Visual Perception and Memory Flashcards
6 cards from real FEAST practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Visual Perception and Memory flashcards as text
Iconic memory in the context of visual perception refers to:
Answer: A brief, high-capacity visual buffer that holds a complete snapshot of the visual scene for approximately 0.5 seconds after stimulus offset
Iconic memory is a very brief, high-capacity sensory register that retains a complete visual representation of the scene for a fraction of a second before decay.
A controller must rapidly scan a radar display and identify any aircraft not on their cleared heading within 5 seconds. This task specifically tests:
Answer: Visual search speed and accuracy — the ability to rapidly detect targets against complex backgrounds
Rapid target detection within a time limit against a complex background is a direct measure of visual search speed and accuracy.
The Gestalt principle of 'proximity' in radar display visual perception means that:
Answer: Aircraft close together on the display are perceptually grouped, which can help controllers see clusters and formations but may cause individual tracks to be overlooked
The Gestalt law of proximity states that spatially close items are automatically grouped perceptually — applied to radar, this affects how controllers perceive track clusters.
A controller looks at the radar display for 3 seconds, then looks away. Approximately how long can they retain an accurate visual memory of the display?
Answer: A few seconds in visual working memory after iconic memory (0.5 sec) decays — with degradation within 5–10 seconds
After iconic memory (0.5 sec) decays, visual information held in visual working memory degrades significantly within 5–10 seconds without active rehearsal.
When two adjacent aircraft tracks on a radar display are very close together and their labels overlap, the visual challenge for the controller is best described as:
Answer: Figure-ground segregation failure — difficulty separating individual tracks (figures) from the combined label clutter (ground)
When aircraft tracks and labels overlap, figure-ground segregation (distinguishing each track as a distinct figure from the cluttered background) becomes difficult.
A controller who has worked the same sector for 5 years demonstrates superior speed and accuracy in reading and interpreting the radar display compared to a newly qualified controller. The cognitive mechanism most responsible for this advantage is:
Answer: Perceptual learning — years of practice automates pattern recognition, reducing the cognitive effort required for display interpretation
Perceptual learning through extended practice automates recognition processes, allowing experts to extract meaning from displays faster and with less cognitive effort than novices.