Question 1

Neuroscientists have identified a region of the temporal lobe that becomes active whenever faces are presented.They refer to this area as:

Accepted Answer

The identified region of the temporal lobe that becomes active whenever faces are presented is the fusiform gyrus.

Question 2

Hubel and Weisel's groundbreaking work on the primary visual cortex of cats demonstrated that these two types of cells-_____ detectors and _____ detectors-exist there and play an integral part in visual perception.

Accepted Answer

Hubel and Wiesel's research identified edge and bar detectors in the primary visual cortex of cats, which are crucial for visual perception. These cells respond specifically to edges and bars of particular orientations, helping in the processing of visual information.

Question 3

Which discovery is attributed to Kuhl's 1987 study?

Accepted Answer

Kuhl's 1987 study is notable for demonstrating that non-human animals, specifically chinchillas, have categorical perception for human speech sounds, showing that this ability is not unique to humans and suggesting a more universal basis for the processing of speech sounds across species.

Question 4

Our recognition of speech relies only on contextual information.

Accepted Answer

Our recognition of speech relies not only on contextual information but also on acoustic and phonetic information.

Question 5

Which cue is NOT one that the visual system is able to detect in order to judge distance?

Accepted Answer

Closure is not a cue that the visual system uses to judge distance. It is a cognitive process that involves filling in missing parts of a pattern or object based on our prior knowledge or expectations. In contrast, texture gradient, stereopsis, and motion parallax are all visual cues that help us perceive depth and distance.

Question 6

Which is NOT a step in the recognition of an object,according to Biederman's recognition-by-components theory?

Accepted Answer

Biederman's recognition-by-components theory focuses on how objects are segmented into basic components (geons) and how these components are organized to identify the object. It does not emphasize comparing each subobject to stored representations of similar objects, which is more aligned with exemplar or prototype theories of recognition.

Question 7

Visual agnosia,the inability to recognize objects because of damage to the cerebral cortex,is broken down into two subtypes: _____ and _____ agnosia.

Accepted Answer

Visual agnosia is broken down into two subtypes: apperceptive and associative agnosia. Apperceptive agnosia is the inability to perceive and copy simple drawings or discriminate between simple shapes, while associative agnosia is the inability to recognize objects despite intact perception of basic visual features. The other answer choices are not accurate subtypes of visual agnosia.

Question 8

In speech perception research,the finding that individuals can't detect subtle differences in the pronunciation of different voiced phonemes and tend to divide such stimuli into one of two types of verbal stimuli is known as _____ perception.

Accepted Answer

The term "categorical perception" refers to the tendency of individuals to categorize verbal stimuli into distinct categories or groups, rather than perceiving subtle differences between individual phonemes. It is a widely studied concept in speech perception research.

Question 9

Which theory of pattern recognition states that the stimulus and the context provide two independent sources of information about the identity of the stimulus?

Accepted Answer

The FLMP model (Feature-Driven, Logic-Based, and Prototype-Based Model) proposes that pattern recognition occurs through the integration of different types of information, including features of the stimulus, prior knowledge or prototypes, and logical rules. Therefore, the stimulus and context provide independent sources of information for identifying the stimulus. Template matching relies solely on comparing an input stimulus to stored templates, recognition-by-components emphasizes the role of elementary features in object recognition, and feature analysis focuses on identifying and processing specific features of a stimulus.

Question 10

The axons of which type of retinal cell coalesce and form the optic nerve?

Accepted Answer

Only ganglion cells have axons that converge and form the optic nerve, which transmits visual information from the retina to the brain. Bipolar cells, amacrine cells, and horizontal cells are all interneurons that form connections within the retina itself, and do not send axons out to the optic nerve.

Question 11

When one relies on experience,context,or general knowledge about the world to guide one's perception of a stimulus,which type of processing is being performed?

Accepted Answer

Top-down processing refers to the use of context, expectations, and prior knowledge to guide perception. This is in contrast to bottom-up processing, which relies solely on the sensory information from the stimulus itself. Parallel processing refers to the brain's ability to simultaneously process multiple pieces of information, while serial processing refers to the sequential processing of information.

Question 12

Which aspect of perception is related to the software programs known as CAPTCHAs?

Accepted Answer

CAPTCHAs use pattern recognition to differentiate between humans and bots. They present distorted patterns or images of letters and numbers that humans can decipher but are difficult for machines to interpret accurately.

Question 13

Which theory of visual pattern recognition explains our ability to recognize objects by positing that the visual system compares new stimuli with existing memory traces of previously seen similar stimuli to determine if the new item is familiar?

Accepted Answer

Template matching theory posits that the visual system compares new stimuli with existing memory traces of previously seen similar stimuli to determine if the new item is familiar. It suggests that we have stored in memory a "template" or exact representation of each object we have encountered and future perception involves matching the new stimuli with these stored templates.

Question 14

As much as _____% of the primate brain is devoted to the visual sense.

Accepted Answer

Approximately 50% of the primate brain is dedicated to processing visual information, highlighting the importance of vision in primate evolution and behavior.

Quiz 2: Perception