AP®︎ Psychology: Topic 2.1 Practice Test
Prepare for your quiz, test, or the AP exam with focused practice questions on Topic 2.1 of AP Psychology – Perception.
Questions List
Topic 2.1
Question 1 Easy
This question tests the following: 2.1.A.1
Which type of processing begins with sensory input from the environment?
What You’re Being Tested On:
Explore the learning objectives taken directly from the College Board’s AP® Psychology Curriculum. Ensure you’re prepared for the exact topics covered on the AP® exam, in-class tests, and quizzes, and gain confidence in your mastery of the material.
Topic 2.1: Perception
Learning Objective: 2.1.A
Explain how internal and external factors influence perception.
Essential Knowledge: 2.1.A.1
Perception is influenced by whether one primarily relies on external sensory information (bottom-up processing) or internal prior expectations (top-down processing).
Essential Knowledge: 2.1.A.2
Schemas and perceptual sets are internal factors that filter perceptions of the world.
Essential Knowledge: 2.1.A.3
Contexts, experiences, and cultural experiences and expectations are external factors that filter perceptions of the world.
Essential Knowledge: 2.1.A.4
Perceptual principles proposed by Gestalt psychology (closure, figure and ground, proximity, and similarity) help explain how humans organize their perceptual world.
Essential Knowledge: 2.1.A.5
Attention is an interaction of sensation and perception that is affected by internal and external processes.
Essential Knowledge: 2.1.A.5.i
Some experiences of attention can be selective, such as with the cocktail party effect, where people attend to mentions of their names or specific topics in loud or distracting environments.
Essential Knowledge: 2.1.A.5.ii
Inattention can lead to a type of “blindness” to aspects of the environment. Change blindness occurs when changes to the environment are not perceived due to inattention.
Learning Objective: 2.1.B
Explain how visual perceptual processes produce correct or incorrect interpretations of stimuli.
Essential Knowledge: 2.1.B.1
Binocular depth cues of retinal disparity (the difference between the images projecting onto the retina) and convergence (the merging of the retinal images by the brain) utilize images from each eye to provide perception of depth.
Essential Knowledge: 2.1.B.2
Monocular depth cues (relative clarity, relative size, texture gradient, linear perspective, and interposition) give the illusion of depth on flat or two-dimensional surfaces. Exclusion Statement: The AP Psychology Exam will only address the listed monocular depth cues in EK 2.1.B.2.
Essential Knowledge: 2.1.B.3
Visual perceptual constancies maintain the perception of an object even when the images of the object in the visual field change.
Essential Knowledge: 2.1.B.4
Apparent movement can be visually perceived even when objects are not actually moving.
