Perception and Visual Processing

This set of flashcards covers key terms and concepts about vision, sensory processing, and perception from the course material.

Visible Light

Electromagnetic energy that can be perceived by the human eye.

Wavelength

The distance from one wave peak to the next; determines hue, or perceived color.

Amplitude

The height of a light wave that determines the intensity or brightness of the light.

Cornea

The transparent front part of the eye that bends light to help focus it.

Pupil

An adjustable opening in the eye that controls the amount of light that enters.

Iris

The colored muscle surrounding the pupil that dilates or constricts in response to light intensity.

Accommodation

The process by which the lens changes its curvature and thickness to focus light rays.

Myopia

Nearsightedness; a condition where close objects appear clearly, but distant objects do not.

Rods

Photoreceptors in the retina sensitive to dim light and responsible for black-and-white vision.

Cones

Photoreceptors in the retina that function in bright light and enable color vision.

Optic Nerve

The nerve that transmits information from the retina to the brain.

Color Deficiency

A condition, often inherited, where individuals have difficulty distinguishing certain colors.

Opponent Process Theory

A theory stating that color perception depends on opposing retinal processes: red-green, blue-yellow.

Feature Detectors

Neurons in the visual cortex that respond to specific features of visual stimuli, such as edges and angles.

Parallel Processing

The simultaneous processing of multiple aspects of a visual scene, such as color, motion, and shape.

Gestalt Psychology

A school of thought that emphasizes that the whole perception is greater than the sum of its parts.

Depth Perception

The ability to perceive the distance of objects and the three-dimensionality of the visual world.

Binocular Cues

Depth cues that require the use of both eyes, such as retinal disparity and convergence.

Monocular Cues

Depth cues that can be perceived with one eye, like relative size and interposition.

Perceptual Constancy

The ability to perceive objects as unchanging despite changes in sensory input.