PerceptionThe organization and
interpretation of our sensations. It is how we create meaning for what we see, touch, hear, feel and smell.
PerceptionSelective
Attention: the idea that we are only aware of a small percentage of what we experience.
Selective AttentionThe most famous example to illustrate selective attention is known as the “cocktail party effect.”
RedGreenBlueYellowOrangeRedYellowBlack
BlueRedOrangeGreenBlueGreenYellow
BlueYellowOrange Yellow Red
BlackGreenRed
The Stroop Effect
The Stroop EffectSelective Attention Theory: the interference occurs because naming colors requires more attention than reading words.
Perceptual OrganizationGestalt: 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 PsychologyGrouping: the perceptual tendency to
organize stimuli into coherent groups
Gestalt/Grouping Principles: ◦Proximity◦Similarity◦Continuity◦Closure◦Connectedness
Perceptual Organization
Figure-Ground Relationship: tendency to organize information into objects (figure) that stand out from their background(ground)
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.
I never noticed the brilliant logo until recently. 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.
Toblerone Chocolate
It’s a really good zoo and the logo is pleasant. However, it becomes an awesome logo when you see the animals in the white space on the left and right sides of the tree.
Pittsburgh Zoo
The most famous bicycle race in the world has a beautiful logo that becomes more impressive when you finally perceive the bicycle rider on the right side.
Tour de France
Depth PerceptionDepth 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.
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
James J. GIBSONAmong 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?Who is closer: Snoopy or Woodstock? WoodstockHow do you know? Woodstock blocks part of Snoopy. In other words, INTERPOSITION.
Perceptual ConstancyPerceptual 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.
Poggendorf's Optical Illusion*
The single line if continued joins with the red line.One explanation for this illusion isthat the lower right end of the line appears nearer than the upper left; that is, the line is seen as receding in space.
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 AdaptationPerceptual
Adaptation
◦(vision) ability to adjust to an artificially displaced visual field
Perceptual Set – the power of expectancy
Perceptual Set
A situation where a person is predisposed (more likely) to perceive one thing over another.