AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Physical and neurophysiological basis of perception. Structure and function of the main neurosensorial systems (vision, audition, touch). Perceptual phenomenology, cognition and behavior.  Systems and techniques for assessing and conditioning human perception and behavior.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Provide fondations on the physical and physiological basis of visual, auditory and somatosensory perception. Emphasis will be given to sensorial processes that support action and behavior.
• Provide students with theoretical and practical instruments to conduct experimental studies of perceptual processes.

TEACHING METHODS

Traditional lectures (48 hours) with integrative course contribution on  "Multisensory integration mechanisms in seeing and blind subjects".

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

• Part I – Neurophysiological basis of perception:  Transduction principles, perception-action cycles. Functional characterization of the main perceptual systems (visual system, auditory system, somesthetic system).
• Part II – Techniques for the analysis and interpretation of data:  Foundations of psychophysical techniques. Qualification of perceptual features. Representation and analysis of multidimensional signals.
• Part III – Interactive and enactive paradigms: Introduction to ecological perception (Gibson’s direct perception & sensorimotor theory). Linking images to 3D scene properties (image formation, projective geometry, pinhole camera, homogeneous coordinates). Scene reconstruction (stereoscopic geometry, parallel and vergent optical axes, geometry of the motion field).

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Slides and other distributed material (available through Aulaweb).

Recommended text:

G. Mather.  “Foundations of sensation and perception” (2nd edition) Psychology Press  2009

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

SILVIO PAOLO SABATINI (President)

MANUELA CHESSA

MONICA GORI

FABIO SOLARI

LESSONS

Class schedule

PERCEPTUAL SYSTEMS AND INTERACTION

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Written examination (short-answer questions) aimed to assess (1) the basic knowledge of the topics presented in the lectures and (2) the capability of analysing and solving specific problems . Oral discussion on the written exam.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The student should eventually demonstrate:

• Basic knowledge of biology, anatomy and physiology of neurosensorial systems.
• Capacity of distinguishing and analysing the correlations among perceptual sensations, characteristics of the sensory signals, and biological structure.
• Mastery of methods, techniques and instruments to experimentally characterize perceptual phemomenology.
• Experience of possible application domains.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

Propedeutic subjects: foundations of signal processing and calculus, "Perceptual systems and interaction”.