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Module 1.6b

different angle. They surmised that these specialized neurons, now known as feature detec-
tors, receive information from individual ganglion cells in the retina. Feature detectors
pass this specific information to other cortical areas, where teams of cells (supercell clusters) TEACH 1.6-7
respond to more complex patterns.
For biologically important objects and events, monkey brains (and surely ours as well) Enrichment
have a “vast visual encyclopedia” distributed in the form of specialized cells (Perrett et al., Remind students that the human
1990, 1992, 1994). These cells respond to one type of stimulus, such as a specific gaze, head
angle, posture, or body movement. Other supercell clusters integrate this information brain—especially our visual system—
and fire only when the cues collectively indicate the direction of someone’s attention and is uniquely capable of parallel pro-
approach. This instant analysis, which aided our ancestors’ survival, also helps a hockey cessing, as discussed in Module 1.5a.
player anticipate where to shoot the puck, and a driver to anticipate a pedestrian’s next
movement. In fact, London’s police depart-
As we noted in Module 1.4, one tempo- ment has a special unit of “super-
ral lobe area by your right ear (Figure 1.6-15) Figure 1.6-15 recognizers” who are especially adept
enables you to perceive faces and, thanks How your brain processes
to a specialized neural network, to recog- faces at linking images of suspects from
nize them from varied viewpoints (Connor, In social animals such as crime camera footage to their mem-
2010). This fusiform face area helps us recog- humans, a large right temporal ories for prior convicts to facilitate
nize friends (Wiese et al., 2019). If your fusi- lobe area (shown here in a right-
form face area were stimulated, you might facing brain) is dedicated to the arrests.
crucial task of face recognition.
Distributed by Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Not for redistribution.
spontaneously see faces. One study partici- Viewing famous people’s faces,
pant reported to an experimenter, “You just compared with famous buildings, Note that this police unit is described in detail
turned into someone else. Your face meta- increases activation in this in a New Yorker article found at newyorker.com
fusiform face area (Gorno-Tempini
morphosed” (Koch, 2015). Face recognition area & Price, 2001). /magazine/2016/08/22/londons-super-recognizer
(fusiform face area)
When researchers temporarily disrupt -police-force.
Copyright © Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers.
the brain’s face-processing areas with mag-
netic pulses, people cannot recognize faces.
But they can still recognize other objects, such as houses, because the brain’s face perception
occurs separately from its object perception (McKone et al., 2007; Pitcher et al., 2007). Thus,
fMRI scans have shown different brain areas becoming activated when people view varied
objects (Downing et al., 2001). Brain activity is so specific that, with the help of brain scans,
researchers can tell whether people are “looking at a shoe, a chair, or a face, based on the
pattern of their brain activity” (Haxby, 2001).
®
AP Science Practice
PRACTICE
Research
An fMRI is often used as an
operational definition of brain Research Methods & Design
activity in neuroscience research.
Operational definitions are the (SP 2)
exact procedures (or operations)
used in a research study. Without (5 minutes) Ask students why
them, researchers couldn’t repli- operational definitions are so
cate studies to ensure the results
are valid. important. (Psychologists report
their research with precise, mea-
Supercells score In this 2017 surable operational definitions of
Patrick McDermott/Getty Images Ovechkin (in red) instantly processed Visual processing, for example,
National Hockey League game, Alex
research procedures and concepts.
visual information about the positions
and movements of three opponents.
may be defined as “brain activity
By using his pattern-detecting
supercells, Ovechkin somehow
on a FMRI scan.” By using carefully
managed to get the puck into the net.
worded statements, others can
Sensation: Vision Module 1.6b 131 replicate the original observations
with different participants, materials,
and circumstances. If they get
similar results, confidence in the
03_myersAPpsychology4e_28116_ch01_002_163.indd 131 15/12/23 9:25 AM
finding’s reliability grows.)

Sensation: Vision Module 1.6b 131

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