This is a list of what you should know, and particularly what you should be able to write essays on. I have included potential essay questions of the sort that could come up. Also, be aware of the articles we discussed in the tutorials. You need to answer 2 questions out of 6 in 2 hours.
Introduction to Sensation and Perception; Psychophysics
The various senses and approaches; sensory transduction (Yantis chapter 1 worth reading)
What do the terms sensation and perception mean? In what way do they differ?
Giving examples, describe a general transduction process.
Evaluate the various approaches to perception research.
Psychophysics: detection – absolute threshold & measurements; (Cuevas …show more content…
How is it put into practice?
Theories of Perception
Gestalt principles – segmentation of visual scene
Gibson’s and Gregory’s theories and Neisser’s perceptual cycle
Marr’s computational theory
Perceptual illusions and constancies (Scientific American Reports issue)
Compare / contrast Gibson’s, Gregory’s & Marr’s theories of visual perception.
Evaluate the importance of illusions and constancies in informing psychologists about perceptual processes.
The Visual System
The eye and visual transduction; retinal processing and phototransduction
Duplicity theory of vision (von Kries) – rods & cone systems; dark adaptation
Parallel visual pathways (Logothetis) – M & P systems; what and where (how) systems
LGN, V1 and extrastriate visual areas
Binding problem
How do we convert light information into a visual perception in the brain?
Explain the duplicity theory of vision. How does it account for dark adaptation?
Evaluate the evidence for there being parallel processing in the visual pathway.
Critically evaluate how the structure of the eye is well suited to its functions.
Perceptual Abilities
colour perception
2 theories, psychophysical / physiological evidence; colour-blindness; colour