Psychology Course 2.4 Perception (2016-2017)
PSYCHOLOGY YEAR 2
PERCEPTION
The specific objectives of this course
× Describe the anatomy and functions of the eye and ear, and the structures and processes in the brain that play a role in the per-
ception of visual and auditory stimuli.
× Explain on what people base their decisions about the presence/absence of a stimulus.
× Explain how people perceive differences in stimulus intensity
× Describe the mainstream theories on how the cognitive system groups and interprets visual and auditory elements and how ob-
jects and auditory patterns are recognized.
× Explain how the visual systems deal with three-dimensional information.
× Explain how and when motion is perceived.
× Explain how colors are perceived and what deficiencies can occur in this process.
× Describe the anatomy and functions of the vestibular organs and the structures and processes in the brain that play a role in spa-
tial orientation.
× Describe a number of important experimental paradigms relating to perception and attention.
× Run statistical analyses of findings generated with research using these paradigms.
× Interpret the outcomes of these analyses.
× Present a simple experimental research project in a clear and coherent fashion.
Exam components during the course:
× Attendance requirement (100% attendance)
× Course exam on the 10th of February (40-48 multiple-choice questions)
× Practical assignments
Page 1 of 42
, Psychology Course 2.4 Perception (2016-2017)
Problem 4.1 A Keen Eye
Primary resources: Goldstein Chapter 3, Coren Chapter 3 – Chapter 4
Additional resources: Goldstein Chapter 16; Zeki Chapter 1
GOLDSTEIN CHAPTER 16 6th EDITION
Blindness describes a person which has tried to correct the difficulty seeing
with glasses or contact lenses but still has less than a 20/200 vision. A visual
acuity of 20/20 means that a person is able to see at 20 feet what a normal
person can see at 20 feet. A 20/200 vision means that a person can see
something from 20 feet which can be seen by another person from 200 feet.
How well a person can do this depends on his/her fovea (the cone-rich area of
the retina that is responsible for detail vision) and peripheral vision (a part of
vision that occurs outside the center of gaze). When there are problems in the
fovea you will get a blind spot where you focus on (macular degeneration).
Blindness seems to have variations across people. Some people experience
complete darkness, others still have some vision with aids.
The cornea (hoornvlies) is responsible for about 70%-80% of the eye’s focusing power. Light first passes through this structure,
into the retina. The cornea is supposed to be transparent but due to injury and disease, it can lose transparency. This can cause the
shape of the observed object to be projected distorted on the retina and pain. When the cornea loses its spherical shape, it is called
astigmatism and leads you to see blurry images. This can be fixed by medicine or you can get a transplant (note! Not the entire eye,
only the cornea).
The lens is transparent as well, which is important for focusing a sharp image on the retina. It is responsible for the remaining
20%-30% of the eye’s focusing power. Clouding of the lens (cataract) leads to distortion of the image. There are different types: from
birth (1; congenital), caused by disease (2; secondary), by injury (3; traumatic), by old age (senile/ presbyopia; the lens gets less
elastic). This can also be dealt with through surgery during which the lens is replaced by an intraocular lens; made of plastic.
The retina is the part of the eye on which images are projected. It is nourished by the retinal circulation. People who suffer from
diabetes can also suffer from diabetic retinopathy, during which the capillaries swell and new abnormal blood vessels are formed
(neovascularization). This can lead to loss of vision. His can be prevented by insulin or laser treatment. The macula is a region of the
retina that includes the fovea. It is responsible for the center of vision. When it is damaged, the peripheral vision stays in tact but you
can’t see what you are focused on. This most often happens due to age. The retina can also be detached which leads to separation of
the pigment epithelium. This will affect image formation and can lead to partial blindness depending on how big the detached area is. A
hereditary problem with the retina is called retinitis pigmentosa (degeneration of the retina which shows by losing vision at night and
later results in blindness). Problems with the retina can be solved with surgery or lasers.
The leading cause of blindness is glaucoma (nerve fibers are degenerated in the optic nerve which lead to problems transmitting
impulses from the retina to the brain). Closed-angle glaucoma causes an opening between the iris and lens, pushing the iris up. Open-
angle glaucoma is the most common form of the disease, however. It cuts of pressure of the circulation to the head of the optic nerve,
which leads to blindness accompanied by pain.
ZEKI CHAPTER 1
Until recently the misconception existed that an image of the visual world in all its forms and colors is impressed on the retina and then
transmitted to be analyzed and interpreted by the cerebral cortex. The eyes were seen as cameras. Thomas Young has made a great
advance in this area. He connected wavelength of light with colors. Instead of a receptor for every color, the eye only needed three which
can combine into every color. This idea was not accepted in his time so it got ignored until Herman von Helmholtz resurrected the topic.
He thought that there were three retinal fibers that respond different to wavelengths of light. They found that there are indeed only three
Page 2 of 42
PSYCHOLOGY YEAR 2
PERCEPTION
The specific objectives of this course
× Describe the anatomy and functions of the eye and ear, and the structures and processes in the brain that play a role in the per-
ception of visual and auditory stimuli.
× Explain on what people base their decisions about the presence/absence of a stimulus.
× Explain how people perceive differences in stimulus intensity
× Describe the mainstream theories on how the cognitive system groups and interprets visual and auditory elements and how ob-
jects and auditory patterns are recognized.
× Explain how the visual systems deal with three-dimensional information.
× Explain how and when motion is perceived.
× Explain how colors are perceived and what deficiencies can occur in this process.
× Describe the anatomy and functions of the vestibular organs and the structures and processes in the brain that play a role in spa-
tial orientation.
× Describe a number of important experimental paradigms relating to perception and attention.
× Run statistical analyses of findings generated with research using these paradigms.
× Interpret the outcomes of these analyses.
× Present a simple experimental research project in a clear and coherent fashion.
Exam components during the course:
× Attendance requirement (100% attendance)
× Course exam on the 10th of February (40-48 multiple-choice questions)
× Practical assignments
Page 1 of 42
, Psychology Course 2.4 Perception (2016-2017)
Problem 4.1 A Keen Eye
Primary resources: Goldstein Chapter 3, Coren Chapter 3 – Chapter 4
Additional resources: Goldstein Chapter 16; Zeki Chapter 1
GOLDSTEIN CHAPTER 16 6th EDITION
Blindness describes a person which has tried to correct the difficulty seeing
with glasses or contact lenses but still has less than a 20/200 vision. A visual
acuity of 20/20 means that a person is able to see at 20 feet what a normal
person can see at 20 feet. A 20/200 vision means that a person can see
something from 20 feet which can be seen by another person from 200 feet.
How well a person can do this depends on his/her fovea (the cone-rich area of
the retina that is responsible for detail vision) and peripheral vision (a part of
vision that occurs outside the center of gaze). When there are problems in the
fovea you will get a blind spot where you focus on (macular degeneration).
Blindness seems to have variations across people. Some people experience
complete darkness, others still have some vision with aids.
The cornea (hoornvlies) is responsible for about 70%-80% of the eye’s focusing power. Light first passes through this structure,
into the retina. The cornea is supposed to be transparent but due to injury and disease, it can lose transparency. This can cause the
shape of the observed object to be projected distorted on the retina and pain. When the cornea loses its spherical shape, it is called
astigmatism and leads you to see blurry images. This can be fixed by medicine or you can get a transplant (note! Not the entire eye,
only the cornea).
The lens is transparent as well, which is important for focusing a sharp image on the retina. It is responsible for the remaining
20%-30% of the eye’s focusing power. Clouding of the lens (cataract) leads to distortion of the image. There are different types: from
birth (1; congenital), caused by disease (2; secondary), by injury (3; traumatic), by old age (senile/ presbyopia; the lens gets less
elastic). This can also be dealt with through surgery during which the lens is replaced by an intraocular lens; made of plastic.
The retina is the part of the eye on which images are projected. It is nourished by the retinal circulation. People who suffer from
diabetes can also suffer from diabetic retinopathy, during which the capillaries swell and new abnormal blood vessels are formed
(neovascularization). This can lead to loss of vision. His can be prevented by insulin or laser treatment. The macula is a region of the
retina that includes the fovea. It is responsible for the center of vision. When it is damaged, the peripheral vision stays in tact but you
can’t see what you are focused on. This most often happens due to age. The retina can also be detached which leads to separation of
the pigment epithelium. This will affect image formation and can lead to partial blindness depending on how big the detached area is. A
hereditary problem with the retina is called retinitis pigmentosa (degeneration of the retina which shows by losing vision at night and
later results in blindness). Problems with the retina can be solved with surgery or lasers.
The leading cause of blindness is glaucoma (nerve fibers are degenerated in the optic nerve which lead to problems transmitting
impulses from the retina to the brain). Closed-angle glaucoma causes an opening between the iris and lens, pushing the iris up. Open-
angle glaucoma is the most common form of the disease, however. It cuts of pressure of the circulation to the head of the optic nerve,
which leads to blindness accompanied by pain.
ZEKI CHAPTER 1
Until recently the misconception existed that an image of the visual world in all its forms and colors is impressed on the retina and then
transmitted to be analyzed and interpreted by the cerebral cortex. The eyes were seen as cameras. Thomas Young has made a great
advance in this area. He connected wavelength of light with colors. Instead of a receptor for every color, the eye only needed three which
can combine into every color. This idea was not accepted in his time so it got ignored until Herman von Helmholtz resurrected the topic.
He thought that there were three retinal fibers that respond different to wavelengths of light. They found that there are indeed only three
Page 2 of 42
