Basic Vision

by Robert Snowden

Why do things look blurry underwater? Why do people drive too fast in fog? How do you high-pass filter a cup of tea? What have mixer taps to do with colour vision?Basic An Introduction to Visual Perception demystifies the processes through which we see the world. Written by three authors with over 80 years of research and undergraduate teaching experience between them, it leads the reader step-by-step through the intricacies of visual processing, with full-colour illustrations on nearly every page. The writing style captures the excitement of recent research in neuroscience that has transformed our understanding of visual processing, butdelivers it with a humour that keeps the reader enthused, rather than bemused.The book takes us through the various elements that come together as our perception of the world around the perception of size, colour, motion, and three-dimensional space. It illustrates the intricacy of the visual system, discussing its development during infancy, and revealing how the brain can get it wrong, either as a result of brain damage, through which the network of processes become compromised, or through illusion, where the brain compensates for mixed messages by seeing what itthinks should be there, rather than conveying the reality. The book also demonstrates the importance of contemporary techniques and methodology, and neuroscience-based techniques in particular, in driving forward our understanding of the visual system.Online Resource CentreThe Online Resource Centre to accompany Basic Vision For registered Figures from the book available to download, to facilitate lecture preparation. Test bank of multiple choice questions - a readily available tool for either formative or summative assessment.A Journal Club, with questions to lead students through key research articles that relate to topics covered in the book.For Annotated web links, giving students ready access to these additional learning resourc

Genres: Psychology, Science, Art, Nonfiction

421 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Melarish Ish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is what all textbooks should be like - you read, you laugh, you enjoy and accidentally become a little smarter :)

[Beril Naz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, as a Psychology student who has suffered from the "Perception and Attention" module last year, when I was given this as the main book for "Visual Perception and Illusions" I thought "Here we go again..." But I LOVED THIS BOOK. I mean, as much as a student can love a book from a university's mandatory reading list. The way it was written was so witty and empathetic. All the little jokes about how boring some of the details are and the examples made exam revision much easier. Who knew a book on visual perception could actually be likable. And guess who aced her exam thanks to this book... *Insert girl raising her hand emoji*

[Minyoung · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic textbook that covers, well, the basics of vision. Learning about the structure of the eye, how we believe perception works, and different testing methodologies, can all be incredibly dry material. Thankfully, the authors of this book have made the subject matter digestible by weaving in a healthy dose of humor into the text. There was one line that felt like a personal attack (I read the line "If you lead a sad and uninteresting life, you may have this book as bedtime reading" as I was using the book as bedtime reading...), but one quickly learns that no-one is safe from the dry humor of the authors, as there are plenty of jokes made at the expense of various professions, patients with brain damage, and even the authors themselves. It's all tongue-in-cheek, however, and makes for an enjoyable and educational read.

Thinking back, I believe this book was an optional supplemental reading in my Mammalian Vision course during my undergrad many years ago, and I kind of wish that it was used as the primary text instead of whatever we actually ended up using. Maybe I'd have scored better than a B...

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the whole damn thing for my Perception & Attention class so I'm sure as shit gonna add it to my read list for this year!
Honestly though, this textbook is lit. It covers some topics that can often be very dry and sometimes hard to grasp - but does so in an incredibly accessible, easy-to-read manner. The dry, English humour really helps too, and I particularly enjoy the passages where the authors insult the reader. Actually entertaining, and probably the least arduous textbook I've ever read.

[Fernando · Rating 4 out of 5]

How objects are perceived depends on the available light and the physiology of the observer.