Authenticity is often supposed to play an important role in natural history museums. Yet we know very little about how it affects the perception and appreciation of museum objects. In the present study, we examined children's perceptions of real fossils and replicas. We explored four potential explanations underlying the appreciation of authentic…

Examines research related to the retina's coding of visual input with emphasis on the organization of two kinds of ganglion cell receptive fields. Reviews current techniques for examining the shapes and arrangement in the retina of entire populations of nerve cells. (ML)

Describes an experiment revealing a visual latency effect produced by the wearing of sunglasses. (SL)

Presents findings of a study on the visual perceptual dimension of cognitive structure as it relates to achievement in college biology. Results indicate a possibility of using visual recall probes for the early detection of learning differences related to achievement. (SL)

Research shows that children of about 10 years can remember photographs of faces upside down almost as well as those shown upright and are easily fooled by simple disguises. This ability to encode orientation-specific configurations of a face may reflect maturational changes in the right cerebral hemisphere. (MLH)

Appraises current explanations of how visual processing occurs. Highlights the basics of simultaneous and serial levels of processing. Discusses the results of a series of experiments on visual-search tasks and also on the role of prior knowledge in processing. (ML)

Describes experiments which focus on the perception of three dimensions. Discusses the cues about distance and depth and the role they have in perceptions of three dimensions. Evaluates the effect of color on the illusion on depth. (ML)

Determined which form of kinetic structure (high or low) and/or micrograph content (unified or varied) was most effective on introductory college biology students' (N=100) achievement of reading micrograph skills. Findings, among others, suggest that high kinetic structure instruction does not affect actual reading micrograph skills, but…

Students explore three-dimensional properties by creating red and green wall decorations related to Christmas. Students examine why images seem to vibrate when red and green pieces are small and close together. Instructions to conduct the activity and construct 3-D glasses are given. (MDH)