Prelab STUDENT GUIDE

Name Jheseriz Mendoza, Joshua Blount, Ean Brown, Levi Eagle Date

Key Question
What are the various aspects of visual perception, and how do we evaluate them?
In this investigation, you rotate through 10 stations that each evaluate a different aspect of your own visual
perception. You will work with two other classmates and assist each other with the evaluations and data recording.
At the conclusion of the investigation, you will complete a series of assessment questions that summarize what you
learned in the investigation and apply it to real-world medical situations.

Background
Study the giraffe and the human shown below. With regards to positioning, what difference do you see in the eyes of
these animals?

Likely you have noticed that the man’s eyes are positioned at the front of his head, whereas the giraffe’s eyes are
located towards the sides of its head. Eye position tells us a lot about the type of vision an organism has, as well
as its relative position in the food chain. Predators, including humans, have binocular vision. As you observed in
the image above, the eyes of organisms with binocular vision are located towards the front of the head and see in
the same direction. Each eye, however, sees a slightly different image. When the brain interprets these two images,
a complete picture with enhanced depth is perceived by the organism. Such depth perception is necessary for a
predator, which must hunt for food. Without binocular vision and proper depth perception, a predator would have
a much more difficult time finding and capturing prey.
Conversely, giraffes—like numerous prey organisms—have panoramic vision. Their eyes are located towards the
sides of the head, allowing them to see in two different directions at the same time. Prey animals need to be aware
of their surroundings or else they could fall victim to a predator. Panoramic vision provides a larger range of sight,
making it easier for prey to spot a predator and attempt to hide or escape. This greater range of vision comes with a
cost, however; panoramic vision does not allow organisms to perceive depth accurately.

Visual Perception Kit S-1 ©2017 Carolina Biological Supply Company

 STUDENT GUIDE Prelab (continued)
1) Another animal with binocular vision is an Eagle. An animal with Panoramic vision is a Chameleon. These animals eat fish, birds, and insects.

2) The fossa’s vision is binocular because it is in the front. Based on the image, we can assume that the diet of the fossa is primarily predator because they have

such good eyesight for hunting. Also, with its behavior since it hunts for food, the fossa is always active during all hours of the day, whether it’s on trees in on the

ground.
Prelab Questions
1. Can you name another animal with binocular vision? Panoramic vision? What does each of these animals eat?
2. Unless you have been to Madagascar, you have likely never encountered an

worldswildlifewonders
animal called a fossa. Without any more background information than the
picture, what can you infer about the fossa’s vision, diet, and behavior?
3. Ocular dominance is the tendency of the brain to favor the images produced
by one eye over the other. This is seen in organisms with binocular vision.
Using the following procedure, determine which is your dominant eye:
a. Locate an image 2.5–3 m (8–10 feet) away.
b. With both eyes open, hold your thumb at arm’s length and “cover” the
object with your thumb.
c. Close your right eye.
If your thumb appeared to move to the right, the right eye is dominant.
If your thumb did not seem to move, your left eye is dominant. Ocular
dominance is independent of handedness.
It is estimated that about two-thirds of all people have a dominant right eye, and one-third have a dominant
left eye. In rare cases, neither eye is dominant. Which of your eyes was dominant?
4. With your class, gather each student’s ocular dominance data. Did your class observe the expected proportions?
If your class saw different proportions, why do you think this was so?

Yes, our class observed the expected proportions. Our class saw different proportions because
everyone focused on a different object, and ocular dominance is independent of handedness.

©2017 Carolina Biological Supply Company

S-2 Visual Perception Kit
Investigation STUDENT GUIDE

Name Date

Analysis Questions
Activity 1: Visual Acuity
15
1. Visual Acuity, right eye: 20/________
2. Visual Acuity, left eye: 20/________
20

Activity 2: Astigmatism and Blind Spot

No
1. Is astigmatism present in your right eye? ________
2. Is astigmatism present in your left eye? ________
No
N/A
3. If yes, were you aware of the astigmatism before today? ________
N/A
4. If yes, do you wear glasses to correct the astigmatism? ________
5. If astigmatism is present, describe what you saw on the astigmatism chart.
Astigmatism was not present; therefore, no description is needed.

4 cm
6. At what distance did the dot disappear during the blind spot test for the right eye? ______
7. At what distance did the dot disappear during the blind spot test for the left eye? ______
5 cm
8. List several circumstances in which it would be important to be aware of your blind spots.

A circumstance when it would be important to be aware of blind spots is when an individual is driving.

Activity 3: Visual Mapping

1. Using the formula below, calculate the diameter of your fovea centralis.
visual map diameter (mm) × distance from lens to fovea (mm)
diameter of fovea centralis =
distance from map to eye
0.5 mm × 17 mm
_____
=
300 mm
8.5 mm
= _____

2. How does the size of the fovea centralis of your eye compare to that of others in your group?

The size of the fovea centralis of my eye compares to that of others in my group because they are all
pretty similar.

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STUDENT GUIDE Investigation (continued)

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Visual Map

©2017 Carolina Biological Supply Company

S-4 Visual Perception Kit
Investigation (continued) STUDENT GUIDE

Activity 4: Color Vision

No
1. Were any of the strands of yarn difficult to match? ________
If so, list the colors that were difficult to match.
N/A

No
2. To your knowledge, are you color vision deficient? ________
No
3. Is anyone in your family color-vision deficient? ________ N/A
If so, whom? _________
4. Some cities hang their traffic lights from left to right, rather than top to bottom. Explain why this might cause
problems for a driver with red-green color vision deficiency.
This might cause problems for a driver because they would not know the difference between red
and green, so they would not know when to move or stop.
5. Besides driving, can you think of another situation where the inability to distinguish colors may be an
inconvenience or even dangerous?
Another situation would be preparing food because things like labels can have color and be difficult to
read and it could lead to food poisoning or an allergic reaction. 
Activity 5: Depth Perception
1. Record the distance between the arrows on the depth perception tester for each scenario given in the chart.

No Background White Background Black Background

Right Eye Open 4 cm 4 cm 0 cm
Left Eye Open 5 cm 4 cm 0 cm
Both Eyes Open 0 cm 0 cm 0 cm

2. Was your depth perception best with a white background, a black background, or with no background? Why
do you think this is the case?
Depth perception was best with the black background because you could see where the arrows lined
up. With a white background, the arrows blended in, and with no background, you were distracted by
the items behind the arrows.
3. Which background worked best for the other members of your group? Why do you think this is so?

The black background worked best for all the members of the group because there were no
distaractions in the background of the arrow.

4. List several professions or activities in which depth perception plays an important role.
Depth perception plays an important role in many sports, such as football and passing
a car on the road.
5. Why might driving be dangerous for someone with poor depth perception?

Driving might be dangerous for someone with poor depth perception

because individuals will have a difficult time knowing where to stop in time.

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STUDENT GUIDE Investigation (continued)

Activity 6: Accommodation
1. When looking at the “E” on your finger, was the “E” on the chart blurry or in focus?

The "E" on the chart was blurry

2. When looking at the “E” on the chart, was the “E” on your finger blurry or in focus?

The "E" on my finger was in focus

3. What happened when you closed and opened your right eye?

When I closed and opened my right eye one of the "E's" became blurry and or in focus.

4. What happened when you closed and opened your left eye?

When I closed and opened my left eye one of the "E's" became blurry and or in focus

5. Judging from your results, do you think that you are emmetropic, myopic, or hyperopic? What does this mean
about the shape of your eye? Explain your answer.

Judging from the results I think that I am myopic. This means that the shape of the
eye ball is longer than what is normal, which causes far away objects to be blurry.

Activity 7: Near Point

1. a. Near Point, left eye: 13
________ cm
12.5 cm
b. Near Point, right eye: ________
2. As you age, your near point will change. Do you think it will increase or decrease? Why?
As a person ages, the flexibility and elasticity of the lens decreases, which greatly limits the
ability of the ciliary body to change the shape of the lens. Over time, this results in an inability
to focus on near objects, which is known as presbyopia.
3. Why is the near point closer for a myopic person than that of a hyperopic person?

 The near point is closer for a myopic person because they are near-sighted and can
see things better up close, and hyperopic people are far-sighted. 

4. List several activities during which the near point might be important.

Near acuity allows the student to perform visual tasks needed to succeed in academics,
such as reading, writing, and fine motor activities. 

©2017 Carolina Biological Supply Company

S-6 Visual Perception Kit
Investigation (continued) STUDENT GUIDE

Activity 8: Peripheral Vision

1. Out of 20, how many cards from the black/white set were identified correctly?

Out of 20, 20 cards were identified correctly.

2. Out of 20, how many cards from the colored set were identified correctly?

Out of 20, 20 cards were identified correctly.

3. Which did you see better using peripheral vision: black and white or color?

White was easier to see using peripheral vision.

4. Using rods and cones in your answer, explain your answer to Question 3.
The rod photoreceptor cells in the periphery of the eye can only perceive one single pigment,
allowing the eye to view surrounding objects in black and white. However, a few cone
photoreceptor cells are also present in the eye, which help in viewing some of the color vision.
5. List some situations when you would most rely on your peripheral vision.

Some situations when you would most rely on your peripheral vision would be looking at road
signs, malfunctioning lights, etc.

Activity 9: Afterimages
1. What afterimage did you see after looking through the red transparent vinyl?

An afterimage I saw was a really light blue streak.

2. What afterimage did you see after looking through the green transparent vinyl?

An afterimage I saw was a really light purple streak.

3. Why do you think it was necessary to use different eyes to look through the red and the green pieces of
transparent vinyl?

It was necessary to use different eyes to look through the red and green pieces of
transparent vinyl because they have different outcomes since both eyes are not
the exact same as one another.

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 STUDENT GUIDE Investigation (continued)

4. In the space below, draw in color the afterimages of the Kings cards from the deck of illusion cards.
King of Hearts Kings of Diamonds

N/A

King of Clubs Kings of Spades

N/A

5. Why did you see the images in the colors that you saw?

I saw the images in the colors that I saw because the cones that see black and blue were fatigued,
so instead, we saw white and red.

©2017 Carolina Biological Supply Company

S-8 Visual Perception Kit
Investigation (continued) STUDENT GUIDE

Activity 10: Illusions

1. After you have seen both images on the Queen cards, can you focus on only one image without the other image
coming into view? Why do you think this happens?

After seeing both images, I can only focus on one image at a time because of the different amounts of
detail in each of the images.

2. For each of the Jack cards, explain why the image that you see is impossible.
Hearts:
All the steps are the same from each angle.

Diamonds:
Depending on the angle you look at the holes could be the inside or the top.

Clubs:
The middle peg looks like it came from nowhere; however, it also looks like it could be connected
to the bottom
Spades:
It would be inside on one of the sides and outside on the other.

3. The Hearts cards 2–10 deal with figures or objects and backgrounds. Look at the 6 of Hearts card. This card is a
map, with light colored land and dark colored water. What is shown on the map?

On the map there is continents shown.

4. The Diamonds cards 2–10 involve perception. Look at the 3 of Diamonds card. All three figures are the same
height. Explain how the illusion of varying heights is created.
They created this illusion with depth perception. All of them are the same height but some of them are
further back than the rest making it appear bigger.

5. The Clubs cards 2–10 test your ability to judge sizes and shapes. Look at the 9 of Clubs card. Although the two
center circles are the same size, the one surrounded by smaller circles appears much larger. Why do you think
this occurs?
The shapes and sizes around the inner circle affect the size. Even though they are the same, since one of
the circles has a smaller circle around it, then it appears to be bigger.

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STUDENT GUIDE Investigation (continued)

6. The Spades cards 2–10 illustrate illusions of movement and the perception of movement. Look at Spades cards
4 and 5. Place the cards side by side. Describe what you see.

The card you focus on moves.

Now, move one of the cards while keeping the other card still. What do you see? Explain your findings.

The spokes on the card rotated.

Now, move the cards in opposite directions. What do you see?

The spokes following the moving card.

©2017 Carolina Biological Supply Company

S-10 Visual Perception Kit
Investigation (continued) STUDENT GUIDE

Eye Illustrations
Figure 1. The human
eye is the sensory
Cornea organ of the visual
system and provides
Iris Retina the ability to detect
Lens Inverted image
light and generate
of object
detailed visual
Fovea centralis
images. The eye
converts light waves
Pupil
Aqueous humor to nerve impulses and
transmits them to
Ligaments Optic nerve the brain where they
Ciliary muscle are interpreted and
Vitreous body Blind spot converted into images.

Focal point Focal point in

Cornea
on retina front of retina
Lens

Light

Normal Retina Myopia

(nearsightedness)

Flatter
cornea Light refracted
Focal point to multiple
behind retina focal points

Hyperopia Astigmatism
(farsightedness)

Figure 2. Normal vision (emmetropia) and three common refractive errors: myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism.
Each of these errors results in light being focused incorrectly. In normal vision, light is properly focused on the
retina, resulting in a clear image. In myopia, or nearsightedness, the light is instead focused in front of the retina.
In hyperopia, or farsightedness, light is focused behind the retina. These two errors are the result of improper eye
shape. Astigmatism, however, is caused by an irregularly shaped cornea or lens. Instead of incoming light focusing
on a single point of the retina, the irregular shape causes light to refract and converge improperly. Each of these
refractive errors results in a blurred image.
Visual Perception Kit S-11 ©2017 Carolina Biological Supply Company
 STUDENT GUIDE Assessment

Name Date

Questions
1. A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is compromised. Potential causes of this compromised
blood supply include a ruptured or blocked blood vessel in the brain. Without blood and the oxygen it carries,
brain tissue normally supplied by that damaged blood vessel dies. Many individuals are left permanently
blinded after a stroke. How could a stroke cause blindness, and why aren’t all stroke victims left blinded?
2. Explain the physiological process of image formation. Include the role of the lens, retina, rods and cones, and
the visual cortex in the brain.
3. Besides a lack of pigment in the skin, one of the main characteristics of albinism is an underdeveloped fovea
centralis. What effect do you think this has on vision?
4. How would visual perception be affected if there were a total loss of vision in one eye?
5. One of the most common conditions in individuals over the age of 40 is the development of cataracts. A
cataract is a cloudy region within the lens of the eye, caused by protein aggregation. While there are some risk
factors that can contribute to the development of cataracts, like smoking or high blood pressure, cataracts are
typically viewed as a normal part of aging. Consider the function of the lens and how you think cataracts could
affect this function.

1) Nerves from each eye travel together in the brain, so both eyes are affected. If the right side of your
brain is damaged, the left side of vision in each eye may be affected. It is rare for both sides of the
brain to be affected by stroke. When it does happen, it can result in blindness.

2) Light rays enter the eye and are refracted by the lens. The image is then focused in the retina and
becomes inverted and reversed. If there is a low level of light, the rods in the eye are utilized to see
everything on a grayscale. If there is a higher level of light, the cones in the eye are utilized to show
color and create a sharp, detailed image. Once the image is focused at the retina, the visual cortex of
the brain receives, integrates, and processes the visual information.

3) The fovea centralis allows for sharp, detailed vision, so someone with an undeveloped fovea
centralis would have a blurry, unclear vision.

4) Sudden vision loss can also include a sudden loss of peripheral vision, sudden loss of central
vision, or even a sudden blurring of your vision. The sudden appearance of spots within your field of
vision could also be a symptom of a more serious condition. Depth perception would also be greatly
affected.
5) Clouded, blurred or dim vision, Sensitivity to light and glare, Need for brighter light for reading and
other activities, Frequent changes in eyeglass or contact lens prescription.

©2017 Carolina Biological Supply Company

S-12 Visual Perception Kit