PSYC 358 Units 3 & 4

perception

experiences resulting from the stimulation of the senses

inverse projection problem

The task of determining the object responsible for a particular image on the retina

viewpoint invariance

People’s ability to recognize an object even when it is seen from different viewpoints

bottom up processing

starting at the “bottom” or beginning of the system (eye)

top down processing

processing that originates in the brain, at the “top” of the perceptual system. (prior knowledge)

speech segmentation

The ability to tell when one word in a conversation ends and the next one begins

transitional probabilities

the likelihood that one sound will follow another within a word

statistical learning

the process of learning about transitional probabilities and about other characteristics of language

likelihood principle

we perceive the object that is most likely to have caused the pattern of stimuli we have received.

unconscious inference

our perceptions are the result of unconscious assumptions, or inferences, that we make about the environment

gestalt psychologists

proposed the approach to perception, rejecting that they were formed by adding up sensations - whole is different than the sum of its parts

principles of perceptual organization

The way we perceive and organize visual information is guided by certain principles. These principles help us make sense of what we see. They include proximity (objects close together are seen as a group), similarity (objects with similar features are grouped), closure (we mentally complete incomplete shapes), continuity (we perceive smooth, continuous lines), and figure-ground (we distinguish objects from their background).

principle of good continuation

when points are connected, they result in straight or smoothly curving lines that are seen as belonging together

the law of pragnanz, principle of good figure, principle of simplicity

Every stimulus pattern is seen in such a way that the resulting structure is as simple as possible

principle of similarity

similar things tend to appear to be grouped together

regularities in the environment

frequently occuring characteristic in nature

physical regularities

regularly occurring physical properties of the environment, like horizontals and verticals

oblique effect

people can percieve horizontals and verticals easier

light from above assumption

we assume light comes from above lol

semantic regularities

characteristics associated with the functions carried out in different types of scenes

scene schema

knowledge of what a given scene typically contains

bayesian inference

thomas bayes proposed that our estimate of the probability of an outcome is determined by two factors: (1) the prior probability, or simply the prior, which is our initial belief about the probability of an outcome, and (2) the extent to which the available evidence is consistent with the outcome. This second factor is called the likelihood of the outcome

theory of natural selection

characteristics that enhance an animal’s ability to survive, and therefore reproduce, will be passed on to future generations

greebles

an experiment done to test if the FFA can be trained into recognizing complex face shapes

brain abalation

removing part of the brain (usually for research)

object discrimination problem

Object discrimination problem refers to a task or challenge where the goal is to distinguish or differentiate between different objects or stimuli based on specific criteria or features.

landmark discrimination problem

The landmark discrimination problem refers to the challenge of accurately distinguishing between different landmarks or points of interest

what pathway, ventral pathway

the pathway leading from the striate cortex to the temporal lobe

where pathway, dorsal pathway

striate to parietal lobe path

perception pathway

the pathway from the visual cortex to the temporal lobe

action pathway

visual cortex to the parietal lobe

mirror neurons

similar response from performing the actions as compared to watching the action, suggested they help in finding the goal or intention behind an action

size-weight illusion

we think bigger objects are heavier

prior probability

prior probability

It represents the subjective belief or knowledge about the likelihood of an event occurring based on prior information or experience.

attention

the ability to focus on specific stimuli or locations

selective attention

attending to one thing while ignoring others

distraction

one stimulus interfering with the processing of another stimulus

divided attention

paying attention to more than one thing at a time

attentional capture

a rapid shifting of attention usually caused by a stimulus such as a loud noise, bright light, or sudden movement

visual scanning

movement of eyes from one location to another

dichotic listening

presenting different stimuli to the left and right ears

shadowing

repeating the words as heard in filter model

cocktail party effect

The ability to focus on one stimulus while filtering out other stimuli

early selection model

filter eliminates the unattended information right at the beginning of the flow of information

attenuator

analyzes the incoming message in terms of (1) its physical characteristics— whether it is high-pitched or low-pitched, fast or slow; (2) its language—how the message groups into syllables or words; and (3) its meaning—how sequences of words create meaningful phrases

attenuation model of attention

meaning can be used to seperate messages (same message switching ears)

dictionary unit

contains words, stored in memory, each of which has a threshold for being activated

late selection models of attention

proposed that most of the incoming information is processed to the level of meaning before the message to be further processed is selected

processing capacity

the amount of information people can handle and sets a limit on their ability to process incoming information

perceptual load

related to the difficulty of a task.

low-load tasks

low perceptual load

high load task

use more processing capacity

load theory of attention

suggests that the amount of cognitive load (mental effort) required for a task affects attention and performance. High cognitive load can lead to decreased attention, while low cognitive load can enhance attention.

stroop effect

In the Stroop effect, the task-irrelevant stimuli are extremely powerful, because reading words is highly practiced and has become so automatic that it is difficult not to read them

fixation

pausing on a specific detail

saccadic eye movement

a jerky, rapid movement of the eye from one fixation to the next

overt attention

Shifting attention from one place to another by moving the eyes

stimulus salience

the physical properties of the stimulus, such as color, contrast, or movemen

saliency map

noting the differences in physical properties

scene schemas

an observer’s knowledge about what is contained in typical scenes

covert attention

Shifting attention while keeping the eyes still

precueing

Technique used to prepare the brain for a specific task by providing a cue or signal beforehand. Helps to enhance performance and improve reaction time.

same - object advantage

The faster responding that occurs when enhancement spreads within an object

attentional warping

the map of categories on the brain changes so more space is allotted to categories that are being searched for

automatic processing

a type of processing that occurs (1) without intention (it happens automatically without the person intending to do it) and (2) at a cost of only some of a person’s cognitive resources.

experience samipling

method of determining ongoing daily behaviors

mind wandering

thoughts coming from within, daydreaming

inattentional blindness

occurs when people are unaware of clearly visible stimuli if they aren’t directing their attention to them

visual search

involves scanning a scene to find a specific object. They presented either an easy visual search task

inattentional deafness

focusing on a difficult visual task results in impaired hearing,

change detection

one picture is presented followed by another picture, and the task is to determine what the difference is between them.

change blindness

difficulty in detecting changes in scenes

binding

the process by which features such as color, form, motion, and location are combined to create our perception of a coherent object.

the binding problem

the question of how an object’s individual features become bound together

feature integration theory (FIT

feauture integration theory

)

Feature Integration Theory (FIT) is a cognitive theory proposed by Anne Treisman in 1980. It explains how we perceive and integrate different features of an object to form a coherent perception. According to FIT, when we perceive an object, its features (such as color, shape, and orientation) are initially processed independently in different areas of the brain. These features are then bound together through attention and conscious awareness to create a unified perception of the object. FIT has been influential in understanding visual perception and has been supported by various experimental studies.

preattentive stage

the preattentive stage occurs before we focus attention on an object

focused attention stage

attention is focused on an object and the independent features are combined, causing the observer to become consciously aware

illusory conjunction

For example, a small blue circle and a large green square might be seen as a large blue square and a small green circle when flashed quickly

balint syndrome

inability to focus attention on individual objects.

conjunction search

finding the target in a conjunction

ventral attention network

controls attention based on salience

dorsal attention network

control attention based on top down processes

effective connectivity

how easily activity can travel along a particular pathway

executive attention network

responsible for executive functions

executive functions

e a range of processes that involve controlling attention and dealing with conflicting responses.

cognitive control, inhibitory control, willpower

facing tempting situations