Practice Passage Test - 15 | Practice Passages for MCAT PDF Download

Passage

The way we perceive the world is influenced by our ability to make assumptions and interpretations about the stimuli we encounter. These assumptions help us recognize meaningful patterns and focus on new stimuli, which in turn enhance our understanding of the world. Gestalt psychology is a branch of psychology that explores how we organize our perceptions. It suggests that humans perceive objects and events as a whole, rather than focusing on individual features. When it comes to judging the attractiveness of a person's face, the principles of Gestalt theory propose that we evaluate the overall arrangement of facial features rather than individual traits like eye color or nose shape. According to this theory, a person with symmetrical facial features may be considered more attractive because their face appears proportional and cohesive. To investigate the influence of facial symmetry on attractiveness ratings, a researcher manipulates a photo of a man and a woman, creating two versions: one with high symmetrical features and the other with low symmetrical features. These photos are shown to 400 undergraduate participants who are asked to rate the attractiveness of the individuals depicted on a scale of 1 to 10. The mean attractiveness ratings for the images are summarized in Table 1. Now, let's discuss the Gestalt Law of Continuity.