Psychology2016

130 CHAPTER 3

APA Goal 2: Scientific Inquiry

and Critical Thinking

Perceptual Influences on Metacognition

Addresses APA Learning Objective 2.3 Engage in innovative and

integrative thinking and problem-solving.

As you can see, pun intended, what we perceive as being real does not always match the

actual visual stimulus we are presented with. Perceptual information can also influence how

we think about a given object. For example, many of us assume that things that are larger

weigh more than things that are smaller. The color of an object can also have an influ-

ence (De Camp, 1917). Darker objects are often appraised to be heavier than comparable

objects that are lighter in color (Walker et al., 2010). Both of these are examples of stimulus

influences on perceptual expectations. But what about stimulus influences on expectations

for a cognitive task, like assessing how well we will be able to remember something?

Metacognition is thinking about thinking. It includes being aware of our own thought

processes, such as evaluating how well we actually understand something or how well

we will remember something. For example, the font size of a given word appears to have

an effect. In one study, words that were printed in a larger font were rated as being more

memorable than words appearing in a smaller font (Rhodes & Castel, 2008). In other

words, when evaluated as part of a sequential list, Psychology might be rated as being

more memorable than macroeconomics. At least it was for one of your authors during college.

Despite the initial ratings on memorability, when tested later, word font size did not yield

significant effects on recall (Rhodes & Castel, 2008).

Research also suggests that students often report using study strategies, such as

focusing primarily on bold or italicized terms in a textbook (Gurung, 2003, 2004), or over-

reliance on strategies such as highlighting. These are methods that have less of an overall

positive impact on retention of material, especially when compared to more robust study

and memory strategies. to PIA.6 and Learning Objectives 6.5, 6.6.

Practice Quiz How much do you remember?

Pick the best answer.

1. When opening a door, the actual image on your retina changes
   drastically, but you still perceive the door as a rectangle. This is an
   example of
   a. size constancy. c. color constancy.
   b. shape constancy. d. brightness constancy.


2. Hunters who wear camouflage so that they can blend in with their
   surroundings are relying on which principle of perception?
   a. shape constancy c. figure–ground relationships
   b. expectancy d. depth perception


3. What monocular depth cue can best explain why railroad tracks
   appear to come together in the distance?
   a. convergence c. overlap
   b. linear perspective d. texture gradient


4. The Müller-Lyer illusion occurs more frequently in
   a. children than adults. c. people living in a Western culture.
   b. men than women. d. individuals living in poverty.
   5. Jason’s uncle claimed to have seen a black panther in the trees
   beside the highway, although no one else saw it. Knowing that his
   uncle has been looking for a black panther for years, Jason attri-
   butes his uncle’s “sighting” to
   a. perceptual set. c. bottom-up processing.
   b. perceptual defense. d. cognitive convergence.
   6. The first time Megan had to install a ceiling fan in her new home,
   it took a long time. But later when she helped install a ceiling fan
   in her best friend’s home, she completed the job very quickly. Her
   improved speed and skill can partially be attributed to
   a. bottom-up processing. c. perceptual expectancy.
   b. top-down processing. d. perceptual set.