Module 17

What are the characteristics of the energy that we see as visible light? What structures in the eye help focus that energy?

After entering the eye and being focused by a lens, light energy particles strike the eye's inner surface, the retina. The hue we perceive in a light depends on its wavelength and its brightness depends on its intensity.

How did the Gestalt psychologists understand perceptual organization, and how do figure-ground and grouping principles contribute to our perceptions?

Brain organize fragments of sensory data into gesalts German word for whole. To recognize an object we must first perceive it (see it as a figure) as distinct from its surroundings (the ground)

How do we use binocular and monocular cues to perceive the world in three dimensions

Depth perception is our ability to see objects in three dimensions and judge distance. Binocular cues are depth cues that rely on information from both eyes. Monocular cues information transmitted by only one eye.

How do perceptual constancies help us construct meaningful perceptions

Enable us to perceive objects as stable despite the changing image they cast on our retinas.

What do we mean in perception, the whole may exceed the sum of its parts?

Gestalt psychologists used this saying to describe our perceptual tendency to organize clusters of sensations into meaningful forms or coherent groups.

How do rods and cones process information, and what is the path information travels from the eye to the brain?

Light sensitive rods and color sensitive cones are activated at the back of the retina, which convert light energy into neural impulses. Neural impulses travel from the retina through the optic never to the thalamus, and on to the visual cortex.

What is the rapid sequence of events that occurs when you see and recognize a friend?

Light waves reflect off the person and travel into your eye, where the receptor cells in your retina convert the light waves' energy into neural impulses sent to your brain. Your brain processes the sub dimensions of this visual input-including depth, movement, form, and color. It interprets this information based on previously stored info and expectations, and forms a conscious perception of your friend.

How does the brain use parallel processing to construct visual perceptions?

The brain handles many aspects of vision (color, movement, form, and depth) simultaneously. Other neural teams integrate the result, comparing them with stored information and enabling perceptions.

what are the two key theories of color vision? are they contradictory or complementary? Explain.

The young- Helmholtz trichromatic theory shows that the retina contains color receptors for red, green, and blue. The opponent-process theory opponent-process cells in the retina and thalamus. For red-green, yellow-blue, white-black.

How do we normally perceive depth

binocular cues (based on retinal disparity) and monocular cues (include relative height, relative size, interposition, linear perspective, light and shadow, and relative motion)

In terms of perception, a bands lead singer would be considered ____ and the other musicians would be considered the ____

figure, ground

What are the feature detectors located and what do they do?

located in the visual cortex, respond to specific features of the visual stimulus, such as shape, angle or movement

cats are able to open their____much wider than we can, which allows more light into their eyes so they can see better at night

pupils

Some nocturnal animals such as toads, mice,rats, and bats, have impressive night vision thanks to having many more_______ (rods/cones) than _____ (rods/cones) in their retinas. These creatures probably have very poor _____ (color/ black-and-white)vision.

rods, cones, color