About the Book
This work collects together 25 articles in visual perception. It provides the reader with an overview of key research ideas as they first appeared. The articles span a century of research: the earliest was published in 1894, the most recent in 1997. There are examples from each of the many disciplines that have contributed to our current understanding of vision, including experimental psychology, cognitive neuropsychology, neurophysiology, and functional neuroimaging. The topics include theoretical perspectives (e.g. Helmholtz, Marr, Gibson), early vision (e.g. Hubel and Weisel, Newsome), perceptual organization and constancy (e.g. Wertheimer, Wallach, Rock), object and spatial vision (e.g. Biederman, Ungerleider & Mishkin), and visual attention and awareness (e.g. Treisman, Desimone, Weizkrantz). A brief introduction to each article by the editor provides an intellectual context and pointers to subsequent developments. Suggestions for further reading and discussion questions provide a framework for students to strengthen their understanding of different topics.
Table of Contents:
Visual Perception: An Overview. Part I: Theoretical Perspectives. H. von Helmholtz, Concerning the Perceptions in General. W. Tanner and J. Swets, A Decision-Making Theory of Visual Detection. H. Barlow, Single Units and Sensation: A Neuron Doctrine for Perceptual Psychology? J. Gibson, The Theory of Information Pickup and its Consequences. D. Marr, The Philosophy and the Approach. Part II: Early Vision. L. Hurvich and D. Jamison, An Opponent-Process Theory of Color Vision. D. Hubel and T. Weisel, Receptive Fields and Functional Architecture of Monkey Striate Cortex. C. Blakemore and F. Campbell, On the Existence of Neurons in the Human Visual System Selectively Sensitive to the Orientation and Size of Retinal Images. S. Zeki, J. Watson, C. Lueck, K. Friston, C. Kennard, R. Frackowiak, A Direct Demonstration of Functional Specialization in Human Visual Cortex. W. Newsome, K. Britten, and J. Movshon, Neuronal Correlates of a Perceptual Decision. Part III: Perceptual Organization and Constancy. M. Wertheimer, Laws of Organization in Perceptual Forms. E. Rubin, Figure and Ground. L. Kaufman and I. Rock, The Moon Illusion. H. Wallach, Brightness Constancy and the Nature of Achromatic Colors. I. Rock, R. Nijhawan, S. Palmer, and L. Tudor, Grouping Based on Phenomenal Similarity of Achromatic Color. Part IV: Object and Spatial Vision. H. Lissauer, A Case of Visual Agnosia with a Contribution to Theory. M. Mishkin, L. Ungerleider, and K. Macko, Object Vision and Spatial Vision: Two Cortical Pathways. E. Adelson and J. Movshon, Phenomenal Coherence of Moving Visual Patterns. R. Shepard and J. Metzler, Mental Rotation of Three-Dimensional Objects. I. Biederman, Recognition-by-Components: A Theory of Human Image Understanding. Part V: Visual Attention and Awareness. A. Treisman and G. Gelade, A Feature-Integration Theory of Attention. K. O'Craven, B. Rosen, K. Kwong, A. Treisman, and R. Savoy, Voluntary Attention Modulates fMRI Activity in Human MT-MST. L. Weiskrantz, E. Warrington, M. Sanders, and J. Marshall, Visual Capacity in the Hemianopic Field Following a Restricted Occipital Ablation. D. Scheinberg and N. Logothetis, The Role of Temporal Cortical Areas in Perceptual Organization. Appendix: Reading Journal Articles in Cognition Psychology. Author Index. Subject Index. 6 Color Plates.
Review :
"Yantis has collected a terrific sample of some of the best articles ever written about vision. They include classical writings by giants such as Helmholtz, Wertheimer, and Gibson, as well as modern contributions by pioneers like Marr, Shepard, and Treisman. Every serious student of vision should own this book ... and know its contents cover to cover." -- Professor Stephen Palmer, University of California, Berkeley
