Softcover

ISBN 10: 019957202X ISBN 13: 9780199572021

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2012

Basic Vision: An Introduction to Visual Perception demystifies the processes through which we see the world.

Written by three authors with over eighty years of research and undergraduate teaching experience between them, the book leads students step by step through the various elements that come together in our perception of size, color, 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 it thinks 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.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
* Engaging writing style captures the excitement of recent research

* Engaging boxes take students deeper into the subject, offering further explanations of key concepts

* Full-color artwork conveys important principles in a visually stimulating way

* Companion Website (www.oup.com/uk/orc/bin/9780199572021) includes student resources (weblinks) and instructor resources for registered adopters of the text for students, and resources for registered adopters of the text (downloadable figures from the book, a Test Bank of multiple-choice questions, and a "Journal Club" with questions to lead students through key research articles that relate to topics covered in the book)

About the Author:

Robert Snowden is a Professor in the School of Psychology, Cardiff University, where his research spans visual perception, attention, and abnormal psychology.

Peter Thompson is Senior Lecturer in Visual Psychophysics in the Department of Psychology, University of York, where his research examines the perception of motion and speed.

Tom Troscianko is Professor of Psychology in the Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, where his research explores perception, cognition, and action.

Review:

"This the best textbook I have come across that dedicates enough time and space to describing the underlying physiology of the visual system and why understanding these neural mechanisms is critical to understanding human visual perception. The 'conversational' style is great for breaking down the barriers between students' apprehensions and the neuroscientific aspects of the field."--Nick Barraclough, University of Hull

"I was very pleased to discover Basic Vision. The style is very engaging, and it covers all the main topics. The explanations are clear and generally well-pitched for undergraduates."--Kielan Yarrow, City University