Deck 3: Visual Perception

Question 1

________ are located primarily in the fovea, while ________ are located primarily in the periphery.

A) Cones; rods
B) Rods; cones
C) Short-wave cones; long-wave cones
D) Long-wave cones; short-wave cones

Answer 1

A

Question 2

A researcher has identified the receptive field for a neuron and has determined that the receptive field has a center-surround organization. If the researcher were to shine light into the entire receptive field, including both the center and the surrounding areas, we would expect the neuron to

A) continue firing at its resting rate.
B) increase its firing rate.
C) decrease its firing rate.
D) cease firing.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Ganglion cells A, B, and C are next to each other in the retina and inhibit each other laterally. If light is hitting the entire receptive fields of A and B, but only partially hitting the receptive field of C, what will happen?

A) A will be the most active cell.
B) B will be the most active cell.
C) C will be the most active cell.
D) All cells will be equally active.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) acts as

A) a way station between the eye and the occipital cortex, located in the thalamus.
B) an important area in the amygdala, associated with long-term memory.
C) a relay station to the amygdala.
D) the location in the temporal cortex where auditory information is stored.

Question 5

Lateral inhibition leads to which perceptual experience?

A) The middle of an object is emphasized.
B) The edge of an object is enhanced.
C) Edges of objects tend to fade into the background.
D) Colors appear brighter next to a textured background.

Question 6

Which of the following statements about the visual stimulus, light, is FALSE?

A) Light is characterized in wavelengths that vary in frequency and amplitude.
B) Color (hue) is represented by the amplitude of the wavelength.
C) Our visual system is only able to detect a small proportion of all of the electromagnetic spectrum.
D) Red light is associated with longer waves, relative to blue light.

Question 7

A researcher wishes to determine exactly when a particular neuron is firing. A technique well suited to this purpose is

A) neuropsychological testing.
B) lesion studies.
C) stereotaxis.
D) single-cell recording.

Question 8

Which of the following statements about the retina is FALSE?

A) The photoreceptors communicate directly with the ganglion cells.
B) The axons of ganglion cells form the optic nerve.
C) You have a "blindspot" in the retina where there are no rods or cones.
D) Bipolar cells communicate with both photoreceptors and ganglion cells.

Question 9

Cells A and B receive the same high levels of stimulation, but Cell A shows a lower level of activity relative to Cell B. A likely explanation for this fact is that Cell A

A) is defective.
B) is receiving input from the edge of a surface, while Cell B is receiving input from a portion of the surface away from the edge.
C) is being laterally inhibited by other nearby cells.
D) has a higher resting level than Cell B.

Question 10

Single-cell recordings measure the ________ of individual neurons.

A) shape
B) pattern of firing
C) release of neurotransmitters
D) synaptic connections

Question 11

The importance of vision for humans is reflected in the

A) close proximity of the eyes to the visual cortex.
B) inability of brain damage to disrupt the visual system.
C) lack of a "blind spot" in humans.
D) relative size of the visual cortex.

Question 12

Through single-cell recordings, researchers have identified the ________ neurons in the visual system.

A) receptive fields of
B) connections between
C) shape of
D) problems with some

Question 13

Which of the following would NOT be considered part of the fovea?

A) a cluster of cones in the center of the retina
B) the area of the retina found far out in the periphery
C) the region of the retina with the greatest acuity
D) the area of the retina on which we place a target image in order to see the target clearly

Question 14

Which of the following statements does NOT illustrate the difference between rods and cones?

A) Rods are sensitive to lower levels of light.
B) Only cones are able to discriminate color (hue).
C) There are three types of rods (for three different wavelengths of light) and only one type of cone.
D) Cones have greater acuity.

Question 15

If visual information conflicts with other information, we usually

A) trust the visual input.
B) distrust the visual input, as our eyes can play tricks on us.
C) trust input from other senses, like auditory input.
D) become confused and give up.

Question 16

A researcher wishes to define the receptive field for a particular neuron in the visual cortex. To do this, the researcher will need to specify

A) the portion of the neuron that receives input from neighboring neurons.
B) an area within the visual field wherein the cell will fire if the target appears.
C) where the neuron is located within the visual cortex.
D) the brain area from which the neuron is receiving its input.

Question 17

Because of its center-surround organization, a neuron that has its entire receptive field exposed to bright light will

A) fire rapidly.
B) stop firing entirely.
C) maintain the same rate of firing as if there was no light presented.
D) fire slowly until the light turns off, then begin firing rapidly.

Question 18

The ________ is the part of the eye involved in transducing light energy into neural energy.

A) lens
B) cornea
C) pupil
D) retina

Question 19

Cells detecting the boundary of a surface are subject to less lateral inhibition than cells detecting the center of the same surface. This leads to an effect called

A) lateral enhancement.
B) edge enhancement.
C) the boundary rule.
D) the all-or-none law.

Question 20

Patients who have suffered damage to the occipital-parietal pathway (the "where" system) will have difficulties with which of the following tasks?

A) visually identifying a toothbrush on the counter in front of them
B) describing the function of the toothbrush without touching it
C) reaching in the correct direction to retrieve the toothbrush
D) knowing how to use the toothbrush once they have retrieved it

Question 21

The specialization evident in visual processing shows that

A) the visual system relies on parallel processing.
B) all of the various aspects of visual processing occur within the occipital cortex.
C) the visual system relies exclusively on serial processing.
D) all visual processing occurs in the right hemisphere.

Question 22

Which of the following sentences best illustrates the effect that Gestalt principles have on perception?

A) "Go beyond the information given."
B) "Seeing is believing."
C) "Think outside the box."
D) "Believing is seeing."

Question 23

________ cells in the LGN are specialized for spatial analysis and form detection, whereas ________ cells are specialized for the detection of motion and depth.

A) Magnocellular; parvocellular
B) M-cells; magnocellular
C) Parvocellular; p-cells
D) Parvocellular; magnocellular

Question 24

In order to summarize the Gestalt psychologists' movement in a few words, one might say

A) "If you can't see it happen, it isn't worth studying."
B) "The perceptual whole is different than the sum of its parts."
C) "All that is important happens in the subconscious."
D) "What you see is what you get."

Question 25

Brad is able to read a clock, but is unable to see the arms of a clock move from position to position. He is suffering from

A) akinetopsia.
B) change blindness.
C) visual neglect.
D) prosopagnosia.

Question 26

Which of the following characteristics is NOT used to diagnose visual stimuli by neurons in the visual system?

A) the rate of firing of the neuron
B) the rhythm of the firing of the neuron
C) the chemicals released by the neuron
D) the shape of the neuron

Question 27

The primary visual cortex is located

A) immediately behind one's eyeballs.
B) in the middle of the brain, near the thalamus.
C) at the part of the cortex that is farthest from the eyes.
D) in the parietal lobe.

Question 28

Which of the following does NOT provide an example for parallel processing in the visual system?

A) Rods and cones function simultaneously in the retina.
B) There are magnocellular and parvocellular cells in the LGN.
C) You have two eyes that process different information, but work at the same time.
D) The "what" and "where" streams in the visual association cortex work together.

Question 29

The face/vase example illustrates what important principle of perceptual organization?

A) If the figure and the background are ambiguous, the image can be interpreted in multiple ways.
B) The mind interprets depth, even when none is depicted in the image.
C) Faces are easier to see than vases, because of the social aspect of human behavior.
D) The perceiver does not contribute information to an ambiguous image.

Question 30

Human brains have a distinct division-of-labor strategy. Each task is achieved as a result of multiple brain areas working together. But the work of the various parts of the brain must be compiled into a finished whole. The issue of how this reassembly works is referred to as the

A) binding problem.
B) Humpty Dumpty dilemma.
C) reassembly law.
D) ultimate puzzle.

Question 31

Julie has sustained damage to the "what" system in her brain. She will likely have difficulty with which of the following tasks?

A) remembering where she put her keys
B) identifying a chair
C) providing directions to the store
D) hitting a baseball with a bat

Question 32

Someone with akinetopsia would have difficulty with all of the following EXCEPT

A) crossing the street.
B) pouring a drink.
C) playing Pac-Man.
D) recognizing faces.

Question 33

Which of the following statements most accurately represents the order of events involved in interpreting a visual stimulus?

A) First you perceive the components of the stimulus, then you interpret the stimulus.
B) First you interpret the stimulus, then you perceive the components.
C) You perceive the components and interpret the stimulus in a parallel fashion.
D) There is not sufficient data to know how this process occurs.

Question 34

Visual agnosia is associated with damage to which of the following?

A) area V1
B) the "where" system, which carries information from the occipital cortex to the parietal cortex
C) the "what" system, which carries information from the occipital cortex to the temporal cortex
D) area MT

Question 35

Which of the following would NOT be considered an advantage of parallel processing in the visual system?

A) It is fast.
B) Information is processed only once, making it efficient.
C) Multiple areas can process the information simultaneously.
D) Disparate systems can work together to negotiate an accurate interpretation.

Question 36

To perceive the visual world, we have to reunite various elements of a scene together so that these elements are perceived in an integrated fashion. Which of the following is NOT likely to be involved in this task?

A) attention
B) memory
C) spatial position
D) different groups of neurons firing in synchrony

Question 37

Some people have sustained brain damage and lost the ability to identify color. Other people sustained damage to a different area of the brain and lost the ability to detect motion. What does this indicate about our visual system?

A) Identifying color is more important than identifying motion.
B) Neither color nor motion detection is critical to survival, if it can be erased through brain damage.
C) We have specialized areas for processing different kinds of visual information.
D) The brain is unable to simultaneously process information in multiple ways.

Question 38

The Necker cube is an example of an ambiguous figure. Which of the following statements regarding the cube is FALSE?

A) The information given in the drawing does not cause perception of the cube in one orientation over the other.
B) The lines on the page are neutral in regard to the shape's configuration in depth.
C) The lines on the page contradict one another and so a cube can never be perceived.
D) There is more than one perceptual interpretation of the cube's orientation.

Question 39

Parvo cells are similar to magno cells in what way?

A) size of the cell
B) size of the receptive field
C) pattern of firing
D) location in the visual system

Question 40

You are at the zoo watching a tiger sleep. It suddenly awakes and lurches in your direction. Spatial position would NOT provide information about the tiger's

A) form.
B) color.
C) motion patterns.
D) dangerous nature.

Question 41

Visual illusions often occur because

A) one's perception of the components of the stimulus are flawed.
B) one's interpretation of the stimulus is incorrect.
C) one's cognitive processes change when seeing an illusion.
D) of obstructions in the image.

Question 42

One way that we can perceive depth is through our awareness of the adjustment our lens is making. This cue would be

A) a monocular depth cue.
B) a binocular depth cue.
C) interposition.
D) constancy.

Question 43

Which of the following statements most accurately describes visual illusions?

A) The cognitive architecture that helps us in most cases causes illusions in other cases.
B) Illusions are mostly beneficial to perception.
C) Illusions will not occur if you know how to avoid them.
D) Illusions can occur for shape and size, but not for color or brightness.

Question 44

It seems inefficient to need to rely on so many different cues for depth perception. Why, then, do we have so many disparate cues?

A) We use different cues in different situations.
B) We are born with the ability to use some cues, but others have to be learned.
C) Although we have many cues, they are all served by the same neural area, which is efficient.
D) Some of the cues are always more accurate than other cues.

Question 45

If a cat casts a 5 millimeter image on your retina when it is 10 feet away from you, that same cat will cast an image that is ________ millimeters when it is 20 feet away from you.

A) 5
B) 10
C) 2.5
D) 20

Question 46

Jenna sees a picture of a black lab standing in front of its owner. The dog is blocking part of the owner's leg, so that some of the leg is unavailable to Jenna. How is Jenna likely to perceive this image?

A) She will think the leg continues behind the body of the dog.
B) She will think the leg behind the dog's body is missing.
C) She will assume that the dog is assisting a man with only one leg.
D) She will not make any assumptions about the image and rely only on the actual stimuli in the picture.

Question 47

Which of the Gestalt principles states that we tend to perceive objects in groups?

A) similarity
B) proximity
C) simplicity
D) closure

Question 48

Shadowing can provide a cue for depth. For example, if a shadow appears on the bottom of a circle, the object appears convex. However, if the shadow appears on the top of the object, it appears concave. This happens because

A) we have a part of the visual cortex that is dedicated to the interpretation of shadows that are at the bottom of an object.
B) in the real world, light comes from above more often than from below.
C) we were taught in school how to interpret shadows.
D) we are born with the ability to discriminate depth through use of shadows.

Question 49

Molly went to the mall and parked her red car under a tree. When she returned to her car a few hours later, only half of the car was still in the shade. How will Molly perceive this situation?

A) Molly will perceive the car as two different shades, one dark red (in shade) and one brighter red (in sunlight).
B) Molly will perceive the car as a single color, despite the changes in lighting.
C) Molly will perceive the shaded portion of the car as farther away, relative to the part of the car in sunlight.
D) Molly will use the background color of the asphalt to determine that the car is not actually two different colors.

Question 50

The cues to depth perception:

A) are random.
B) are based on principles of physics.
C) change based on one's age.
D) are inconsistent across individuals.

Question 51

Despite the fact that sensory stimuli can change from moment to moment, we perceive the details (color, shape, etc.) of an image to be stable because of

A) constancy.
B) memory.
C) proximity.
D) good continuation.

Question 52

Describe the method and results of Hubel and Weisel's seminal experiments on the mammalian visual system.

Question 53

A horse is blocking the front of a barn door, obstructing your view of the door. This configuration allows you to determine that the horse is closer to you than the barn door is. This is called

A) good continuation.
B) closure.
C) interposition.
D) linear perspective.

Question 54

Describe the process by which visual information is processed in the brain. Begin by discussing how light is converted into neural energy. Then describe the pathway from the eye to the primary visual cortex. Finally, explain the sophisticated processing that occurs outside of the primary visual cortex.

Question 55

Jose is walking toward Dan, who is standing still. As Dan watches Jose move toward him, a series of physical and perceptual events will occur. Which of the following is NOT one of those events?

A) The image of Jose will increase on Dan's retina.
B) Dan will consciously make the effort to calculate Jose's distance based on the size of the retinal image.
C) Dan will use the changing relationship between Jose and the background to make inferences about Jose's movement.
D) Dan will use the changing relationship between Jose and the background to make inferences about Jose's size.

Question 56

Which of the following is NOT considered a monocular cue for depth perception?

A) interposition
B) linear perspective
C) texture
D) similarity

Question 57

The moon often looks very large when it is low in the sky, but looks smaller when it is high in the sky. Which of the following could account for this phenomenon?

A) The moon changes size when it moves through the sky.
B) The moon looks larger when it is closer to you, and it is closer when it is low in the sky.
C) The moon seems smaller when it is closer to the sun, which is very large.
D) When the moon is lower in the sky, other objects like buildings or trees provide a reference point for size comparisons.

Question 58

The blockage of one's view by another object can provide information about depth perception. This is termed

A) interposition.
B) similarity.
C) good continuance.
D) binocular depth cue.

Question 59

As you move toward an object, the object gets larger on your retina. This is called

A) optic flow.
B) motion parallax.
C) similarity.
D) linear perspective.

Question 60

Krista is sitting on a bench, watching the world go by. She notices the people who are near to her move across her retina more quickly than the cars in the distance move. This effect is called

A) optic flow.
B) motion parallax.
C) linear perspective.
D) continuation.

Question 61

Differentiate between the "what" and the "where" streams by describing the function and location of each stream.

Question 62

Think of a real-world example wherein two people will interpret the same stimulus very differently. Describe the example and the factors that contribute to the different interpretations.

Question 63

Pick one of the ambiguous figures that was mentioned in the chapter. Describe the illusion and why it occurs. Make sure to differentiate between the role the stimulus plays and the role the interpreter plays in the illusion.

Question 64

Explain the phenomena of "Mach bands" by describing the role of lateral inhibition in edge detection.

Question 65

It has been argued that the visual system relies on a "divide and conquer" strategy. What does this mean? Provide one example of the organization of the visual system that provides support for your conclusion.

Question 66

Describe three different cues we can use to perceive depth. What are the advantages and disadvantages to having so many different cues for depth?

Question 67

Explain the Gestalt perspective of form perception by providing examples and descriptions of at least two Gestalt principles.

Question 68

Explain the disorder known as akinetopsia. Make sure you reference the biological changes that cause the disorder and the behavioral changes that result.