PSYC 215 Chapter Notes -Photopic Vision, Spatial Frequency, Luminous Intensity

• School: Queen's University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 215
• Professor: Niko Troje

Document Summary

Adaptations are the microelectrodes of psychophysics, allowing us to identify processing channels and tuning curves without physiological intervention. Measuring orientation tuning: method 1: present a neuron with different orientation stimuli, with same intensity. Measure and plot firing rates to create tuning curve, with highest firing rate for optimal orientation: method 2: determine criterion of specific firing rate, then look for orientation and intensity needed to arrive at this criterion. Power of populations: a simple cell with centre-surround response has ambiguous firing response to spatial frequency and contrast. Similarly, a photoreceptor by itself has ambiguity between light intensity and direction: a single photoreceptor cannot see colour, due to ambiguity between wavelength and intensity: The ratio between the stimulation of the two informs type of stimulus (e. g. wavelength closer to optimal of one), while the sum of the stimulation informs the intensity of the stimulus (brightness: e. g.