Psychology 3215

Perception - Fall 2014

Dr. Kenneth M. Steele

Smith Wright 310F

Office Hours: 12:00 - 1:30 MTWR, and by appointment

phone: 262-2272 x-436

email: [email protected]

Textbook: S. Yantis (2014). Sensation & Perception.

Online material: www1.appstate.edu/~kms/

Description of the course:

This is an introductory survey course on perception. Historically, the study of perception is one of the first areas to emerge in psychology, and is concerned with the question of how we know the world. Answers involve being able to bridge three topic areas: a description of the physical stimulus (what is light? What happens when light rays strike an object and are reflected toward you?), how our bodies react to that stimulus (what happens when those reflected light rays hit the back of our eyes?), and the relation of both of those to our perceptual experience (What a delicious looking apple!). So be prepared to do skipping back and forth as we will integrate physics, physiology, and phenomenology.

The course is broken into four sections. The first section is concerned with the psychophysical method. This sections covers the methods by which people establish the relationship between physical events and subjective experience. The psychophysical method is both a philosophy about how to think about the world and a set of techniques derived from that philosophy. Next we will move to vision, the most investigated system. We will begin with some basic physiology and then move into an analysis of brightness, color, and form. In the next section, we will examine the perception of space, motion, and form (again). In the final section, we will cover audition, the next most investigated system. In all cases we will be connecting 3 descriptive systems-- physics, physiology, and the perceptual experience-- to understand the tasks and goals of the perceptual system..

One of the fun aspects of studying perception is that the effects are easy to see with just one subject, and that subject can be yourself. SO I do many mini-experiments/demonstrations in class. I put the demonstrations and figures on my website so that you can look at them at other times. Plan on visiting my website often. Go to http://www1.appstate.edu/~kms and click on the link to this class. The "Topics" link will take you to the in-class material.

The class schedule below is a brief version of the topics webpage. Go to the topics webpage to see all the details. There are many more links than we will use in class. Some are there for fun and some are there so that I can respond to questions. I will point out the important links as we go through the material. Do not treat the webpage as a PowerPoint slide show.You may want to print the complete topics page out so that you can make notes about the flow of the course.

Tests, grades, and your busy schedule:

There will be four multiple-choice tests during the semester. The percent correct for each test will be averaged across the four tests to compute your final grade. I will post a study guide and there will be a question and answer period preceding each test. Come prepared and use it to your advantage.

There is an optional multiple-choice final exam. Your final grade is based on the average of 4 exams. If you have taken 4 exams and are happy with your grade then you do not have to take the final exam. If you have taken 4 exams during the semester, and the final exam, then your grade will be based on your 4 highest scores. If you miss an exam during the semester then the final exam serves as the "make-up" exam. You can only make-up one exam.

The final letter grade will be assigned on a 10- point scale (100-90, A; 89-80, B; 79-70, C; 69-60, D; below 60, F). Pluses and minuses will be assigned for averages that are 2 points from a higher or 2 points from a lower grade (e.g., C+ for a 78 or 79, C- for a 70 or 71).

Finally, remember that your grade is a measure of your performance and not whether I like you, how smart you are, how busy you are, etc., etc. Save yourself time wasted in groveling for points.

Attendance, classroom behavior, and life:

I will call attendance for the first few classes so that I can connect names with faces. I don�t record daily attendance because I assume that you are adults, and will only miss class when absolutely necessary. If you skip class then you will likely do miserably or fail tests. This is no joke. I make up the tests based on what happened in class. I test in detail on what I think the class should know. If you skip class and fail tests then I will have no sympathy.

I will record attendance some variable number of times during the semester. If you are there 3/4 of the time or more then you will get a Woody Allen Award of a point on your final grade. (Woody Allen said, "Ninety percent of success is just showing up on time.")

Please, Please, Please ask questions. Don�t let the moment of confusion pass by. Don�t worry about the rest of the class, your job is to make sure that you understand.

Psychology 3215 Perception - Fall 2014
DATE	DAY	TOPIC
Measurement of Perceptual Experience
8/20	W	Course Requirements, etc.
8/22	F	Fechner: The mind-body problem and the importance of the absolute threshold Classical Psychophysical Techniques Your Textbook: 20 - 23
8/25	M	Difference thresholds & Weber's Law Your Textbook: 24 - 26
8/27	W	Weber's Law vs. Fechner's Law Your Textbook: 27
8/29	F	Magnitude estimation & Stevens' Power Law Your Textbook: 27-28
9/1	M	State Holiday
9/3	W	Signal Detection Theory Separating Strategy from Sensitivity Your Textbook: 32-40
9/5	F	Signal Detection Theory
9/8	M	Question & Answer/Review [ Study Guide ]
9/10	W	Test 1
		Test 1 Results
VISION I
9/12	F	What is light? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Everything you wanted to know about the Vertebrate Retina Your Textbook: 46-59
9/15	M	Structure of Eye continued
9/17	W	Duplex Retina Dark Adaptation Curve Purkinje Shift Your Textbook: 76-79
9/19	F	Brightness Constancy & Brightness Contrast Simultaneous Brightness Contrast Mach Bands Hermann Grid Illusion Lateral Inhibition Your Textbook: 73-75, 177-180
9/22	M	Color Additive Colors Subtractive Colors The Munsell System of Color Notation CIE XYZ Color System Your Textbook: 153-160
9/24	W	Mechanisms of Color Young-Helmholtz Trichromatic Theory Hering - Opponent Process Theory Your Textbook: 153-174
9/26	F	Color Blindness and Color Deficiencies Your Textbook: 180-182
9/29	M	Color Contrast and Color Constancy Color Constancy Return to Issue of Source of Illuminance Edwin Land - Mondrian Experiments Chromatic Illuminance vs. Reflectance Your Textbook: 175-177
10/1	W	Finding Edges vs. Filling In Fading Dot Color AfterEffect Illusion
10/3	F	Question & Answer/Review [ Study Guide ]
10/6	M	TEST 2
		Test 2 Results
VISION II
10/8	W	Space, Distance, & Depth - Binocular Cues The Horopter and Retinal Disparity Your Textbook: 203-206
10/10	F	Manipulation of Binocular Cues to Produce Depth Effects Binocular Stereograms Anaglyphs Bela Julez and the Random Dot Stereogram Your Textbook: 207-210
10/13	M	Space, Distance, & Depth - Monocular Cues Monocular Cues Linear Perspective Approach Ames Room (2 Mb QT Movie) Ames Room Anamorphic Illusions Richard Gregory "Inappropriate Scaling" Theory Your Textbook: 190-198
10/15	W	Perception of Movement Corollary Discharge Theory Autokinetic Effect Drift-Induced Motion Your Textbook: 241-245
10/17	F	Fall Break
10/20	M	Motion Parallax James Jerome Gibson Your Textbook: 200-202
10/22	W	Stroboscopic Motion: Beta vs. Phi and MagnaPhi Beta Motion - Unconscious Inference Stroboscopic Motion: Wagon wheel Illusion Phi Motion (Happy Fechner Day!!)
10/24	F	Form The Gestalt Psychologists and Von Ehrenfels Rubin's Vase - Figure/Ground Organization 4 Laws of Grouping The Problem of Prediction Your Textbook: 117-138
10/27	M	Question & Answer/Review [ Study Guide ]
10/29	W	TEST 3
		Test 3 Results
AUDITION: Parallels and Differences
10/31	M	Physics of Sound Sound as a Sine Wave Frequency Amplitude Phase Interference Complex waves A general problem for the hearing system Your Textbook: 288-291
11/3	M	Auditory Physiology 1000 Hz tone The Ear Outer Ear Middle Ear Inner Ear Your Textbook: 297-306
11/5	W	Auditory Physiology & Pitch Helmholtz - The inside of a piano Rutherford Wever & Bray (1937) - Volley Principle Von Bekesy Basilar Membrane Animation Fourier Analysis Your Textbook: 307-313
11/7	F	Damaged Hearing Example Audiogram showing Sensorineural Loss Presbycusis Example Audiogram showing Conductive Loss Otoacoustic Emissions Cochlear Implant Your Textbook: 313-320
11/10	M	Psychophysics of Pitch and Loudness Audibility Function Equal Loudness Contours (Sound Demo) Frequency to Pitch function Amplitude-Frequency Shift (Equal Pitch Contours) Your Textbook: 291-293
11/12	W	Sound Localization The General Problem Interaural Intensity Difference - Frequency & Intensity Interaural Time Difference Cone of Confusion Head Motion Your Textbook: 329-337
11/17	M	Auditory Scene Analysis The General Problem Principles of Auditory Grouping: Your Textbook: 341-349
11/19	W	Music Pitch Perception Guitar Note (a closer look) Harmonics & Standing Waves Timbre The Missing Fundamental Effect Your Textbook: 294-297
11/21	F	Pitch as a linear scale - Piano Keyboard Octave effect Pitch chroma circle Octave Pitch vs. Frequency Pitch as a helix Your Textbook: 373-375
11/24	M	Consonance & Dissonance Prediction of Consonance and Dissonance: Physics and Physiology Your Textbook: 376-377
		Interactions Between Hearing & Seeing Visual Capture Your Textbook: 367-368
11/26	W	Thanksgiving Break
11/28	F	Thanksgiving Break
12/1	M	Question & Answer/Review [Study Guide ]
12/3	W	TEST 4
12/5	F	How to prep for Final Exam, Final Q &A
12/11	Th	Final Exam 3:00-5:30