Chapter 4 (M. Wolfe)

Question 1

accidental viewpoint

Answer 1

A viewing position that produces some regularity in the visual image that is not present in the world (e.g., the sides of two independent objects lining up perfectly).

Question 2

ambiguous figure

Answer 2

A visual stimulus that gives rise to two or more interpretations of its identity or structure.

Question 3

closure

Answer 3

In reference to perception, the name of a Gestalt principle that holds that a closed contour is preferred to an open contour.

Question 4

double dissociation

Answer 4

The phenomenon in which one of two functions—such as hearing and sight, or first- and second- order motion—can be damaged without harm to the other, and vice versa.

Question 5

entry-level category

Answer 5

For an object, the label that comes to mind most quickly when we identify it (e.g., “bird”).

Question 6

extrastriate cortex

Answer 6

The region of cortex bordering the primary visual cortex and containing multiple areas involved in visual processing.

Question 7

figure-ground assignment

Answer 7

The process of determining that some regions of an image belong to a foreground object and other regions are part of the background.

Question 8

A region of extrastriate visual cortex in humans that is specifically and reliably activated by human faces.

Answer 8

fusiform face area (FFA)

Question 9

global superiority effect

Answer 9

The finding in various experiments that the properties of the whole object take precedence over the properties of parts of the object.

Question 10

good continuation

Answer 10

A Gestalt grouping rule stating that two elements will tend to group together if they seem to lie on the same contour.

Question 11

illusory contour

Answer 11

A contour that is perceived even though nothing changes from one side of it to the other in an image.

Question 12

inferotemporal (IT) cortex

Answer 12

Part of the cerebral cortex in the lower portion of the temporal lobe, important in object recognition

Question 13

nonaccidental feature

Answer 13

A feature of an object that is not dependent on the exact viewing position of the observer

Question 14

recognition-by-components model

Answer 14

Biederman’s model of object recognition, which holds that objects are recognized by the identities and relationships of their component parts.

Question 15

structural description

Answer 15

A description of an object in terms of the nature of its constituent parts and the relationships between those parts.

Question 16

surroundedness

Answer 16

A rule for figure-ground assignment stating that if one region is entirely surrounded by another, it is likely that the surrounded region is the figure.

Question 17

texture segmentation

Answer 17

Carving an image into regions of common texture properties.