Psychology of Perception Flashcards

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Questions and Answers

What is a distal stimulus, proximal stimulus, and percept image?

Distal stimulus is the object, proximal stimulus is the inverted image reflected onto the cornea, the percept image is what you see after the brain flips the image.

Describe the structure of a neuron.

Nucleus- location of the DNA; Dendrite- receives cell signals at synapses; Soma- cell body that contains the nucleus and other structures; Axon- carries info away from soma; Axon Hillock- site of summation; Terminal buttons- release neurotransmitters.

Diagram and describe the seven parts of the eye.

Pupil- light enters through; Lens- focuses the light; Cornea- focuses the light; Optic nerve- transmits image to the brain; Fovea- focus point of the eye; Iris- adjusts the pupil; Retina- layers that trigger impulses.

What is the electromagnetic spectrum, and what parts are we sensitive to?

The electromagnetic spectrum stretches from gamma rays to AC circuits. We are sensitive to red, blue, and green because the cones are receivers tuned to a narrow band of the spectrum. Signup and view all the answers

What is the blind spot and what do we normally see in it?

The blind spot is where the image falls on the optic nerve, and the brain fills in surrounding details. Signup and view all the answers

What are rods and cones, and what are their differences?

Rods are triangle-shaped cells that detect light intensity and are more numerous, while cones are rectangle-shaped and are responsible for color vision. Signup and view all the answers

What is the distribution of rods and cones across the retina?

This question requires a graphical representation. Signup and view all the answers

What is the importance of change at the receptor level?

Change is required for perception; microtremors are high-frequency movements across spatial edges and light edges. Signup and view all the answers

What is a stabilized retinal image and how is it produced?

Stable retinal images are images that remain immobile on the retina. Curare can stop microtremors, making sight fade; high-tech solutions include computer eye trackers. Signup and view all the answers

What are examples of stabilized like effects from other senses?

An unchanged stimulus can lead to adaptation, such as becoming 'nose blind' to persistent smells. Signup and view all the answers

What are temporal and spatial edges, and how can they be sharp or gradual?

Temporal edges pertain to time, while spatial edges relate to space, with sharp edges indicating sudden changes, like a fast volume increase. Signup and view all the answers

Describe Hubel and Wiesel's feature detection theory and a criticism of it.

Hubel proposed there are specific neurons for different stimuli, but this is criticized as absurd because it implies an infinite number of neurons would be needed. Signup and view all the answers

Describe a split-brain study and its implications on visual pathways.

In split-brain studies, severing the corpus callosum affects communication between brain hemispheres, influencing how visual information is processed. Signup and view all the answers

Diagram the visual pathways from the retina to the visual cortex.

This question requires a graphical representation. Signup and view all the answers

Describe the LGN and its layers.

Ipsilateral layers receive information from the same side eye (Layers 2, 3, 5) and contralateral layers from the opposite side (Layers 1, 4, 6). Signup and view all the answers

What did Schiller do and what did he find?

This question requires additional context for a complete answer. Signup and view all the answers

Describe the Gauthier et al. 'greebles study' and the fusiform face area.

The fusiform face area is activated by human face perception, showing increased activation for greebles after exposure, indicating the brain adapts to new stimuli. Signup and view all the answers

What are four examples of the Gestalt principles of organization?

Closure, Proximity, Figure and Ground, Order and Symmetry. Signup and view all the answers

What is figure-ground segregation and its governing rules?

Figure-ground segregation can be perceived as two blue faces or a vase, where the figure is more memorable. Signup and view all the answers

What is shape from shading and its significance?

Shape from shading is when different lighting cues make surfaces appear convex or concave, showing how we interpret objects based on light. Signup and view all the answers

What is size constancy?

Perceived size remains the same even though the retinal image size changes. Signup and view all the answers

Describe oculomotor, monocular, movement produced, and binocular cues with examples.

Oculomotor cues include convergence and accommodation; monocular cues provide depth information; movement produced cues involve motion parallax; binocular cues allow distance perception through eye position differences. Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between size and distance?

Small objects are perceived to be further away, while large objects are perceived to be closer. Signup and view all the answers

Describe the Holway and Boring (1941) study on size perception.

The study involved comparison circles and distance cues, finding that visual angle significantly influenced size estimation. Signup and view all the answers

What is the moon illusion and what are the theories behind it?

The moon illusion occurs because we misinterpret the size of the moon based on its visual angle relative to other objects. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Distal and Proximal Stimuli

Distal stimulus refers to the actual object in the environment.
Proximal stimulus is the inverted image formed on the retina.
The percept image is the final processed visual representation created by the brain.

Neuron Structure

Nucleus: contains DNA and genetic information.
Dendrites: receive signals from other neurons at synapses.
Soma: cell body housing the nucleus and other organelles.
Axon: a single fiber that transmits information from the soma to synaptic terminals.
Axon Hillock: junction where input signals are integrated.
Terminal buttons: release neurotransmitters to communicate with other neurons.

Components of the Eye

Pupil: opening allowing light to enter.
Lens: focuses light onto the retina.
Cornea: primary structure for focusing light.
Optic nerve: transmits visual information from the retina to the brain.
Fovea: area of the retina with the highest density of cones and visual acuity.
Iris: regulates the size of the pupil based on light levels.
Retina: layers at the back of the eye that initiate visual signal processing.

Electromagnetic Spectrum

The spectrum ranges from gamma rays to radio waves.
Human sensitivity is greatest to red, green, and blue light due to cone receptor tuning within a narrow spectrum range.

Blind Spot

The blind spot occurs where the optic nerve exits the retina, lacking photoreceptors.
The brain compensates for this gap by filling in surrounding details.

Rods vs. Cones

Rods are responsible for low-light (scotopic) vision.
Cones function in bright light (photopic) vision and color perception, differing structurally (triangular vs rectangular).

Rods and Cones Distribution

Distribution across the retina varies, with cones concentrated in the fovea and rods located predominantly in peripheral regions.

Change at the Receptor Level

Perception requires change; without it, visual stimuli are undetectable.
Microtremors contribute to this necessary sensory change.

Stabilized Retinal Image (SRI)

SRI refers to images that remain stationary on the retina, leading to diminished perception.
Various conditions, like paralysis or constant light, can create such images.

Adaptation to Unchanging Stimuli

Sensory adaptation occurs when constant stimulation leads to decreased sensitivity over time (e.g., becoming "nose blind").

Temporal and Spatial Edges

Temporal edges refer to changes in stimuli over time (e.g., gradual volume increase).
Spatial edges involve abrupt shifts in stimuli (e.g., entering a dark room).

Hubel and Wiesel's Feature Detection Theory

Proposes specific neurons respond to distinct visual stimuli.
Criticized as unrealistic due to the infinite variety of potential stimuli and corresponding neuron limitations.

Split Brain Studies

Involve severing the corpus callosum, affecting communication between brain hemispheres.
Demonstrated differing functions, revealing that language control resides in the left hemisphere.

Visual Pathways

Visual information travels from the retina through the optic nerve to various brain regions, including the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and visual cortex.

Lateral Geniculate Nucleus (LGN)

Has ipsilateral layers receiving signals from the same side eye (layers 2, 3, 5).
Contralateral layers receive input from the opposite eye (layers 1, 4, 6).
Contains parvocellular layers for color and texture processing and magnocellular layers for motion detection.

Gauthier et al. "Greebles Study"

Investigated the fusiform face area (FFA) response to faces versus novel objects (greebles).
Findings suggest FFA activation is experience-dependent, enhancing response to familiar stimuli.

Gestalt Principles of Organization

Closure: tendency to perceive incomplete shapes as whole.
Proximity: objects close together are perceived as related.
Figure and Ground: distinguishing foreground objects from the background.
Order and Symmetry: symmetrical elements are grouped and seen as unified.

Figure-Ground Segregation

Visual process categorizing elements into figure or background (e.g., dual images like faces vs. vase).
Influences memory recall based on perceptual focus.

Shape from Shading

Refers to visual interpretation of an object's form based on light and shadow.
The visual system relies on shading to discern object characteristics.

Size Constancy

Size perception remains stable regardless of changes in the retinal image size.
Recognizes that objects perceived similarly based on distance and context retain their actual size.

Depth Cues

Oculomotor cues: rely on eye movement and lens shape adjustment (convergence and accommodation).
Monocular cues: depth perception from one eye, using pictorial cues (e.g., occlusion).
Movement-produced cues: changes in position give depth information (motion parallax).
Binocular cues: use the disparity between images from both eyes to determine distance.

Size and Distance Relationship

Objects appear smaller as they increase in distance, while closer objects appear larger.

Holway and Boring Study (1941)

Examined how visual angle affects size perception using varying distance and comparison circles.
Findings showed size estimation relies heavily on depth cues and visual angle rather than physical size.

Moon Illusion

The phenomenon occurs due to perceived distance affecting the perceived size of the moon in relation to the horizon.
Boring's explanation linked visual angle discrepancies to perceived size differences.

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Test your understanding of key concepts in the Psychology of Perception with these flashcards. Explore definitions related to distal and proximal stimuli, as well as the structure of neurons. Perfect for study sessions or quick revision.