Sound and Vision

Question 1

Idealism

Answer 1

Assertion that reality is fundamentally mentally constructed and immaterial.

Question 2

Realism

Answer 2

Advocated by empiricists. Reality does exist independently of observers.

Question 3

Two main types of eye

Answer 3

Chambered (our eye) and compound (up to thousands of individual photoreceptor units, like dragonflies)

Question 4

Physiology of the eye

Answer 4

Iris controls diameter/size of pupils and thus the light reaching the retina
Pupil - hole located in the center of iris allowing light to enter retina
Lens - optical device which transmits and refracts light, converging or diverging the beam
Cornea - transparent front part of eye that covers iris, pupil, and anterior chamber

Question 5

Retina

Answer 5

Light-sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye: optics of eye create an image of the visual world on the retina. Light that strikes retina initiates chemical and electrical events that trigger nerve impulses. These are sent to visual centers of brain through optic nerve.

Question 6

Two kinds of photoreceptor cells

Answer 6

Rods: low levels of light, poor acuity
Cones: greater levels of light and color, good acuity

Question 7

Optic chiasm

Answer 7

Crossing where the optic nerves from the left and right eyes partially cross

Question 8

Optic Tract

Answer 8

Continuation of optic nerve - runs from optic chiasm to the lateral geniculate nucleus

Question 9

Lateral Geniculate Nucleus

Answer 9

The primary relay center for information coming from the eyes. Located in the thalamus. 6 layers of cells: parvocellular layers (object processing) and magnocellular layers (motion)

Question 10

Visual cortex

Answer 10

A number of regions in cortex. Multiple levels of complexity. V1-4: V1 is the primary/striate, it runs adjacent to the calcarine sulcus. V2-4 are extra striate.

Question 11

Calcarine sulcus

Answer 11

where the primary visual cortex aka V1 is located

Question 12

Retinotopic mapping

Answer 12

Center of the eye goes to V1, more and more peripheral go to v2, v3, and v4

Question 13

Facial recognition

Answer 13

Fusiform face area plays crucial role in facial recognition/differentiating faces from object.

Question 14

Superior temporal sulcus

Answer 14

Involved in changeable aspects of faces - expressions, direction of eye gaze, lip movement

Question 15

Amygdala, insula, limbic system

Answer 15

Involved in emotion - receives information about expressions from superior temporal sulcus

Question 16

Lateral fusiform gyrus

Answer 16

Perceiving invariant aspects of faces - perception of unique identity

Question 17

Inferior occipital gyri

Answer 17

Early perception of facial features

Question 18

Predictive vision

Answer 18

Faces are processed as a whole, not parts. Our brains are predictive and fill in gaps. That is why context matters with vision. Perceive emotions as different depending on the context.

Question 19

Fovea

Answer 19

The central region of the eye - responsible for sharp central vision

Question 20

Overview of vision pathway

Answer 20

Retina -> optic tract -> partial split at optic chiasm -> lateral geniculate cortex ->visual cortex ->dorsal/ventral pathway

Question 21

Range of human hearing

Answer 21

20 Hz to 20 kHz

Question 22

How hearing works

Answer 22

Sounds enter the canal, causing the tympanic membrane to vibrate. The membrane passes the oscillations to the malleus, incus, and stapes. These bones send the vibration to the cochlea, where there are tiny hairs in the ear connected to nerves that are moved as a result.

Question 23

Belt and parabelt area in brain

Answer 23

Part of the auditory cortex. More responsive to complex stimuli = integrative and associated functions involved in pattern perception and object recognition

Question 24

Tonotopic maps in auditory cortex

Answer 24

Different tones are mapped to different parts of the brain. Note that after a sound is initially processed it is passed on to brain areas involved in higher cognitive processing such as memory

Question 25

Musical rewards

Answer 25

Endogenous dopamine release in striatum at peak emotional arousal while listening to music

Question 26

Hearing speech sounds

Answer 26

Wernicke’s area and secondary auditory complex (belt areas)

Question 27

Interaction of sound and vision

Answer 27

What we hear is influenced by what we see