Lecture 2 - Study Guide

Question 1

the stages of the perceptual process diagram and how they relate to each other.

Answer 1

(1) environmental stimulus
(2) light is reflected and transformed
(3) receptor processes
(4) neural processing
(5) perception
(6) recognition
(7) action

Question 2

step one: environmental stimulus

Answer 2

we orient our sensory apparatus toward a

distal stimulus in the environment.

Question 3

step two: light reflected and transformed

Answer 3

The sensory signal from the distal stimulus is transmitted and transformed to become a pattern – the proximal stimulus – on
the sensory organ.

Question 4

step three: Receptor procesesses

Answer 4

the energy of 
the stimulus (light, air pressure, 
motion, etc.) is transduced into 
the electrical energy used by the 
nervous system.

Question 5

step four: neural processing

Answer 5

These new neurobiological signals are processed and transmitted to primary sensory
cortices in the brain, where the signals are processed further.

Question 6

step five: perception

Answer 6

“i see something” - detection

we consciously perceive (or detect) the stimulus in our sensory
environment

Question 7

step 6: recognition

Answer 7

“it’s an oak tree” - classification

Further processing may allow us to recognize (or categorize) the object.

Question 8

step 7: action

Answer 8

“lets have a close look”

We can then act to gain more stimulus information or interact with the object.

Question 9

how perception is an active process

Answer 9

a give and take between perception and recognition and action (top down information)

Question 10

the role measurement plays in empirical studies. What are we interested in
and what is actually being measured?

Answer 10

to understand theoretical constructs we use observational definitions: observable behavior as a proxy for the unobservable mental qualia:

FOR EXAMPLE: blood flow in the brain (measured with fMRI) is used as an operational definition of activity associated with task
performance.

Question 11

computational level

Answer 11

behavioral explanations

ex: subject exposed to bright light and they blink

Question 12

algorithmic level

Answer 12

we still don’t know what kind of system (human
brain, computer, alien, etc.) is working on the problem. We only specify the steps the system takes and what kinds of information
(representations) it manipulates.

Computational models, psychological
theories, psychophysical laws

ex: subject exposed to bright light and they blink and then came up for a set of rules to describe the regularities seen

Question 13

implemenational

Answer 13

we look inside the black box. We now see exactly how the system produces its output.

We can specify how the elements of the system work together to enable the algorithm which produces the response.

Physiological explanations

ex: subject exposed to bright light and they blink, and the cones in the fovea activated