Unobserved Eye Experiment Essay

Figure 1: The pupillary reflex data demonstrates the mean change in each pupil’s diameter. In this experiment, data was taken from six groups. From each group, 3 things were measured and averaged together and that was Ambient, Both Eyes Open and One Eye Open. The vertical lines represents the standard deviation of the averages through error bars. The height represent the average pupil diameter amongst the Ambient, Both Eyes Open and One Eye Open data which was measured in centimeters (cm).

2) The pupil diameter (cm) of the observed eye when only the unobserved eye was illuminated was less than when both eyes weren’t illuminated.

3) The pupil diameter (cm) of the observed eye when both of the eyes were illuminated was less than when only the unobserved eye was illuminated.
This does not prove the hypothesis correct because the pupil response is not solely dependent on an averaging of the two eye’s sensory input.

Consensual Minimizing Hypothesis:
The pupil response of both eyes could depend on input from the eye detecting lower light intensity. This does not prove the hypothesis correct because the pupil response of the two eyes could not depend on input from the eye detecting lower light intensity.

5) Conclusion:
The hypothesis is most accurately represented through the definition of Consensual Averaging. Consensual averaging is when the pupil response is dependent on an averaging of the two eye sensory input. If one eye is covered or shielded and a light is shone into the other eye then both eyes’ pupils will constrict. This is caused by the afferent signal through one optic nerve connecting to the axons that run through both right and left oculomotor nerves.

References:
Daniel, Peter, Lisa Filippi, John Morrissey, Charles Peterson, Christopher Sanford, and Jason Williams. Bio 12: Animal Form and Function Laboratory Manual.