PSYC 230 – UIUC EXAM 3 QUESTIONS
object agnosia - Answers- Inability to recognize objects using only vision.
top-down processing - Answers- a process whereby our existing knowledge of objects
influences how we perceive them
bottom-up processing - Answers- a process whereby physical stimuli influence how we
perceive them
recognition - Answers- the ability to match a presented item with an item in memory
representation - Answers- the storage and/or reconstruction of information in memory
when that information is not in use
perceptual organization - Answers- the process by which multiple objects in the
environment are grouped, allowing us to identify multiple objects in complex scenes
grouping - Answers- the process by which elements in a figure are brought together
into a common unit or object
Segregation - Answers- the process of distinguishing two objects as being distinct or
discrete
figure-ground organization - Answers- the experience viewers have as to which part of
an image is in front and which part of an image is in the background of a particular
scene
Gestalt Psychology - Answers- In terms of vision, gestalt argues that what we see is
greater than its individual parts. That is, the process of perception are designed to see
the scene rather that bits of light here and there. Stimuli were sufficiently rich in
structure to allow the perceptual system to extract meaning directly from the stimuli
rather than building it up from an image of thought. The whole is different from the sum
of its parts.
Law of Symmetry - Answers- grouping law stating that elements that are symmetrical to
each other tend be be perceived as a unified group
perceptual interpolation - Answers- the process by which the visual system fills in
hidden edges and surfaces in order to represent the entirety of a partially visible object
edge completion - Answers- the perception of a physically absent but inferred edge,
allowing us to complete the perception of a partially hidden object
illusory contours - Answers- perceptual edges that exist because of edge completion
but are not actually physically present
, recognition by components - Answers- a theory stating that object recognition occurs by
representing each object as a combination of basic units (geons) that make up that
object; we recognize an object by the relation of its geons
Geons - Answers- the basic units of objects, consisting of simple shapes such as
cylinders and pyramids
viewpoint invariance - Answers- the perception that an object does not change when an
observer sees the object from a new vantage point
template theories - Answers- theories of pattern recognition which assert that there is a
mental representation for each of the patterns to be recognized
Area V4 - Answers- an area of the brain involved in both color vision and shape
perception
inferotemporal area - Answers- the area of the temporal lobe involved in object
perception; it receives input from V4 and other areas in the occipital lobe
fusiform face area - Answers- an area in the inferotemporal area of the temporal lobe
that specializes in recognizing familiar faces; located in the ventral surface of the
temporal lobe
occipital face area - Answers- an area of the brain in the occipital lobe, associated with
recognizing faces as distinct from other objects; located in the extrastriate cortex and is
strongly connected to the FFA
Prosopagnosia - Answers- inability to recognize faces but other forms of visual object
recognition are relatively intact. For example, a person with prosopagnosia will have
difficulty recognizing particular people but will not have difficulty identifying roses or
gloves.
Grill-Spector experiment - Answers- examined the role of the FFA in face recognition
using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technology. participants briefly saw
Harrison Ford's face followed by a mask, or a control stimulus followed by a mask (a). In
(b), we can see the activity in the FFA when the participant recognized the photo as
Harrison Ford and when the participant did not. Note that the highest response in the
FFA is for correct recognition.
parahippocampal place area (PPA) - Answers- an area within the inferotemporal cortex
that appears to have the specific function of scene recognition; tuned for recognition of
spatial landscapes, both indoor and outdoor scenes
topographic agnosia - Answers- a deficit in recognizing spatial landscapes, related to
damage to the parahippocampal place area
object agnosia - Answers- Inability to recognize objects using only vision.
top-down processing - Answers- a process whereby our existing knowledge of objects
influences how we perceive them
bottom-up processing - Answers- a process whereby physical stimuli influence how we
perceive them
recognition - Answers- the ability to match a presented item with an item in memory
representation - Answers- the storage and/or reconstruction of information in memory
when that information is not in use
perceptual organization - Answers- the process by which multiple objects in the
environment are grouped, allowing us to identify multiple objects in complex scenes
grouping - Answers- the process by which elements in a figure are brought together
into a common unit or object
Segregation - Answers- the process of distinguishing two objects as being distinct or
discrete
figure-ground organization - Answers- the experience viewers have as to which part of
an image is in front and which part of an image is in the background of a particular
scene
Gestalt Psychology - Answers- In terms of vision, gestalt argues that what we see is
greater than its individual parts. That is, the process of perception are designed to see
the scene rather that bits of light here and there. Stimuli were sufficiently rich in
structure to allow the perceptual system to extract meaning directly from the stimuli
rather than building it up from an image of thought. The whole is different from the sum
of its parts.
Law of Symmetry - Answers- grouping law stating that elements that are symmetrical to
each other tend be be perceived as a unified group
perceptual interpolation - Answers- the process by which the visual system fills in
hidden edges and surfaces in order to represent the entirety of a partially visible object
edge completion - Answers- the perception of a physically absent but inferred edge,
allowing us to complete the perception of a partially hidden object
illusory contours - Answers- perceptual edges that exist because of edge completion
but are not actually physically present
, recognition by components - Answers- a theory stating that object recognition occurs by
representing each object as a combination of basic units (geons) that make up that
object; we recognize an object by the relation of its geons
Geons - Answers- the basic units of objects, consisting of simple shapes such as
cylinders and pyramids
viewpoint invariance - Answers- the perception that an object does not change when an
observer sees the object from a new vantage point
template theories - Answers- theories of pattern recognition which assert that there is a
mental representation for each of the patterns to be recognized
Area V4 - Answers- an area of the brain involved in both color vision and shape
perception
inferotemporal area - Answers- the area of the temporal lobe involved in object
perception; it receives input from V4 and other areas in the occipital lobe
fusiform face area - Answers- an area in the inferotemporal area of the temporal lobe
that specializes in recognizing familiar faces; located in the ventral surface of the
temporal lobe
occipital face area - Answers- an area of the brain in the occipital lobe, associated with
recognizing faces as distinct from other objects; located in the extrastriate cortex and is
strongly connected to the FFA
Prosopagnosia - Answers- inability to recognize faces but other forms of visual object
recognition are relatively intact. For example, a person with prosopagnosia will have
difficulty recognizing particular people but will not have difficulty identifying roses or
gloves.
Grill-Spector experiment - Answers- examined the role of the FFA in face recognition
using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technology. participants briefly saw
Harrison Ford's face followed by a mask, or a control stimulus followed by a mask (a). In
(b), we can see the activity in the FFA when the participant recognized the photo as
Harrison Ford and when the participant did not. Note that the highest response in the
FFA is for correct recognition.
parahippocampal place area (PPA) - Answers- an area within the inferotemporal cortex
that appears to have the specific function of scene recognition; tuned for recognition of
spatial landscapes, both indoor and outdoor scenes
topographic agnosia - Answers- a deficit in recognizing spatial landscapes, related to
damage to the parahippocampal place area
