Lecture 14

Question 1

Ecological Approach by JJ Gibson

Answer 1

Movement creates perceptual information; anything stationary will provide information as you move your head

Question 2

Optic Flow

Answer 2

Appearance of objects as a function of distance from the observer

Question 3

Gradient of flow (characteristic of optic flow)

Answer 3

Difference in flow as a function of distance from the observer ; faster gradient of flow when object is closer and slower gradient of flow when object is further from observer

Question 4

Focus of Expansion (characteristic of optic flow)

Answer 4

Point in distance where there’s no flow

Question 5

Invariant information

Answer 5

properties that remain constant while the observer is moving, such as the focus of expansion

Question 6

Self-produced Information

Answer 6

Flow is created by the movement of the observer

Question 7

Somersaulting experiment

Answer 7

Expert gymnasts performed worse with their eyes closed; novice gymnasts didn’t show any difference

Question 8

What does closing the eyes make you rely on?

Answer 8

The vestibular system and somatosensation

Question 9

Experiment by Lee and Aronson

Answer 9

13 to 16 month old children places in fake room with moving walls and ceiling that create optic flow patterns; as a result children fell when walls and ceiling were moved; adults showed the same results

Question 10

Optic flow neurons

Answer 10

Neurons in the medial superior temporal area (MST) of monkeys respond to flow patterns

Question 11

Experiment by Land and Lee

Answer 11

measured angle of steering wheel, speed of vehicle, and direction of gaze of driver; results show that driver use info other than just optic flow to determine their way of moving

Question 12

Visual direction strategy

Answer 12

Observers keep their body pointed at target; walkers correct their position when target shifts from left to right

Question 13

Wayfinding

Answer 13

Landmarks “Decision-point landmarks” used as objects on the route to serve as cues of direction

Question 14

Parahippocampal Gyrus

Answer 14

Greatest area of activation for objects at decision points

Question 15

Damage to hippocampus

Answer 15

Cannot find way around

Question 16

Affordances

Answer 16

objects have information that indicate “potential for action”

Question 17

Damage to Ventral stream & temporal lobe

Answer 17

Cannot name nor identify name of object

Question 18

Damage to Dorsal stream and parietal lobe

Answer 18

Cannot describe use of item or demonstrate use of item but is able to recognize and identify object

Question 19

Mirror neurons

Answer 19

Help imitate observed actions and understand them

Question 20

Audiovisual mirror neurons

Answer 20

Respond to action and the accompanying sound