chapter 5 (beginning)

Question 1

inverse projection problem

Answer 1

the idea that a particular image on the retina could have been caused by an infinite number of different objects - this means that the retinal image does not unambiguously specify a stimulus

one of the reasons why it is difficult to design a perceiving machine

Question 2

why is it difficult to design a perceiving machine

Answer 2

• inverse projection problem
• objects can be hidden or blurred
• objects look different from different viewpoints

Question 3

viewpoint invariance

Answer 3

the ability to recognize an object seen from different viewpoints

Question 4

perceptual organization

Answer 4

the process by which small elements in our visual field become perceptually grouped and segregated to create a scene/perception

Question 5

what are the two components of perceptual organization

Answer 5

grouping and segregation

Question 6

grouping

Answer 6

the process by which elements in a visual scene are “put together” into coherent units or objects

Question 7

segregation

Answer 7

the process of separating one area or object from another

Question 8

structuralism

Answer 8

a precursor to gestalt psychology - prompted a reaction

idea that perceptions come from the summation of many elementary sensations - gestalt psychologists rejected this

Question 9

apparent movement

Answer 9

an illusion of movement that occurs when two objects separated in space are presented rapidly, one after another, separated by a brief time interval

provides support for gestalt psychology:
- because apparent movement cannot be created just by sensations along - there is nothing between the objects/images
- so the perceptual system must create the perception of movement where there actually is none

Question 10

illusory contours

Answer 10

contour that is perceived even though it is not present in the physical stimulus - think: pac man triangle

Question 11

principles of perceptual organization

Answer 11

principles that describe how elements of a scene become grouped together - started by gestalt psychologists, but carried on by recent researchers

Question 12

principle of good continuation

Answer 12

we perceive overlapping or partially covered lines as following smooth paths

Question 13

principle of pragnanz

Answer 13

also good figure or simplicity
- every stimulus pattern is seen in such a way that the resulting structure is as simple as possible

Question 14

similarity

Answer 14

similar things appear to be grouped together - auditory stimuli as well as visual

Question 15

principle of proximity

Answer 15

things that are near each other appear to be grouped together

Question 16

principle of common fate

Answer 16

things that are moving in the same direction appear to be grouped together

Question 17

principle of common fate

Answer 17

things that are moving in the same direction appear to be grouped together

Question 18

principle of common region

Answer 18

elements that are within the same region of space appear to be grouped together

Question 19

principle of uniform connectedness

Answer 19

a connected region of the same visual properties such as lightness, color, texture, or motion, is perceived as a single unit

Question 20

figure ground segregation

Answer 20

when we see a separate object, it is usually seen as a figure that stands out from its background, which is called the ground

the figure tends to be more “thinglike” than the ground and is usually seen as being in front of the ground

nears the borders it shares with the figure the ground is comparitvely unformed

Question 21

reversible figure ground

Answer 21

a pattern that perceptually reverses so that the figure and the ground are interchangeable

Question 22

border ownership

Answer 22

a property of figure ground segregation where the border separating the figure from the ground appears to belong to the figure

Question 23

figural cues - 2 examples

Answer 23

visual cues that determine how an image is segregated into figure and ground

ex.
1. areas lower in the field of view are more likely to be perceived as figure

2. figures are more likely to be perceived on the convex side of borders (borders that bulge outwards)

Question 24

gestalt psychologists and experience

Answer 24

built in principles tend to overried past experience in perception
- W M example
- look like a W and M when they overlap, but weird shape when they are stacked

Question 25

meaninfulness

Answer 25

critique of gestalt psychologists’ views on experience

figure ground with sillouette of a woman - shows that formation can be affected by the meaningfulness of a stimulus

Question 26

recognition by components theory

Answer 26

theory that states that objects are comprised of individual geometric components called geons, and that we recognize objects based on the arrangement of those geons

Question 27

how many geons does RBC theory identify

Answer 27

36

Question 28

how does RBC theory account for viewpoint invariance?

Answer 28

geons can be recognized from any viewpoint

Question 29

what doesn’t RBC theory account for?

Answer 29

• grouping or organization
• objects that typically don’t have geometric components
  -distinguishing between objects within a given category

Question 30

scene

Answer 30

a view a real world environment that contains background elements and multiple objects that a are organized in a meaningful way relative to each other and the background

Question 31

gist of a scene

Answer 31

general description of a scene- people can identify most scenes after viewing them for only a fraction of a second

mary potter: asked observers to identify a target picture within 16 rapidly presented pictures - could do this with almost 100% accuracy even when the pictures were only presented for a 1/4 of a second - nearly as accurate when the target picture was only specified by a written description

Question 32

scenes vs objects

Answer 32

scenes: extended in space and are acted within

objects: compact and acted upon