Perception Making Sense of the World. Perception za process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects.

Perception

Making Sense of the World

Perception

a process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events

Often produces errors in perceiving the world

Perceptual Illusions

Perceptual errors usually ~harmless Sometimes deadly

Perception

Selective Attention focus of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus

Perceptual Organization

Visual Capture tendency for vision to dominate

the other sensesGestalt- an organized whole

tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes

Perceptual OrganizationGrouping

the perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups

Grouping Principles proximity- group nearby figures together similarity- group figures that are similar continuity- perceive continuous patterns connectedness- spots, lines and areas

are seen as unit when connected

Perceptual Organization- Grouping Principles

Perceptual Organization

Figure and Ground organization of visual

field into objects (figures) that stand out from surroundings (ground)

Perceptual Organization-Depth PerceptionDepth Perception

ability to see objects in three dimensions

Binocular cues retinal disparity

images from the two eyes differ closer the object, the larger the disparity

convergenceneuromuscular cuetwo eyes move inward for near objects

Perceptual Organization-Depth Perception

Monocular Cues relative size

smaller image is more distant

Relative Size

Perceptual Organization-Depth Perception

Monocular Cues interposition

closer object blocks distant object

Perceptual Organization-Depth Perception

Perceptual Organization-Depth Perception

Monocular Cues linear perspective

parallel lines converge with distance

Linear perspective

Which horizontal line seems longer? Converging lines

~distance Horz lines same retinal

S Top perceived farther

away

Perceptual Organization

Linear Perspective & Monsters

Perceptual Constancy

Perceptual Constancy perceiving objects as unchanging

despite changes in retinal imageShape Size

Experiencevideo

Size Constancy

What’s happening here? Experience tells

him it is a large ship far away

Really it is a small ship close

Perceptual Interpretation

Perceptual Adaptation (vision) ability to adjust to an artificially displaced visual fieldUpside-Down Vision Video

Perceptual Set a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another

Perceptual Set

Mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another

Affects our perceptions of the world Errors Individual differences in perception

Perceptual Set

What do you see here?

Perceptual Set-Schemas

Flying Saucers or Clouds?

Perceptual Set

What do you see?

Perceptual Set

What do you see?

Perceptual Set Demo

If your last name starts with the letter ‘a’ - ‘n’ close your eyes

Others look at the screen

Perceptual Set Demo

WomanEyesFace

Perceptual Set Demo

Rest of you close your eyes nowOthers look at the screen

Perceptual Set Demo

PerformanceMusicSaxophone

Perceptual Set Demo

Everyone look at the screen IMMEDIATELY write down what you see

first...

What do you see?

Creation of Perceptual Set

First group saw: Woman Eyes Face

Second group saw Performance Music Saxophone

Perceptual Set-Schemas

What you see in the center is influenced

byperceptual set Face or saxophone

Perceptual Set

Experience/context impacts percep sets Individual differences Momentary fluctuations

No objective reality We all perceive the world differently at

different times

Perception & Context

Group Activity II: ESP

In groups of 4-5 and using the text: Define ESP and describe at least 2 types Describe the kind of research that

examines ESP Summarize the state of the scientific

evidence for ESP

PLEASE TURN THIS IN AFTER CLASS!

ESPExtrasensory Perception

Controversial claim that perception can occur apart from sensory inputTelepathyClairvoyancePrecognition

Parapsychology The study of paranormal phenomena

ESPPsychokinesis

ESP

No scientifically reliable and valid evidence for ESP has yet been found Does NOT mean ESP does not exist No evidence yet

Skeptical, critical attitude of science Curious Explorers

Perception Summary

Illusions & OrganizationDepth perceptionPerceptual constancyPerceptual SetESP