chapter three

Question 1

perception

Answer 1

an interpretation of the sensory input

Question 2

template-matching theory

Answer 2

• a template of a visual is stored in memory
• the presentation of a visual stimulus is compared with templates stored in memory (ie. fonts and seeing the same letter)

Question 3

problems with the template-matching theory

Answer 3

• the way we see things is highly variable
• requires a huge number of templates, even for a single type of object

Question 4

feature-detection theory

Answer 4

• objects can be decomposed into parts (features)
• features re matched to the features of objects stored in memory
• feature overlap between the stimulus and item in memory leads to recognition (ie. knowing that something is a chair because it has 4 legs and a base to sit on)

Question 5

niesser’s study

Answer 5

• hypothesis: if recognition involves feature detection, there should be perceptual confusions (recognition should be hard of objects that share overlapping features)
• results showed slower to detect letter “Z” among items (letters) with similar features (list 2 had letters with angular features), compared to dissimilar features (list 1 had letters with curved features)

Question 6

distinctive features

Answer 6

features that help discriminate between two patterns (i.e. the bottom line in letter E distinguishing it from letter F)

Question 7

problems with the feature-detection theory

Answer 7

• does not take spatial relationships into account
• detecting individual features can be inadequate for recognizing some patterns

Question 8

structural theory

Answer 8

• biederman’s recognition by components model
• involves features and the arrangements of features
• all objects are constructed from a small number of 3-dimensional shapes referred to as GEONS

Question 9

problems with the structural theory

Answer 9

• relying on features and how they combine is not enough to explain how we can distinguish specific members of a category

Question 10

characteristics of perception

Answer 10

• modifiable: can change with experience
• results from reasoning process: knowledge, memory and experience influences perception
• reciprocal relationship between perception and action

Question 11

bottom-up processing

Answer 11

• process of building a whole image from a set of features
• happens simultaneously with top-down processing

Question 12

top-down processing

Answer 12

• built on prior knowledge and expectations that influence perception and pattern recognition
• happens when bottom-up information is ambiguous

Question 13

word superiority experiment

Answer 13

• we are better able to recognize a letter if it is embedded in a familiar word
• results of the experiment: greater accuracy recognizing a letter presented rapidly when it is part of a familiar word vs than presented alone or as a non-word
• remember class experiment flashing x’s and letters in words

Question 14

perceiving machines have difficulty with… (4 things)

Answer 14

• solving the inverse projection problem
• recognizing hidden or blurred objects
• achieving viewpoint invariance
• recognizing scenes

Question 15

solving the inverse projection problem

Answer 15

• when there is the same image on the retina from various objects, how you determine what that object is
• remember two different sized square sticky notes and flashlight shadow example in class

Question 16

recognizing hidden or blurred objects

Answer 16

• when objects are obscured or blurred, computers have difficulty with recognition

Question 17

achieving viewpoint invariance

Answer 17

computers have difficulty with recognizing the same object from different viewpoints

Question 18

recognizing scenes

Answer 18

computers have difficulty perceiving a scene (real-world environment with items that are meaningfully organized with each other in context with the setting)

Question 19

transitional probabilities

Answer 19

• the likelihood that one sound follows another sound (based on our knowledge of that language)
• refer to “pretty baby” example

Question 19

speech segmentation

Answer 19

the ability to know when one word ends and another word starts in a conversation

Question 20

theory of unconscious inference

Answer 20

helmholtz proposed that the images on the retina are ambiguous and that some perceptions are from unconscious assumptions that occur rapidly

Question 21

gestalt laws of organization

Answer 21

• good continuation
• pragnanz
• similarity

Question 22

regularities in the environment

Answer 22

• characteristics in the environment that frequently occur; physical and semantic regularities

Question 23

semantic regularities

Answer 23

• regularly occurring functions within a scene that give the scene meaning
• scene schemas: knowledge of what is usually in a particular setting

Question 24

bayesian inference

Answer 24

• thomas bayes
• proposed that estimating the probability of an outcome is based on prior probability and likelihood

Question 25

mirror neurons

Answer 25

neurons in the premotor cortex that respond when:
- carrying out an action oneself
- observing others carry out the same action
- help understand intention

Question 26

gestalt’s laws of organization: good continuation

Answer 26

• points that when connected, create a smooth or straight line BELONG together
• rope example

Question 27

gestalt’s laws of organization: pragnanz

Answer 27

• law holds that when you’re presented with a set of complex objects, your brain will make them appear as simple as possible
• olympic circles example

Question 28

gestalt’s laws of organization: similarity

Answer 28

similar items appear to be part of the same group

Question 29

physical regularities

Answer 29

• regular occurring physical properties
• oblique effect, uniform connectedness, homogenous colours, light-from-above heuristic

Question 30

oblique effect

Answer 30

easier to perceive horizontals and verticals than other orentations because of their frequent representation in our environment

Question 31

uniform connectedness

Answer 31

objects defined by areas of uniform texture or colour

Question 32

homogenous colours

Answer 32

within objects, same color

Question 33

light-from-above heuristic

Answer 33

light in the natural world is assumed to come from above us

Question 34

prior probability

Answer 34

initial belief about the probability of an outcome

Question 35

likelihood

Answer 35

extent that evidence is consistent with the outcome