Lecture 7 Scenes and Objects, Attention Flashcards
What is Helmholtz’s Theory of Unconscious Inference
our perceptions are the result of unconscious assumptions and inferences that we make about the environment based on our prior knowledge and personal history of experiences (i.e. top down mechanisms)
What is the likelihood principle?
we perceive the world in the way that is most likely based on our past experiences
What is Bayesian Inference? What are the two factors?
estimates of the probability of a given outcome are influenced by two factors: the prior probability and the likelihood of a given outcome
What is the spatial layout hypothesis?
the PPA responds to the surface geometry or the geometric layout of a scene and thus can be activated by any stimuli that produces a sense of 3D space, not just places
What are space defining objects?
objects that evoke a strong sense of surrounding space (e.g. a large oak bed)
What are space ambiguous objects?
objects that DO NOT evoke a sense of surrounding space (e.g. a small white fan heater)
What is binocular rivalry?
occurs when each eye is presented with a different image
What is neural mind reading?
predicting what a person is perceiving or thinking about based upon their neural activity (e.g. via fMRI)
What is structural encoding?
neural encoding based on relationship between voxel activation and structural characteristics of a scene
What is semantic encoding?
neural encoding based on the relationship between voxel activation and the meaning or category of a scene
TRUE or FALSE: using an algorithm that uses only structural encoding (vs semantic) produces more accurate predictions
FALSE: use BOTH types of encoding for more accuracy
What is visual scanning?
visually exploring the environment
visual scanning involves making many _______________, in which we dwell on something to extract information, which are linked by _________________________
fixations; saccadic eye movements
How many saccades do we make per second?
3
TRUE or FALSE: visual scanning represents covert attention
FALSE: overt attention