Optic Flow
Appearance of objects as the observer moves past them
Gradient Flow
Differences in flow as a function of distance from the observer (the speed it moves = how far away the thing is)
Focus Expansion
Point in distance where there is no flow/movement
(the direction you are headed)
Invariant Information
Information that remains constant regardless of what the observer is doing or how the observer is moving.
Self-Produced Information (Somersaulting)
Can be performed by learning a predetermined sequence of moves.
Gymnast Experiment
Found that expert gymnasts performed worse with their eyes closed.
Novice gymnasts do not show this effect.
Vision and Balance
Vision can override other sense that provide feedback about body placement (swinging room, you sway with it)
Affordances
Information that indicates how an object can be used
Visual Direction Strategy
Observers keep their body pointed towards a target
Spatial Updating
Process by which we keep track of our position within a environment while moving.
Blind Walking Experiments show _____
That people can navigate without any visual stimulation from the environment
Wayfinding
Process of navigating through the environment
Involves perceiving objects in the environments, remembering objects and their relation to the overall scene, and knowing when to turn and in what direction
Beacon
Marks the location of goal
Landmark
Distinct Stimuli that has a fixed relation to goal
Geometry Coding Strategy
Equivalent corners.
Feature Coding Strategies
Using features (colours, etc) to find location.
Stimulus Coding
How a stimulus is represented in memory
Cognitive Maps
Mental representations of environment that allows us to navigate that environment
Navigational Codes
Landmarks and Beacons
Morris Water Maze
Tank of coloured water with a hidden platform, rats use spatial cues within room to find the platform quicker
Radial Arm Maze
Rats find food by comparing the food in relation to nature
Retrospective Coding
Where you have been, Thinking about past events
Prospective Coding
Where you need to go, Imagining future events
Strategy to Reduce Memory Load
Switch from retrospective to prospective coding when you are half-way through
