Do you ever wonder why pictures capture the visual world in completely different ways than how we see it? Although our eyes are often described a being like a camera, visual perception is nothing like taking a photograph. Instead, what we experience visually is determined by a series of heuristics, or shortcuts, used by our visual system in combination with higher cognitive brain systems to shape what we actually perceive. The visual perception and neuroimaging lab studies questions at the interface of visual perception, with a focus on visual cues used in social contexts. We combine behavioral measures with fMRI to deconstruct the functional properties of brain networks that support the perception of highly dynamic events.
visual perception of socially relevant cues * functional specialization of the superior temporal sulcus (STS)