Test Bank
Chapter 5: The Perceptual Context
Multiple Choice
1. Perception is defined as ______.
a. the long-term cognitive processing of information
b. the short-term cognitive processing of information
c. the mental interpretation of external stimuli via sensation
d. the cognitive interpretation of selective attention
2. Perceptual filters alter and change how humans interpret information, physiologically,
sociologically, and ______.
a. genetically
b. descriptively
c. prescriptively
d. psychologically
3. One reason for cross-cultural differences in perception is due to ______.
a. conditions in the physical environment
b. short-term memory loss
c. long-term memory loss
d. interference
4. Information in long-term memory is usually lost because of ______.
a. sensory receptor errors
b. olfactic stimulation
c. iconic stimulation
d. interference
5. Episodic long-term memory refers to ______.
a. the preservation of auditory stimulation
b. the preservation of information pertaining to the unique experiences of the individual
c. the preservation of a person’s general conceptual world
d. the preservation of iconic stimulation
6. Semantic long-term memory refers to ______.
a. the preservation of auditory stimulation
b. the type of information pertaining to the unique experiences of the individual
c. the preservation of a person’s general conceptual world
d. the preservation of iconic stimulation
7. Persons in cultures with little formal education tend to remember information based on its
______.
a. uniqueness
b. novelty
c. organization of unrelated items
d. functionality
8. Classifying, sorting, or arranging information into identifiable compartments that share certain
features or characteristics is called ______.
a. iconic perception
b. sensory reproduction
c. sensory replication
d. categorization
9. Some psychologists believe that stereotyping is an automatic information-processing strategy,
meaning that ______.
a. stereotyping is an unintentional and/or instinctive activation of thoughts that have been learned
through repeated stimulation
b. stereotyping is intentional and requires the conscious attention of the information processor
c. stereotyping is a subset of categorization with an added attitudinal component
d. most people are innately prejudiced against people different from themselves
10. The tendency for people to see members of an out-group as less diverse and more stereotypic
than the members of that in-group see themselves is called ______.
a. the illusory correlation principle
b. the out-group homogeneity effect
c. the illusory homogeneity effect
d. the out-group correlation effect
11. The perception that one’s in-group is the center of everything whereby all other groups are
scaled and rated with reference to the in-group is called ______.
a. categorization
b. stereotyping
c. ethnocentrism
d. authoritarianism
12. Ethnocentrism is a belief in ______.
a. the moral or intellectual superiority of men over women
b. the degree to which one sees his or her culture as superior
c. the universality of racism
d. the moral or intellectual superiority of one race over another
True/False
1. Persons in Western cultures tend to classify objects into discrete categories based on their
similarity while persons in Eastern cultures tend to classify objects into categories based on their
relationships.
2. The first stage of information processing is the input stage, where raw information is taken in
through the senses.
3. Although the amount of information stored in short–term memory is quite limited, it can be
stored permanently.
4. The essential difference between short– and long–term memory is the type of information that
is stored.
5. Negative arousal, or anxiety, is also thought to interfere with the retrieval of information from
long–term memory.
6. Most cognitive psychologists argue that all people, regardless of culture, engage in
categorization and that it is a necessary part of everyday life.
7. According to the Stereotype Content Model, an individual’s stereotypes about others are based
on the two judgments of warmth and competence.
8. The illusory correlation principle refers to the tendency for people to see members of an out–
group as less diverse and more stereotypic than the members of that group see themselves.
9. Ethnocentrism serves a valuable function when one’s central group is under actual attack or
threat of attack because it forms the basis for patriotism and the willingness to sacrifice for one’s
central group.
10. Ethnocentrism refers to a belief that one racial group is superior to others and that other racial
groups are necessarily inferior.
Essay/Short Answer
1. Describe the three stages of human information processing.
2. Describe the difference between categorization and stereotyping.
3. Use George Gerbner’s Cultivation Theory to provide an example of a stereotype influenced by
media.
4. Categorize the following emotions and behaviors based on the Stereotype Content Model:
sympathy, pride, resentment, envy.
5. Define ethnocentrism and discuss its causes and effects.