Temporal Uncertainty and Spatial Uncertainty

Cut 0.5m if Conclusion is missing

Exercise 4 Part 2

1. You receive a text that says “C U l8r” and you interpret it to mean “See you 1m
later”. This is an example of top-down processing. True/False

2. Identify the principle of perceptual organization that best fits the picture given 1m
below:
 = Principle of continuity

3. Two statements are given in the question below as Assertion (A) and Reasoning 1m
(R). Read the statements and choose the appropriate option.

Assertion(A): We can identify the person in a passport photo due to figure-

ground segregation.

Reason(R): Symmetrical areas tend to be seen as figures against asymmetrical

backgrounds.

Options:

a. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A

b. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A
c. A is true, R is false
d. A is false, R is true

4. Perceptual constancies are

a. likely inborn and not subject to learning

b. an aid in perceiving stable and consistent world
c. responsible for changing perceptions from moment to moment
d. confusing to an individual rather than helping determine what really exists

5. How is the bottom-up approach different from top-down approach? 2m

= Bottom-up

The idea that recognition process begins from the parts, which serve as the basis
for the recognition of the whole is known as bottom-up processing OR The
bottom-up approach lays emphasis on the features of stimuli in perception, and
considers perception as a process of mental construction. (0.5m)

Top-down

The notion that recognition process begins from the whole, which leads to
identification of its various components is known as top-down processing OR
The top-down approach lays emphasis on the perceiver, and considers
perception as a process of recognition or identification of stimuli. (0.5m)
 + 1 example for each (0.5mX2)

6. Differentiate between monocular and binocular cues of perception. 3m

= While perceiving depth, we depend on two main sources of information-

cues.

1. Monocular cues:

a) Also, known as psychological cues. b) These cues allow us to perceive depth

with just one eye. c) Referred to as pictorial cues as artists use them to induce
depth in two dimensional paintings. d) Monocular cues help in judging the
distance and depth in two dimensional surfaces. e) Important cues- Motion
Parallax is a kinetic monocular cue and not a pictorial cue. It occurs when
objects at different distances move at a different relative speed. The distant
objects appear to move slower than the objects which are closer.

2. Binocular cues:

a) Also, known as physiological cues. b) These cues require both eyes to

perceive depth. c) Binocular cues help us in understanding depth perception in
three-dimensional space. d) Important cues- Retinal Disparity occurs as our two
eyes have different locations in our head (6.5 cm away from each other), due to
this distance, the image formed the same object on the retina of each eye is
different. This difference between the two images is called retinal disparity.
(Any two of each)

In conclusion, both types of cues are used interdependently by the brain to

calculate and perceive depth in two/three dimensional space.

7. Are the perceptual processes universal or do they vary across different cultural 4m
settings? How can you explain culture differences in perceiving geometrical
illusions?

= Misperceptions resulting from misinterpretation of information received by

our sensory organs are generally known as illusions.

These are experienced more or less by all of us. They result from an external
stimulus situation and generate the same kind of experience in each individual.
That is why illusions are also called “primitive organisations”. Those illusions
that are found in all individuals are called universal illusions or permanent
illusions as they do not change with experience or practice. Some other illusions
 seem to vary from individual to individual; these are called personal illusions.

Segall, Campbell, and Herskovits carried out the most extensive study of
geometrical illusion susceptibility by comparing samples from remote African
villages and Western urban settings. It was found that African subjects showed
greater susceptibility to horizontal-vertical illusion, whereas Western subjects
showed greater susceptibility to Muller-Lyer illusion. Similar findings have
been reported in other studies also. Living in dense forests the African subjects
regularly experienced verticality (e.g., long trees) and developed a tendency to
overestimate it. The Westerners, who lived in an environment characterised by
right angles, developed a tendency to underestimate the length of lines
characterised by enclosure (e.g., arrowhead).

8. What was the contribution of Gestalt psychologists to our understanding of the 6m

concept of form perception?

= We perceive the elements of the visual field as organised wholes or complete

objects. The process of organising visual field into meaningful wholes is known
as form perception. Gestalt Psychologists Kohler, Koffka, and Wertheimer were
the first to study form perception. Gestalt means a regular figure or a form.

According to Gestalt psychologists, we perceive different stimuli not as discrete

elements, but as an organised “whole” that carries a definite form. They believe
that the form of an object lies in its whole, which is more than the sum of their
parts. (1m)

The most primitive organisation takes place in the form of figure-ground

segregation, that is, the ability to differentiate between the object and the
background. (0.5)

The Gestalt psychologists have given us several laws to explain how and why
different stimuli in our visual field are organised into meaningful whole objects.
Some of these are- (4m)

1) The Principle of Proximity- Objects that are close together in space or time are
perceived as belonging together or as a group.

2) The Principle of Similarity- Objects that are similar to one another and have
similar characteristics are perceived as a group.

3) The Principle of Continuity- This principle states that we tend to perceive

objects as belonging together if they appear to form a continuous pattern.
 4) The Principle of Smallness- According to this principle, smaller areas tend to
be seen as figures against a larger background.

5) The Principle of Symmetry- This principle suggests that symmetrical areas

tend to be seen as figures against asymmetrical backgrounds.

6) The Principle of Surroundedness- Symmetrical areas tend to be seen as

figures against asymmetrical backgrounds.

7) The Principle of Closure- We tend to fill the gaps in stimulation and perceive
the objects as whole rather than their separate parts.

8) Principle of Simplicity which is also known as Pragnanz or Good Figure. The

ability to perceive objects in an organised form and to see the world in the
simplest way, in its simplicity.

The arguments presented by the Gestalt Psychologists indicate that human

beings perceive the world in organised wholes rather than in discrete parts.
(0.5m)

Case-Based Question 4.1

In a famous study by Simons and Chabris (1999), the researchers made participants watch a
short video of six people (three wearing white and three wearing black) passing basketballs
amongst themselves. The participants were tasked with counting the number of times the
people in white shirts made passes. The researchers also inserted a surprise element into the
video: for nine seconds there is a gorilla who comes onscreen, thumps his chest and exits the
scene. A gorilla!

Interestingly, the researcher found that half of the participants who watched the video and
counted the passes, completely missed the gorilla!

The Invisible Gorilla study, as it is popularly called, shows us that we actually miss a lot of
things even when we are paying attention and we don’t actually know how much.

Using your understanding of the above case and the chapter, please answer the following
questions:

1. The activity that the participants were engaged in (counting the number 1m
of times the people in white shirts made passes) is best described as a:

A) Sustained Attention Task

 B) Selective Attention Task
C) Divided Attention Task

2. A possible factor for why the participants completely missed the gorilla 1m
could be Preparatory Set.

3. The Gorilla was in the fringe of the participant’s field of awareness. 1m

True/False

Case-Based Question 4.2

Identify, label and explain any 5 monocular cues in the following image: (As per teacher’s
discretion)