ch 5 influences on visual perception

Question 1

accommodation

Answer 1

the process by which the ciliary muscles of the eye change the curvature of the lens to focus an image on the retina

Question 2

achromotopsia

Answer 2

a lack of cone vision that causes people to see only black, white and grey

Question 3

age-related macular degeneration

Answer 3

a build-up of grainy deposits in the centre of the retina causing deterioration of central vision

Question 4

binocular depth cues

Answer 4

depth cues that use both eyes to gauge distance and space

Question 5

camouflage

Answer 5

where the gestalt principle of figure-ground is used to blend the contour of the figure (which usually stands out) against the ground (background), making it more difficult to see

Question 6

cataracts

Answer 6

cloudy spots in the lens that cause vision to become blurred when protein in the lens break down

Question 7

closure

Answer 7

when an object is perceived as being whole despite actually being incomplete

Question 8

colour vision deficiency

Answer 8

a genetically inherited disorder affecting how people perceive colour

Question 9

congenital visual disorders

Answer 9

visual disorder present at brith

Question 10

convergence

Answer 10

a binocular cue for depth perception: the automatic turning of the eyes inwards as we watch an object approaching

Question 11

depth perception

Answer 11

the ability to accurately judge three dimensional space and distance, using cues in the environment

Question 12

figure-ground organisation

Answer 12

a gestalt principle of perceptual organisation wherein images are organised into the central object of attention (figure) and a background (ground)

Question 13

floaters

Answer 13

clumps of matter that appear as small specks or spot in central vision

Question 14

Gestalt principles of visual perception

Answer 14

used to organised and interpret perceptual stimuli: including figure-ground organisation, closure, similarity and proximity

Question 15

glaucoma

Answer 15

a disease affecting the optic nerve that interferes with the transmission of peripheral visual information to the brain

Question 16

height in the visual field

Answer 16

a monocular depth cue that shows depth by portraying objects further away as being close to the horizon

Question 17

inherited visual disorders

Answer 17

visual disorders passed down from parents to children due to genetic factors

Question 18

interposition

Answer 18

is based on the partial blocking or obscuring of one object by
another.

Question 19

linear perspective

Answer 19

a monocular depth cue that parallel lines appear to converge as they retreat into the distance

Question 20

monocular depth cues

Answer 20

depth cues that use one eye independently or both eyes together to gauge distance and space

Question 21

perceptual constancies

Answer 21

the tendency to maintain a stable perception of a stimulus, although the properties of the image on the retina may change

Question 22

perceptual set

Answer 22

a predisposition to attend to certain aspects of the visual scene, or to interpret stimuli in a particular way according to certain preconceptions

Question 23

pictorial depth cues

Answer 23

a monocular depth cue used by artists to create a three-dimensional perception of something that exists on a two-dimensional surface

Question 24

presbyopia

Answer 24

a condition that develops as the lens loses elasticity and causes difficulties in focusing on objects that are close

Question 25

proximity

Answer 25

the individual parts of a stimulus pattern are close together, allowing those parts to be perceived visually as a whole

Question 26

relative size

Answer 26

perceive the object producing the largest retinal image as being the nearest, and the object producing the smallest retinal image as being the farthest

Question 27

retinal disparity

Answer 27

the binocular depth cue that arises as the brain compares and contrasts the two slightly different images obtained because of the distance between the two eyes

Question 28

retinis pigmentosa

Answer 28

a genetic degenerative disease affecting the retina

Question 29

shape constancy

Answer 29

an object is perceived to maintain its known shape despite the changing perspective from which it is observed

Question 30

similarity

Answer 30

the principle that elements that are similar in appearance will tend to be seen as a unit

Question 31

size constancy

Answer 31

the constant perception of an object’s size, even though the size of the image on the retina alters as the object moves nearer to or further from us

Question 32

texture gradient

Answer 32

texture in the foreground is seen in finer detail than the further away