Question 1

The patient D.F., studied by Goodale and Milner 1982), had severe problems with object recognition. When presented with a circular block into which a slot had been cut,
A) D.F. was able to insert a card into the slot when asked to do so, even though she was unable to follow the instruction to orient the card so that it would fit.
B) D.F. was able to orient the card so that it would fit into the slot but was not able to insert the card into the slot when asked to do so.
C) D.F. was unable to deduce that this object could be used to contain slips of paper upon touching it.
D) D.F. was able to deduce that this object could be used to contain slips of paper but was
Unable to provide a name for the object upon touching it.

Accepted Answer

D.F. had visual form agnosia, which impaired her ability to recognize objects and their orientations, but her ability to perform actions based on visual information was intact.

Question 2

Pohl 1973) conducted a study of the "what" and "where" pathways in brain-lesioned monkeys using two different tasks: a landmark discrimination task, which required a visuospatial judgment, and an object discrimination task, which required object recognition. He found that monkeys with temporal lobe lesions became severely impaired in learning the task but not the task. Monkeys with posterior parietal lesions showed the pattern of performance.
A) object discrimination ; landmark discrimination ; same
B) landmark discrimination ; object discrimination ; same
C) object discrimination ; landmark discrimination ; opposite
D) landmark discrimination ; object discrimination ; opposite

Accepted Answer

C

Question 3

According to ensemble theories of object recognition, it is possible to confuse similar-looking objects because
A) objects that appear similar activate overlapping networks of cells.
B) similar-looking objects activate the same grandmother cell.
C) cells in the extrastriate cortex have large receptive fields and therefore low spatial resolution.
D) object constancy prevents the visual system from encoding fine details about objects.

Accepted Answer

Ensemble theories propose that object recognition relies on the activation of overlapping population codes in the visual cortex. Objects that share similar features will therefore activate similar neural populations, making it more difficult to discriminate between them. This is known as the "similarity problem" in object recognition.

Question 4

Anatomical outputs from the occipital lobe follow two major axon bundles that terminate in the and .
A) anterior parietal lobe ; posterior frontal lobe
B) posterior frontal lobe ; inferior temporal lobe
C) inferior temporal lobe ; posterior parietal lobe
D) posterior parietal lobe ; anterior parietal lobe

Accepted Answer

The occipital lobe's anatomical outputs primarily follow two major axon bundles that terminate in the inferior temporal lobe and the posterior parietal lobe. These pathways are crucial for processing visual information and integrating it with other sensory inputs.

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT a problem with the idea that single neurons encode the mental representations for all possible complex visual stimuli?
A) Loss of any single visual recognition neuron would have too great an impact on perception.
B) These single neurons would have to adapt as the objects they respond to change over time.
C) There is no neurophysiological evidence that visual cells respond to specific types of stimuli.
D) This approach cannot explain how we recognize novel objects.

Accepted Answer

There is neurophysiological evidence that certain visual cells respond to specific types of stimuli, such as faces or specific objects, which contradicts the statement in option C.

Question 6

With regard to the two main output pathways from the occipital lobe, is to as dorsal is to ventral.
A) "where" ; "what"
B) "what" ; "where"
C) "who" ; "what"
D) "what" ; "who"

Accepted Answer

The dorsal pathway, also known as the "where" pathway, is responsible for processing visual information related to spatial awareness, motion, and location. The ventral pathway, also known as the "what" pathway, is responsible for processing visual information related to object recognition and identification.

Question 7

is the ability to recognize an object under many different viewing conditions and in many different contexts.
A) Ensemble coding
B) Object constancy
C) Apperceptive agnosia
D) Repetition suppression

Accepted Answer

Object constancy refers to the ability to recognize an object under different viewing conditions and in different contexts. Ensemble coding is the ability to perceive the overall statistical properties of a set of objects. Apperceptive agnosia is a visual perceptual disorder in which an individual cannot recognize objects despite intact vision. Repetition suppression refers to a decreased neural response to a stimulus that has been repeated.

Question 8

A patient like G.S. who had visual object agnosia would have difficulty in identifying an object unless
A) the object had been familiar to him prior to his brain injury.
B) he was asked to describe the object's use rather than its specific name.
C) he was permitted to touch the object before making a response.
D) the object was presented in the contralesional side of the visual field.

Accepted Answer

Visual object agnosia is a condition where a person has difficulty recognizing objects visually. However, they can often identify objects through other sensory modalities, such as touch. Therefore, allowing the patient to touch the object before responding could help them identify it.

Question 9

The statement "recognition of a visual pattern at a later time occurs only if you can match the stimulus to its exact stored representation" is most consistent with which theory of pattern perception?
A) view-dependent
B) object-centered
C) recognition-by-parts
D) semantic categorization

Accepted Answer

The view-dependent theory suggests that recognition occurs by matching the stimulus to stored representations from specific viewpoints, requiring an exact match.

Question 10

Optic ataxia is to associative visual agnosia as lesions are to lesions.
A) posterior parietal ; superior temporal
B) inferior parietal ; posterior temporal
C) dorsal pathway ; ventral pathway
D) ventral pathway ; dorsal pathway

Accepted Answer

Optic ataxia results from lesions in the dorsal pathway (which is associated with the posterior parietal cortex), affecting the ability to coordinate visual information with motor actions. Associative visual agnosia results from lesions in the ventral pathway (associated with the temporal lobe), affecting the ability to recognize objects.

Question 11

The "what" versus "where" distinction is supported by single-cell recording studies showing that neurons in the lobes have receptive fields that are almost always located in the fovea, where high-acuity vision takes place.
A) anterior occipital
B) inferior temporal
C) posterior parietal
D) superior temporal

Accepted Answer

The "what" versus "where" distinction in visual processing is supported by findings that neurons in the inferior temporal lobes are primarily involved in object recognition (the "what"), and these neurons have receptive fields in the fovea, which is the area of the retina responsible for high-acuity vision.

Question 12

Optic ataxia is an inability to
A) name familiar objects.
B) read, acquired as an adult.
C) recognize familiar visual objects.
D) use visual information to guide movements.

Accepted Answer

Optic ataxia is a condition where individuals have a difficulty in using visual information to guide movements, even though their vision is intact. It is caused by damage to the parietal lobe of the brain, which is responsible for integrating sensory information and motor planning. Therefore, options A, B, and C are not accurate descriptions of optic ataxia.

Question 13

When her telephone rings, a patient who has been diagnosed with visual object agnosia immediately picks up the receiver and answers it correctly. Why doesn't this person show any signs of an object recognition deficit in this scenario?
A) The patient can still recognize extremely familiar objects, such as her own belongings.
B) The patient is impaired only in the recognition of faces, not other classes of objects.
C) The patient can use the sound of the ringing telephone to cue its recognition.
D) The patient can recognize objects as long as they remain stationary.

Accepted Answer

The patient with visual object agnosia may have difficulty recognizing objects visually, but they can still use other cues, such as sounds or context, to identify objects. In this scenario, the sound of the telephone ringing serves as a cue for the patient to recognize it and answer it correctly.

Question 14

Eliminating a gnostic unit would
A) slightly disrupt recognition of a region of space.
B) slightly disrupt recognition of a complex object.
C) completely disrupt recognition of a region of space.
D) completely disrupt recognition of a complex object.

Accepted Answer

Gnostic units are neural populations that are responsible for recognizing complex objects. Eliminating a gnostic unit would completely disrupt recognition of that object.

Question 15

During a single-cell recording study, you locate a neuron in one of the two main output pathways from the occipital cortex that has a large receptive field in the central part of the visual field. The cell probably lies inside the pathway and is specialized for .
A) dorsal ; object recognition
B) ventral ; spatial layout
C) parietal ; spatial layout
D) temporal ; object recognition

Accepted Answer

The fact that the neuron has a large receptive field in the central part of the visual field suggests that it is involved in processing high-acuity information, which is typically associated with object recognition. The fact that it is located in one of the two main output pathways from the occipital cortex further suggests that it is part of the ventral pathway, which is specialized for object recognition. Therefore, the best choice is D, temporal for object recognition.

Question 16

An undercover agent notices a green car parked outside her apartment building when she leaves for work at 8:00 A.m. Later she notices the same car in a store parking lot and becomes suspicious that she is being followed. The agent's ability to recognize the car under these two different circumstances is an example of
A) viewer-centered object recognition.

B) object constancy.
C) perceptual categorization.
D) property-based organization.

Accepted Answer

Object constancy refers to the ability to recognize an object under different conditions, such as changes in lighting, orientation, or distance. In this case, the agent was able to recognize the green car in two different contexts, which demonstrates her ability to perceive objects consistently despite changes in the environment. The other options are not as relevant to this scenario. Viewer-centered object recognition refers to perceiving an object relative to one's own position, which is not applicable here. Perceptual categorization involves grouping objects based on shared characteristics, which is not explicitly demonstrated in this situation. Property-based organization refers to how we categorize objects based on their physical properties, which may not be relevant to this scenario depending on how the agent identifies the green car.

Question 17

The term associative agnosia is reserved for patients who
A) have perceptual impairments due to problems with the ventral stream.
B) cannot recognize objects despite having normal perceptual representations.
C) have perceptual impairments due to problems with the dorsal stream.
D) cannot recognize objects due to compromised perceptual representations.

Accepted Answer

Associative agnosia is characterized by the inability to recognize objects despite having intact perceptual processing, meaning the perceptual representations are normal, but the association with meaning is impaired.

Question 18

A role of the dorsal visual system in computing the way in which a movement should be produced argues for a dichotomy between
A) "why" and "where".
B) "where" and "what".
C) "what" and "how".
D) "how" and "why".

Accepted Answer

The role of the dorsal visual system in computing the way a movement should be produced suggests that it is responsible for the "how" of movement, while the "what" (identifying the object) is processed by the ventral visual system. Therefore, the dichotomy is between "what" and "how".

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT a major reason why the visual information reflected by an object will vary over different viewings?
A) Objects can be viewed from multiple orientations.
B) Objects are seen in the context of other objects, and they may partially occlude one another.
C) Objects are associated with view-dependent major axes.
D) Objects can be viewed under different illumination conditions.

Accepted Answer

Objects being associated with view-dependent major axes is not a major reason for variation in visual information; rather, it is a concept related to how objects are perceived and recognized. The other options describe factors that cause variations in visual information.

Question 20

When a picture of a hammer is placed in front of Patient H, she is unable to identify it. How can you determine if her difficulty is in recognizing the object or in simply remembering its name?
A) Ask her to demonstrate its use rather than identifying it.
B) Ask her to close her eyes before attempting to name it.
C) Ask her to copy the picture of the object instead of naming it.
D) Ask her to trace the outline of the object instead of naming it.

Accepted Answer

By asking her to demonstrate its use, we are testing her ability to recognize the function of the object rather than just its name. This will help determine if her difficulty is in recognizing the object itself or in recalling its name.

Quiz 6: Object Recognition

The patient D.F., studied by Goodale and Milner 1982) , had severe problems with object recognition. When presented with a circular block into which a slot had been cut,

According to ensemble theories of object recognition, it is possible to confuse similar-looking objects because

Anatomical outputs from the occipital lobe follow two major axon bundles that terminate in the and .

Which of the following is NOT a problem with the idea that single neurons encode the mental representations for all possible complex visual stimuli?

With regard to the two main output pathways from the occipital lobe, is to as dorsal is to ventral.

is the ability to recognize an object under many different viewing conditions and in many different contexts.

A patient like G.S. who had visual object agnosia would have difficulty in identifying an object unless

The statement "recognition of a visual pattern at a later time occurs only if you can match the stimulus to its exact stored representation" is most consistent with which theory of pattern perception?

Optic ataxia is to associative visual agnosia as lesions are to lesions.

The "what" versus "where" distinction is supported by single-cell recording studies showing that neurons in the lobes have receptive fields that are almost always located in the fovea, where high-acuity vision takes place.

Optic ataxia is an inability to

When her telephone rings, a patient who has been diagnosed with visual object agnosia immediately picks up the receiver and answers it correctly. Why doesn't this person show any signs of an object recognition deficit in this scenario?

Eliminating a gnostic unit would

During a single-cell recording study, you locate a neuron in one of the two main output pathways from the occipital cortex that has a large receptive field in the central part of the visual field. The cell probably lies inside the pathway and is specialized for .

The term associative agnosia is reserved for patients who

A role of the dorsal visual system in computing the way in which a movement should be produced argues for a dichotomy between

Which of the following is NOT a major reason why the visual information reflected by an object will vary over different viewings?

When a picture of a hammer is placed in front of Patient H, she is unable to identify it. How can you determine if her difficulty is in recognizing the object or in simply remembering its name?