Psych Modules 18-19

The distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next

Vary from the short blips of cosmic rays to the long pulses of radio transmissions

The dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light

The amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we perceive as brightness or loudness, as determined by the wave’s amplitude

The part of the eye that bends light to provide focus and protects the eye itself

The adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters

A ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil opening

The transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina

The light-sensitive inner surface of the eye

Contains the receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual information

The process by which the eye’s lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina

Retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray

Necessary for peripheral and twilight vision when cones don’t respond

Retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions

They detect fine details and give rise to color sensations

The nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain

The point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye

No receptor cells are located there

The central focal point in the retina, around which the eye’s cones cluster

Nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movement

The processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously

The brain’s natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision

Contrasts with the step-by-step (serial) process of most computers and of conscious problem solving

The theory that the retina contains three different color receptors— one sensitive to red, one to green, one to blue- which, when stimulated in combination, can produce the perception of any color

The theory created by Ewald Hering that opposing retinal processes enable color vision

For example, some cells are stimulated by green and inhibited by red; others are stimulated by red and inhibited by green

An organized whole

Psychologists emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes

The organization of the visual field into objects that stand out from their surroundings

The perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups

Grouping nearby figures together

Grouping similar figures together

Perceiving smooth, continuous patterns rather than discontinuous ones

When we see connections in disjointed figures

Filling in gaps to create complete, whole figures

The ability to see objects in three dimensions although the images that strike the retina are two-dimensional

Allows us to judge distance

A laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals

Depth cues, such as retinal disparity, that depend on the use of two eyes

A binocular cue for perceiving depth

By comparing images from the retinas in the two eyes, the brain computes distance– the greater the difference between the two images, the closer the object

Depth cues, such as interposition and linear perspective

Available to either eye alone

A type of monocular cue in which one object partially obscures or covers another object, giving the perception the object that is partially covered is farther away

A type of depth prompt that the human eye perceives when viewing two parallel lines that appear to meet at a distance

Perceiving objects higher in our field of vision as farther away

If we assume two objects are similar in size, most people perceive the one that casts the smaller retinal image as farther away

Clear objects appear closer than blurry or fuzzy objects

The further something is from us, the less detail it conveys

Nearby objects reflect more light to our eyes than distant ones. If there are two identical objects, the dimmer one seems farther away

Shadows also produce a sense of depth because our brains assume that light comes from above

When you're looking at an object that extends into the distance, the texture becomes less and less apparent the farther it goes into the distance

As you look out over a scene, the objects in the foreground have a much more apparent texture

Objects closer to us appear to move faster than those farther away (ex. when you're riding in a car the telephone poles rush by much faster than the trees in the distance)

This allows you to perceive the fast moving objects in the foreground as closer than the slower moving objects off in the distance

An illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession

Perceiving objects as unchanging (having consistent shapes, size, brightness, and color) even as illumination and retinal images change

Perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object

In vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field