Chapter 7 Flashcards
Affordance
The information specified by a stimulus pattern that indicates how the stimulus can be used. An example of an affordance would be seeing a chair as something to sit on or a flight of stairs as something to climb.
Audiovisual mirror neuron
Neuron that responds to actions that produce sounds. These neurons respond when a monkey performs a hand action and when it hears the sound associated with this action. See also mirror neuron.
Ecological approach to perception
This approach focuses on specifying the information in the environment that is used for perception, emphasizing the study of moving observers to determine how their movement results in perceptual information that both creates perception and guides further movement.
Focus of expansion (FOE)
The point in the flow pattern caused by observer movement in which there is no expansion. According to J. J. Gibson, the focus of expansion always remains centered on the observer’s destination.
Gradient of flow
In an optic flow pattern, a gradient is created by movement of an observer through the environment. The “gradient” refers to the fact that the optic flow is rapid in the foreground and becomes slower as distance from the observer increases.
Invariant information
Environmental properties that do not change as the observer moves relative to an object or scene. For example, the spacing, or texture, of the elements in a texture gradient does not change as the observer moves on the gradient. The texture of the gradient therefore supplies invariant information for depth perception.
Landmarks
Objects on a route that serve as cues to indicate where to turn; a source of information for wayfinding.
Mirror neuron
Neuron in the premotor area of the monkey’s cortex that responds when the monkey grasps an object and also when the monkey observes someone else (another monkey or the experimenter) grasping the object. There is also evidence for mirror neuron-like activity in the human brain. See also audiovisual mirror neuron.
Optic ataxia
A condition in which individuals with parietal lobe damage have trouble pointing to visual stimuli.
Optic flow
The flow of stimuli in the environment that occurs when an observer moves relative to the environment. Forward movement causes an expanding optic flow, whereas backward movement causes a contracting optic flow. Some researchers use the term optic flow field to refer to this flow.
Parietal reach region (PRR)
A network of areas in the parietal cortex that contains neurons that are involved in reaching behavior.
Self-produced information
Generally, environmental information that is produced by actions of the observer. An example is optic flow, which occurs as a result of a person’s movement and which, in turn, provides information that can be used to guide that movement.
Visual direction strategy
A strategy used by moving observers to reach a destination by keeping their body oriented toward the target.
Visuomotor grip cell
A neuron that initially responds when a specific object is seen, and then also responds as a hand grasps the same object.
Wayfinding
The process of navigating through the environment. Wayfinding involves perceiving objects in the environment, remembering objects and their relation to the overall scene, and knowing when to turn and in what direction.
