PSYC 333 EXAM 2 – Psychology course exam material
What two factors does the ecological approach to perception emphasize - correct answer ✔✔◦
Suggests that all the info. we need to perceive motion is provided directly on the retina
◦ Perception evolved so that we can (1) move within and (2) act upon the world
◦ Major source of retinal cues come from Optic Flow •Focus should be on the environment (the
data is all out there)
◦ Perception in natural contexts
What is optic flow? What are two characteristic of optic flow? - correct answer ✔✔Optic flow: ◦
Appearance of objects as the observer moves past them
Two important characteristics:
1. Gradient of flow: difference in flow as a function of distance from the observer
◦ Fast near observer & slower farther away
2. Focus of expansion (FOE): absence of flow at the destination point
◦ Observer is moving toward FOE, no flow at this point ◦ All motions appears to start at this
point
◦ Provides info. about direction of motion
What is invariant information? How is invariance related to optic flow? - correct answer
✔✔properties that remain constant as observer moves ◦ Properties that are always present
- OPITIC FLOW IS INVAIRANT INFO
What is observer-produced information? Describe its role in somersaulting and why there is a
difference between novices and experts when they close their eyes. - correct answer ✔✔Self-
, produced information: a person's movement creates info. & that info. is used to guide further
movement.
•Somersaulting ◦ Can be performed by learning a predetermined sequence of moves ◦ Thus,
will performance be the same with and without vision?
◦ Bardy and Laurent: expert gymnasts performed worse with their eyes closed. ◦ They use vision
to correct their trajectory. ◦ Experts learn to coordinate movements with other perceptions
(learn to integrate info.) ◦ Novice gymnasts do not show this effect.
Describe the swinging room experiments. What principles do they illustrate? - correct answer
✔✔Experiment by Lee and Aronson ◦ 13- to 16-month-old children placed in "swinging room" ◦
In the room, the floor stationary but walls & ceiling can move ◦ The movement of walls creates
optic flow. ◦ Children swayed back and forth in response the flow patterns created. ◦
demonstrated that flow patterns can be created in the swinging room, & that Ps compensated
based on the flow of information.
Ecological validity - correct answer ✔✔The extent to which a study is realistic or representative
of real life.
ecological approach to perception - correct answer ✔✔This approach focuses on specifying the
information in the environment that is used for perception, emphasizing the study of moving
observers to determine how their movement results in perceptual information that both creates
perception and guides further movement.
optic flow - correct answer ✔✔the complex motion of points in the visual field caused by
relative movement between the observer and environment; provides information about the
relative distance of objects from the observer and of the relative direction of movement
gradient of flow - correct answer ✔✔difference in flow as a function of distance from the
observer
What two factors does the ecological approach to perception emphasize - correct answer ✔✔◦
Suggests that all the info. we need to perceive motion is provided directly on the retina
◦ Perception evolved so that we can (1) move within and (2) act upon the world
◦ Major source of retinal cues come from Optic Flow •Focus should be on the environment (the
data is all out there)
◦ Perception in natural contexts
What is optic flow? What are two characteristic of optic flow? - correct answer ✔✔Optic flow: ◦
Appearance of objects as the observer moves past them
Two important characteristics:
1. Gradient of flow: difference in flow as a function of distance from the observer
◦ Fast near observer & slower farther away
2. Focus of expansion (FOE): absence of flow at the destination point
◦ Observer is moving toward FOE, no flow at this point ◦ All motions appears to start at this
point
◦ Provides info. about direction of motion
What is invariant information? How is invariance related to optic flow? - correct answer
✔✔properties that remain constant as observer moves ◦ Properties that are always present
- OPITIC FLOW IS INVAIRANT INFO
What is observer-produced information? Describe its role in somersaulting and why there is a
difference between novices and experts when they close their eyes. - correct answer ✔✔Self-
, produced information: a person's movement creates info. & that info. is used to guide further
movement.
•Somersaulting ◦ Can be performed by learning a predetermined sequence of moves ◦ Thus,
will performance be the same with and without vision?
◦ Bardy and Laurent: expert gymnasts performed worse with their eyes closed. ◦ They use vision
to correct their trajectory. ◦ Experts learn to coordinate movements with other perceptions
(learn to integrate info.) ◦ Novice gymnasts do not show this effect.
Describe the swinging room experiments. What principles do they illustrate? - correct answer
✔✔Experiment by Lee and Aronson ◦ 13- to 16-month-old children placed in "swinging room" ◦
In the room, the floor stationary but walls & ceiling can move ◦ The movement of walls creates
optic flow. ◦ Children swayed back and forth in response the flow patterns created. ◦
demonstrated that flow patterns can be created in the swinging room, & that Ps compensated
based on the flow of information.
Ecological validity - correct answer ✔✔The extent to which a study is realistic or representative
of real life.
ecological approach to perception - correct answer ✔✔This approach focuses on specifying the
information in the environment that is used for perception, emphasizing the study of moving
observers to determine how their movement results in perceptual information that both creates
perception and guides further movement.
optic flow - correct answer ✔✔the complex motion of points in the visual field caused by
relative movement between the observer and environment; provides information about the
relative distance of objects from the observer and of the relative direction of movement
gradient of flow - correct answer ✔✔difference in flow as a function of distance from the
observer
