Author Question: Describe the key functions of the major pathways in the visual cortex. What will be an ideal ... (Read 62 times)

Zulu123 · **on:** Jun 22, 2018

Describe the key functions of the major pathways in the visual cortex.

What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

One way to test the hypothesis that people are biologically adapted to learn best during a critical period is to ____.

a. compare the vocabularies of children and adults
b. determine whether people learn a second language better than a first language
c. determine whether people learn a second language if they start at various ages
d. compare the grammar use of children and adults

kaylee05 · **Reply #1 on:** Jun 22, 2018

Answer to Question 1

The primary visual cortex (V1) sends information to the secondary visual cortex (area V2), which processes the information further and transmits it to additional areas. The connections in the visual cortex are reciprocal. For example, V1 sends information to V2, and V2 returns information to V1.
From V2, the information branches out in several directions for specialized processing. Researchers distinguish between the ventral stream and the dorsal stream. They call the ventral stream through the temporal cortex the what pathway, because it is specialized for identifying and recognizing objects. The dorsal stream through the parietal cortex, once called the where pathway, is now called the how pathway, because of its importance for visually guided movements.
Although the distinction between ventral and dorsal pathways is useful, we should not overstate it.
Normal behavior makes use of both pathways in collaboration (Farivar, 2009), and although
damage to either pathway impairs some tasks more than others, it affects all tasks to some degree.

Answer to Question 2

c