Download 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.
Perception

Selective Attention:
the idea that we are
only aware of a small
percentage of what
we experience.
Selective Attention
 The
most
famous
example to
illustrate
selective
attention is
known as the
“cocktail party
effect.”
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
Selective Attention Theory: the interference
occurs because naming colors requires
more attention than reading words.
Selective Attention
 Change
Blindness
(Person Swapping)*
 Inattention
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?
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

Grouping: the perceptual tendency to
organize stimuli into coherent groups

Gestault/Grouping Principles:
 Proximity
 Similarity
 Continuity
 Closure
 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
The Big Ten collegiate conference has eleven
schools but they didn’t want to change their name.
However, they used their logo to hide the numerical
“11” in the name.
Toblerone Chocolate
One of my favorite chocolates…yummy!! But trust me I never noticed
the brilliant logo while enjoying my bar. You must be thinking what is
there to find out as it clearly shows the Swiss Alps? Let me
explain…Toblerone originated in Bern, Switzerland - A city whose
name is rumored to mean, “City of bears.” When you look at it again
you will find a bear in the logo.
Depth Perception

Depth Perception:
the ability to see
objects in three
dimensions. Allows us
to gauge distance.

Visual Cliff Experiment:
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

Monocular Cues: distance cues that are
available to either eye alone. Often used in art.

Examples of Monocular Cues
 Relative size: smaller image is more distant
 Interposition: closer object blocks distant
object
 Relative Clarity: hazy object seen as more
distant
 Texture: coarse=close; fine=distant
key name
James J. GIBSON

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

Examples of Monocular Cues Continued:
 Relative
Height: higher objects seen as more
distant
 Relative Motion: closer objects seem to move
faster
 Linear Perspective: parallel lines converge with
distance
 Relative Brightness: closer objects appear
brighter
 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?

Less detail
Further away
Closer
More detail
Monocular Cue?
Monocular Cue?
Highlights and shadows can provide information about an
object's dimensions and depth.
Because our visual system assumes the light comes from
above, a totally different perception is obtained if the image is
viewed upside down.
Examples of Depth Perception

Julian Beever Chalk Drawings
Real Quick: Phi Phenomenon

Motion Perception: Illusion of Movement
with Blinking Lights
Perceptual Constancy

Perceptual Constancy: perceiving objects
as unchanging despite changes in retinal
image
shape
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.
One explanation for this illusion is
that the lower right end of the line
appears nearer than the upper left;
that is, the line is seen as receding in
space.
Impossible Object
Sensory Deprivation and
Perception
Kittens raised without
exposure to horizontal
lines later had difficulty
perceiving horizontal bars.
Remember that sensory
deprivation affects infants
worse than older animals
and humans.
Perceptual Adaptation

Perceptual
Adaptation
 (vision)
ability to
adjust to an
artificially displaced
visual field
prism
glasses
Perceptual Set – the power of
expectancy

Perceptual Set
A situation 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 punctuation 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.