Visual perception (all notes)

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

What is the result of the 1 transformation in the visual system?

Electrical signals are transmitted to the brain.
The image is interpreted as a recognizable object.
Light is converted into electrical signals. (correct)
A three-dimensional image is formed on the retina.

Which of these structures is NOT part of the retina?

Lens (correct)
Fovea
Rods
Cones

Which of the following best describes the process of accommodation in the eye?

The contraction of the iris to regulate the amount of light entering the eye.
The process of converting light energy into electrical signals.
The adjustment of the lens's shape to focus on objects at different distances. (correct)
The transmission of electrical signals from the retina to the brain.

What is the primary difference between rods and cones in the retina?

Rods are responsible for low-light vision, while cones are responsible for color vision. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is TRUE about Myopia (nearsightedness)?

Individuals with Myopia have a far point that is closer than normal. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What type of ganglion cell is most responsive to low contrast, large, slow-moving objects?

Magnocellular (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a landmark of the retino-geniculo-striate pathway?

Dorsal stream (D) Signup and view all the answers

What does neural convergence mean in terms of receptive fields?

Multiple neurons converge onto a single neuron, increasing the size of the receptive field. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements accurately describes the function of the dorsal stream?

The dorsal stream processes information about the location and movement of objects. (C) Signup and view all the answers

A neuron in V1 that is selective for horizontal lines will fire when it receives input from:

Multiple ganglion cells that are all selective for horizontal lines. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about the fovea is true?

The fovea is responsible for high visual acuity, due to its high concentration of cones. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main function of neural convergence in the visual system?

It allows for the detection of very faint light, increasing sensitivity. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What happens when a stimulus falls into the inhibitory area of a ganglion cell's receptive field?

The ganglion cell decreases its firing rate. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which type of ganglion cell is specifically sensitive to color?

Parvocellular (P) cells (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main function of the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN)?

It acts as a relay station for visual information, sending it to the visual cortex. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following areas of the visual cortex is responsible for processing object identity?

V4 (extrastriate visual area) (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between a simple cortical cell and a complex cortical cell in V1?

Simple cells have a receptive field with excitatory and inhibitory areas side-by-side, while complex cells have a larger receptive field that responds to a specific orientation regardless of the stimulus' exact position within the field. (B) Signup and view all the answers

How does the visual system contribute to detecting edges of objects?

By using ganglion cells with on/off center-surround receptive fields, which are maximally activated when a light source falls on the edge of the receptive field. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a feature processed by V2 neurons?

Depth perception (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which visual pathway is responsible for processing the 'where' information about objects?

Parietal (dorsal) stream (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the key difference between mesopic and scotopic vision?

Mesopic vision involves both rods and cones, while scotopic vision involves primarily rods. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a feature that V1 neurons are NOT selective for?

Depth (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the Purkinje shift?

The shift in spectral sensitivity from short wavelengths to long wavelengths in the dark-adapted eye. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about M cells is true?

M cells are more sensitive to low luminance than P cells. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the visual cortex, particularly V1?

Processing basic features of visual stimuli, like orientation, motion, and color. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about the ciliary muscles is TRUE?

Contracted ciliary muscles cause the lens to become thicker, increasing the focusing power of the eye. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between photopic and scotopic vision?

All of the above. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following scenarios best describes the process of accommodation for a distant object?

Ciliary muscles relax, the lens becomes thinner, and the light is bent less. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main reason why a person with myopia (nearsightedness) has difficulty seeing distant objects?

The eyeball is too long, causing light to focus in front of the retina. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the fovea?

To provide sharp, detailed central vision. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following correctly describes how light is transformed during the visual process?

Light waves are transformed into electrical signals by photoreceptor cells in the retina. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference between rods and cones?

Rods are more sensitive to light and are responsible for night vision whereas cones are less sensitive to light and are responsible for day vision. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the "purkinje shift" and what causes it?

The increase in sensitivity to short wavelengths in the dark-adapted eye, caused by the relative increase in rod activity over cone activity. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What happens to the lens during accommodation for a near object?

The lens becomes thicker, increasing its focusing power. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following eye conditions is characterized by the inability to focus on nearby objects?

Hyperopia (A) Signup and view all the answers

What type of lens is used to correct myopia?

Concave lens (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about the photoreceptors is TRUE?

There are more cones than rods in the human eye. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a stage in the visual process?

Perception. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between neural convergence and visual acuity?

Increased convergence leads to decreased visual acuity. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the role of the lens in the visual process?

It focuses light onto the retina. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the process of transduction?

The conversion of light energy into electrical signals. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the condition called when the lens of the eye cannot change its shape to focus properly on near and far objects?

Presbyopia (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between the ventral and dorsal streams?

The ventral stream is involved in object recognition, while the dorsal stream is involved in movement planning. (A), The ventral stream processes information about 'what' while the dorsal stream processes information about 'where'. (B) Signup and view all the answers

How does the 'where' stream contribute to object reaching and grasping?

The 'where' stream provides information about the object's location in space, allowing for accurate hand movements. (A), The 'where' stream guides the hand towards the object, while the 'what' stream identifies the object itself. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Why is the method of limits considered less precise than the method of constant stimuli for measuring the absolute threshold?

The method of limits does not allow for a fine-grained analysis of the probability of detection for different stimulus intensities. (A), The method of limits is more susceptible to carry-over effects from previous trials. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a method used to measure the absolute threshold?

Method of difference threshold (C) Signup and view all the answers

What does Weber's Law state about the difference threshold?

The difference threshold is proportional to the initial stimulus intensity. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is a psychometric function?

A graph that shows the relation between stimulus intensity and the probability of detection. (B) Signup and view all the answers

How does the method of constant stimuli differ from the method of limits in measuring the absolute threshold?

The method of constant stimuli randomly presents different stimulus intensities, while the method of limits uses a systematic increasing or decreasing sequence. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about the method of adjustment is TRUE?

The method of adjustment is considered less efficient than the method of limits. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What does 'response expansion' refer to in relation to Stevens' subjective magnitude estimation?

The perceived stimulus intensity is greater than the actual stimulus intensity. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an advantage of the method of constant stimuli over the method of limits for measuring the absolute threshold?

The method of constant stimuli is less susceptible to carry-over effects. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Stanley Stevens' approach to psychophysics was primarily focused on:

Understanding the relationship between stimulus intensity and subjective perception. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the main difference between Structuralism and Psychophysics as approaches to studying perception?

Structuralism is qualitative while Psychophysics is quantitative. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary criticism of Structuralism as a school of thought in psychology?

Its reliance on introspection made it subjective and unreliable. (B) Signup and view all the answers

How does Weber's Law differ from Stevens' approach to measuring perception?

Weber's Law describes the relationship between stimulus intensity and difference threshold while Stevens' approach describes the relationship between stimulus intensity and subjective perception. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a valid criticism of Structuralism?

Its reliance on objective measures limited its understanding of subjective experiences. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main contribution of Psychophysics to the understanding of perception?

It established the relationship between stimulus intensity and subjective perception. (C), It introduced the concept of the absolute threshold and the difference threshold. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Landmarks on the retina

The two key landmarks are the fovea and optic disc, critical for vision clarity and blind spot identification.

Accommodation process

The adjustment of the eye's lens to focus on objects at different distances.

Myopia

A vision condition where distant objects appear blurry, caused by an elongated eyeball or strong lens.