Cognitive Psychology: Template and Feature Analysis

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Questions and Answers

What happens to brain activity when the same visual stimulus is presented multiple times?

Brain activity increases with each presentation.

Brain activity remains constant regardless of presentation.

Brain activity decreases with repeated presentations. (correct)

Brain activity only decreases if the stimulus is novel.

What method can be used to measure the change in neural activity between two presentations of the same stimulus?

Reaction time measurement

Fourier transformation method

Neural subtraction method (correct)

Visual stimulus comparison

What does Multi Voxel Pattern Analysis (MVPA) allow researchers to do?

Focus on only one brain region at a time.

Analyze the activity of a single neuron in isolation.

Examine how different brain areas interact during complex tasks. (correct)

Map the exact location of brain structures.

How does the brain filter information when attending to a specific stimulus?

It focuses on features deemed significant and ignores unimportant ones. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What predictive capability does the software mentioned in the content possess?

It can decode brain activity to predict what a person is thinking about. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes the impact of visual stimulus recognition on the brain after repeated exposures?

The brain exhibits unique patterns upon recognition. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Why is Multi Voxel Brain Analysis significant in understanding brain function?

It allows for analysis of how tiny brain areas collaborate. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What kind of activities can MVPA help in identifying through brain patterns?

Complex tasks related to thoughts, perceptions, and recognition. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What does the template theory suggest about how we recognize objects?

We compare objects to stored mental representations or templates. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which aspect is crucial for the template theory to function effectively?

Orientation and consistency in object presentation. (A) Signup and view all the answers

How does feature analysis theory differ from template theory in object recognition?

It emphasizes recognizing objects through parts rather than the whole. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What did Biederman's recognition by components (RBC) theory emphasize?

Objects consist of 3D geometric shapes called geons. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What sensitivity does the recognition by components theory exhibit?

Sensitive to geon visibility and insensitive to object orientation. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best describes repetition suppression (RS)?

It indicates decreased brain response to repeated stimuli. (A) Signup and view all the answers

In template theory, how does the recognition process resemble a puzzle?

Templates function like puzzle pieces fitting into specific shapes. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What main factor is irrelevant to recognition in feature analysis theory?

The angle from which the object is viewed. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Template Theory

When we recognize an object, we compare it to mental representations in our memory called templates.
Templates are like puzzle pieces, each representing a different object or variation.
Our brain tries to match what we see to these templates, regardless of variations like font or handwriting.
Consistency is important for template theory, requiring every object to be stored in every orientation.
Our brain has templates for different fonts of letters, explaining why we can recognize them.
Captcha tests are difficult for bots because they rely on recognizing letters and words, which is challenging for machines without mental templates.
The angle of an object matters for template theory, as it needs to match the stored orientation.

Feature Analysis Theory

We recognize objects by breaking them down into parts and identifying key features.
Unlike templates, this theory focuses on recognizing the combination of features, not the whole object.
The angle of an object doesn't matter as much for feature analysis, as long as key features are visible.

Recognition by Components (RBC) Theory

Proposed by Biederman in 1987.
Objects are made up of 3D building blocks called "geons."
We store a dictionary of geons in our mind, and recognize objects by understanding how these geons are combined.
RBC is insensitive to object orientation but sensitive to the visibility of geons.
As long as the geons are visible, the angle of the object doesn't affect recognition.
Beyond shape, other features might be needed to differentiate certain objects.

Repetition Suppression (RS)

Discovered in the early 1990s shortly after fMRI development.
When we see an object, our brain activates specific areas related to attention and vision.
Seeing the same object repeatedly leads to reduced brain activity.
This is a result of our brain fine-tuning its focus on relevant features and filtering out unimportant information like color.
Researchers can use the subtraction method (comparing neural activity during the first and second presentations) to understand how RS works.

Multi-Voxel Pattern Analysis (MVPA)

Brain imaging method that analyzes patterns of brain activity across multiple voxels (small brain areas) to understand thoughts, perceptions, or tasks.
Different activities or thoughts create unique patterns of brain activity.
MVPA helps researchers understand how different brain areas work together to create these patterns.
By studying these patterns, scientists can link specific brain activity to certain activities like recognizing faces or reading words.
MVPA can be used to decode brain activity and build templates for specific stimuli like houses or faces.
By analyzing brain patterns, this technique can predict what someone is looking at with a significant degree of accuracy (e.g., 68% for houses).
MVPA has potential applications in understanding thought and dreams.

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Description

Explore the concepts of Template Theory and Feature Analysis Theory in cognitive psychology. This quiz delves into how we recognize objects through mental templates and key features, highlighting their significance and applications, such as in captcha tests. Test your understanding of these foundational theories in perception!