chp 3

Perception

Experiences resulting from stimulation of the senses, creating our understanding of the environment.

Perceptual Rule

A guideline based on past experiences that aids in interpreting sensory information, like objects continuing behind overlapping ones.

Inverse Projection Problem

The challenge of determining the object in the environment that caused a specific image on the retina.

Hidden Objects

Objects that are partially obscured from view, requiring individuals to use their knowledge of the environment to infer their presence.

Viewpoint Variability

The issue of objects appearing differently when viewed from various angles, challenging the consistency of object recognition.

Viewpoint Invariance

Computer-vision systems require complex calculations to match points on an object in different views to achieve viewpoint invariance.

Scene Complexity

Moving from objects to scenes adds complexity as scenes contain multiple objects that may require reasoning to interpret the information they provide.

Bottom-Up Processing

Sequence of events from eye to brain where environmental energy stimulates receptors, transmitting electrical signals through the retina to the visual receiving area.

Top-Down Processing

Involves factors like knowledge of the environment and expectations, originating in the brain to influence perception beyond bottom-up processing.

Speech Segmentation

Ability to distinguish individual words in continuous speech signals, influenced by knowledge of language and transitional probabilities between sounds.

Statistical Learning

Process of learning transitional probabilities and other language characteristics, aiding in speech segmentation and word recognition.

Helmholtz's Theory of Unconscious Inference

Proposes that perceptions are the result of unconscious assumptions about the environment, using the likelihood principle to determine the most probable object causing a pattern of stimuli.

Gestalt Principles of Organization

Approach to perception by Gestalt psychologists focusing on how we perceive objects as organized wholes, contrasting with Wundt's structuralism based on combining basic sensations.

Gestalt Psychology

A psychological approach that emphasizes the idea that perceptions cannot be explained by simply adding up small sensations.

Apparent Movement

The perception of movement when nothing is actually moving, as seen in stroboscope illusions.

Principle of Good Continuation

Points forming straight or smoothly curving lines are seen as belonging together, and objects overlapped by others are perceived as continuing behind the overlapping object.

Pragnanz

The principle of perceiving stimuli patterns in the simplest way possible, also known as the principle of good figure or simplicity.

Similarity

The principle that similar things are perceived as grouped together, based on characteristics like color, size, shape, or orientation.

Physical Regularities

Regularly occurring physical properties in the environment that influence perception, such as vertical and horizontal orientations being more common than oblique orientations.

Semantic Regularities

Characteristics associated with the functions carried out in different types of scenes, influencing how scenes are perceived based on their meaning.

Scene Schema

Knowledge of what a given scene typically contains, contributing to the perception of objects and scenes based on expectations created by this knowledge.

Bayesian Inference

An approach to object perception that combines prior beliefs with available evidence to estimate the probability of an outcome, named after Thomas Bayes.

Inverse Projection Problem

The challenge of determining the objects in the environment that are causing a specific image on the retina due to the vast number of possible objects associated with that image.

Prior Probabilities

Pre-existing beliefs or assumptions based on past experiences that influence perception and help reduce the range of possible interpretations of a retinal image.

Bayesian Inference

A method that uses probabilities to determine what is most likely present in the environment based on combining prior beliefs with current sensory evidence.

Experience-Dependent Plasticity

The process through which neural responses are shaped by individual experiences, leading to changes in the nervous system based on exposure to specific stimuli.

Movement Coordination

Movement is crucial not only for perceiving objects but also for the continuous coordination between perceiving stimuli and taking action towards them.

What and Where Pathways

The brain consists of two processing streams - the "what" pathway involved in perceiving objects and the "where" pathway involved in locating and taking action towards objects.

Brain Ablation

A method to study brain function by removing specific brain areas in animals to understand their impact on perception and action.

Perception Pathway

The pathway from the visual cortex to the temporal lobe responsible for identifying objects, also known as the "what" pathway.

Action Pathway

The pathway from the visual cortex to the parietal lobe responsible for determining object location and guiding actions, also known as the "where" or "how" pathway.

Mirror Neurons

Neurons that fire both when an individual performs an action and when they observe someone else performing the same action, indicating a neural basis for understanding and imitating actions.

Mirror Neurons

Neurons in the human brain that are suggested to be involved in understanding the goal or intention behind an action, forming a network known as the mirror neuron system.

Intention Inference

The ability of mirror neurons to respond differently based on the perceived intentions behind observed actions, as demonstrated by brain activity studies during film clips showing different contexts of a hand picking up a cup.

Prediction Machines

The concept that brains are essentially prediction machines, constantly making predictions about the environment based on knowledge and inference, influencing both perception and action.

Top-Down Processing

A cognitive process where knowledge and expectations guide perception, allowing for the interpretation of sensory information based on prior experiences and context.