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Vision

Vision

Vision is the result of light being detected and transduced into neural signals by the retina of the eye. This information is then further analyzed and interpreted by the brain. First, light enters the front of the eye and is focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina—a thin sheet of neural tissue lining the back of the eye. Because of refraction through the convex lens of the eye, images are projected onto the retina upside-down and reversed.

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...

Visual System

Visual System

Light enters the eye through the cornea, a transparent, dome-shaped surface covering the surface of the eyeball that helps to direct and focus incoming light. This light is then channeled toward the pupil, an adjustable opening whose size is controlled by the iris. The iris, a pigmented muscle, regulates the amount of light entering the eye by contracting or dilating the pupil, thereby ensuring optimal light levels for clear vision.
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.

Visual Agnosia

Visual Agnosia

Visual agnosia is a condition characterized by the inability to recognize visually presented objects despite having normal vision. For instance, a person with visual agnosia can describe the shape and color of an object but cannot identify or name it. This impairment does not affect their visual field, acuity, color vision, brightness discrimination, language, or memory. An example of this condition in a social setting is someone at a dinner party asking for "that silver thing with a round end"...

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

Depth perception is the ability to perceive objects three-dimensionally. It relies on two types of cues: binocular and monocular. Binocular cues depend on the combination of images from both eyes and how the eyes work together. Since the eyes are in slightly different positions, each eye captures a slightly different image. This disparity between images, known as binocular disparity, helps the brain interpret depth. When the brain compares these images, it determines the distance to an object.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

Published on: August 1, 2018

Age and culture modulate object processing and object-scene binding in the ventral visual area.

Joshua O Goh¹, Michael W Chee, Jiat Chow Tan

¹University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA.

Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience

|June 30, 2007

Summary

Cultural background influences visual processing, with elderly East Asians showing less object processing than Westerners. This highlights the brain's adaptability to cultural experiences.

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Last Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

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Stimulus-specific Cortical Visual Evoked Potential Morphological Patterns

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Cross-Modal Multivariate Pattern Analysis

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Published on: November 9, 2011

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Psychology
Cultural Neuroscience

Background:

Behavioral and neuroimaging studies show cultural differences in visual object and background processing.
Westerners tend to focus more on objects, activating specific neural structures, while East Asians show different patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate cultural and age-related differences in neural object processing, background processing, and object-background binding.
To compare young and elderly adults from East Asian and Western backgrounds using fMRI adaptation.

Main Methods:

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) adaptation paradigm.
Tested 75 young and old adults (half East Asian, half Western).
Examined neural responses in object and background processing areas, and binding regions.

Main Results:

All groups showed similar background processing in the parahippocampal gyrus.
Elderly adults (both East Asian and Western) exhibited diminished hippocampal binding processes.
Elderly individuals showed reduced object processing in the lateral occipital complex compared to young adults.
Elderly East Asians demonstrated significantly less adaptation in object areas than elderly Westerners.

Conclusions:

Perceptual processes are malleable and shaped by cultural experiences and cohort-specific differences.
Age impacts object-background binding and object processing, with cultural factors modulating these effects.
Findings underscore the influence of culture on neural mechanisms of visual perception across the lifespan.