Perception part 2

Question 1

Define Gestalt’s principle of “Texture”.

Answer 1

When the basic features share a pattern(texture), more likely to group.

E.g., |||||| ———-

Question 2

2wDefine Gestalt’s principle of “Connectedness”.

Answer 2

We tend to group things that are physically connected together.

E.g., () () () () = 4 shapes ()–() ()–() = 2 shapes

Question 3

Define Gestalt’s principle of “Common Region”.

Answer 3

We group things when they’re located in shared boundary.

Question 4

Define Gestalt’s principle of “Common fate/synchrony”.

Answer 4

If things move in the same direction and speed, we’re more likely to group them.

Question 5

Define Gestalt’s principles of “Closure”.

Answer 5

Fill in the gaps to complete objects if only partial information available.

Question 6

Define Gestalt’s Principle of “Good Continuation”.

Answer 6

More able to create continuous form, more likely to group.

Question 7

Define Gestalt’s principle of “Similarity”.

Answer 7

More similar, more likely to group – size, shape, colour.

Question 8

Define Gestalt’s principle of “Proximity”.

Answer 8

Closer together, more likely to group.

Question 9

What is figure-ground discrimination?

Answer 9

Our tendency to separate visual stimuli into a foreground and a background.

Question 10

What are the 4 gestalt laws of perceptual organisation?

Answer 10

Similarity, proximity, closure, and continuity.

Question 11

What is a perceptual set?

Answer 11

A readiness to perceive stimuli in a particular way.

Question 12

What does figure and ground mean in the context of figure-ground discrimination?

Answer 12

Figure = the ‘object’

Ground = the ‘background’

Question 13

What is the evolutionary importance of figure-ground discrimination?

Answer 13

Helps us determine what is important in a scene: the figure is classed as more important than the ground as it could be a threat or a resource etc.

Question 14

What are the three main determinants of a figure in our vision?

Answer 14

1. closer and therefore stands out
2. more detailed and memorable
3. things that are lower in our visual array = closer to us/further from the horizon

Question 15

What is the main determinant of the background (ground) in our vision?

Answer 15

If it’s formless or blurry: lacking shape.

Question 16

What are the 3 stages of processing visual stimuli?

Answer 16

1. Local features: processing lines and/or edges as small scale parts of shapes
2. Shape representation: local features forming larger scale shapes (grouping)
3. Object representation: connect representations of shapes to our schemas and knowledge of the stimulus.

Question 17

What are the 3 types of agnosia?

Answer 17

The 3 types of agnosia depend on the stage of visual processing it’s in:

Stage 1: blindness in part of the visual field.

Stage 2 - Apperceptive: they can perceive local features but not the whole shape(s) they form.

Stage 3 - Associative: can perceive shapes but can’t perceive what they are: cannot access their visual schemas/knowledge of objects.

Question 18

What does “Gestalt” mean?

Answer 18

“whole form”

Question 19

For what purpose does our mind follow the Gestalt “laws?

Answer 19

To create the simplest perception of our visual field. What is (through these principles) the most reasonable interpretation of our visual sensations.

Question 20

Name the eight monocular visual cues.

Answer 20

1. Patterns of light and shadow
2. linear perspective
3. Interposition
4. (Object) height in the horizontal plane
5. Texture
6. Clarity
7. Relative size
8. Motion parallax

Question 21

Describe linear perspective.

Answer 21

The perception that parallel lines converge or angle towards each other as they get further away. (E.g., train tracks)

Question 22

Describe interposition.

Answer 22

The perception in which objects that are closer to us appear to cut off (appear in front of) objects further away.

Question 23

Describe how an object’s height in the horizontal plane is a perceptive cue of it’s distance from us.

Answer 23

Object’s that are higher in our visual array are perceived as closer to the horizon and thus further away.

Question 24

Describe how the texture gradient of a scene is a perceptive cue of distance.

Answer 24

The texture gradient of an object appears more coarse or rough in closer proximity, and more fine when further away.

Question 25

Describe how the clarity of an object is a perceptive cue of it’s distance.

Answer 25

We can see nearby figures with more clarity than those that are further away. (E.g., nearby hills appear clearer than those further from us)

Question 26

Describe how the relative size of an object is indicative of it’s distance.

Answer 26

If two objects which you know to be around the same size can be seen but one appears smaller than the other, you can deduce that the smaller object is further from the one that is bigger.

Question 27

Describe the basis of the motion parallax monocular cue.

Answer 27

Nearby objects appear to move faster in the opposite direction than the objects that’re further away.

Question 28

How soon after birth can a baby recognise it’s mother’s face?

Answer 28

Within a few hours

Question 29

Which parts of the brain a responsible for facial recognition?

Answer 29

Areas of the Occipital lobe and Temporal lobe.

Question 30

What evidence is there to suggest the innate ability of babies to track faces?

Answer 30

Babies will follow stimuli with features resembling faces. (e.g., babies will track hand paddles with the natural symmetry of a face but not the paddles with unnatural symmetry.

Question 31

What is Prosopagnosia?

Answer 31

The inability to recognise faces (even one’s own)
- Other object perception and intelligence remains intact
- Damage to specific brain region