Chapter 6: Perception

Chapter 6: Perception

Perception The organization and interpretation of our sensations. It is how we create meaning for what we see, touch, hear, feel and smell.

Selective Attention: the idea that we are only aware of a small percentage of what we experience. Perception

The most famous example to illustrate selective attention is known as the cocktail party effect. Selective Attention

The Stroop Effect Red Green Blue Yellow Orange Red Yellow Black Blue Yellow Orange Yellow Red Black Green Red Blue Red Orange Green Blue Green Yellow

The Stroop Effect Selec%ve A)en%on Theory: the interference occurs because naming colors requires more a)en%on than reading words.

Selective Attention Change Blindness* Inattentional Blindness*

Perception Visual Capture: refers to the tendency for vision to dominate the other senses. Does this picture help you remember the example from your book?

The linked image cannot be displayed. The file may have been moved, renamed, or deleted. Verify that the link points to the correct file and location. Perceptual Organization Gestalt: an organized whole. Gestalt psychologists emphasize humans tendencies to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes. Things are not seen as sum of parts but immediately as wholes.

Gestalt Principle: Mind Always Wants to Make Stimuli Meaningful. The fact that you can read this sentence it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprometnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae illustrates gestalt principles are at work to make things a meaningful whole.

Gestalt Principle: Mind Always Wants to Make Stimuli Meaningful.

Gestalt Psychology l Grouping: the perceptual tendency to organize s%muli into coherent groups l Gestault/Grouping Principles: l Proximity l Similarity l Con%nuity l Closure l Connectedness

Proximity: tendency to group nearby figures together

Similarity: tendency to group figures that are similar

Continuity: tendency to perceive continuous patterns

Closure: tendency to fill in the gaps in visual information.

Connectedness: spots, lines and areas are seen as a unit when connected

Perceptual Organization Figure-Ground Relationship: tendency to organize information into objects (figure) that stand out from their background(ground)

Figure Ground Illusion

Depth Perception Depth Perception: the ability to see objects in three dimensions. Allows us to gauge distance. Visual Cliff: illustrated that crawling infants and newborns perceive depth.

Types of Depth Perception Binocular Cues: depth cues that rely on the use of two eyes. Examples of Binocular Cues: Retinal Disparity: idea that images of an object from the two eyes differ. The closer the object, the larger the difference (disparity.) Convergence: extent to which the eyes converge inward when looking at an object that brain keeps track of to measure distance.

Retinal Disparity and the Sausage Illusion

Types of Depth Perception l Monocular Cues: distance cues that are available to either eye alone. ODen used in art. l Examples of Monocular Cues l Rela:ve size: smaller image is more distant l Interposi:on: closer object blocks distant object l Rela:ve Clarity: hazy object seen as more distant l Texture: coarse=close; fine=distant

key name James J. GIBSON l Among the first to discover the importance of texture gradient for perceiving depth. Most surfaces have a texture but it becomes less detailed as the surface recedes into the background.

Types of Depth Perception l Examples of Monocular Cues Con:nued: l Rela:ve Height: higher objects seen as more distant l Rela:ve Mo:on: closer objects seem to move faster l Linear Perspec:ve: parallel lines converge with distance l Rela:ve Brightness: closer objects appear brighter l Light and Shadow: nearby objects reflect more light to our eyes.

Monocular Cue?

Monocular Cue? Who is closer: Snoopy or Woodstock? Woodstock How do you know? Woodstock blocks part of Snoopy. In other words, INTERPOSITION.

Monocular Cue?

Monocular Cue? More detail Less detail Further away Closer

Monocular Cue? Highlights and shadows can provide informa%on about an object's dimensions and depth. Because our visual system assumes the light comes from above, a totally different percep%on is obtained if the image is viewed upside down.

Real Quick: Phi Phenomenon Motion Perception: Illusion of Movement with Blinking Lights

What concept is illustrated in this video? (h)p://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oigadxh9v2o&feature=player_embedded)

Perceptual Constancy l Perceptual Constancy: perceiving objects as unchanging despite changes in re%nal image l shape l size

Interplay Between Perceived Size and Distance Using monocular cues for distance can often cause us to perceive incorrect information.

Muller-Lyer Illusion Involves Misperception of Line Segments

Muller-Lyer Illusion is Culturally Specific to Western Architecture

Poggendorf's Optical Illusion* The single line if continued joins with the line.

Impossible Object

Sensory Deprivation and Perception Ki)ens raised without exposure to horizontal lines later had difficulty perceiving horizontal bars. Remember that sensory depriva%on affects infants worse than older animals and humans.

Perceptual Adaptation l Perceptual Adapta:on l (vision) ability to adjust to an ar%ficially displaced visual field l prism glasses

Perceptual Set the power of expectancy l Perceptual Set A situa:on where a person is predisposed (more likely) to perceive one thing over another.

Bill Clinton and?

Power of Expectancy/Set

Perceptual Set

Usually See Saxophone Player Now Instead of

Woman

Perceptual Set* Provide punctua%on that will make the words below meaningful: TIME FLIES I CANT THEYRE TOO FAST

Is there Extrasensory Perception? Extrasensory Perception: claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input. Telepathy Clairvoyance Precognition Parapsychology: study of paranormal phenomenon, including ESP and psychokinesis.