Chapter 3 Flashcards
Perceptual constancy
We tend to perceive things different than the way that we actually see them
ex: size- we know an object remains the same even if it is far away because we perceive and don’t rely on what is shown in the retna
Gestalt Psychology
- The whole is greater than the sum of its parts
- We get bits and pieces of an image in our retna, but we perceive the picture as a whole.
Figure-ground relationship
Natural tendency to make something of the picture and something of the background
Critical period
A period when you are maximally sensitive to environmental/visual stimuli.
Blind spot
Spot where there are no sensory receptors. The brain fills that emptiness
Monocular Cues
- Liner perspective
- Relative Size
- Overlap
- Aerial perspective
- Texture gradient
- Motion parallax
Motion parallax
- Riding in a vehicle, and as you are moving you can see how close or far you are from something
ex: Lines on the road are blurry and while driving bc you are so close…..A fence is clear and moves slow bc it is far
Linear perspective
Two parallel lines converging in the distance
ex: train tracks
Relative size
You know the size of an object no matter how close or far they are, even if they look smaller or larger
Overlap
Images overlapping other images, giving a sense of which is closer and which is further
Aerial perspective
Looking through the atmosphere (air) and things start to get hazy
Texture gradient
- Texture is shown better when objects are closer
- More difficult to see texture when objects are far away
Sensation
Occurs when special receptors in the sense organs are activated, allowing various forms of outside stimuli to become neutral signals in the brain
Transduction
The process of converting outside stimuli into neutral activity
Difference threshold
The smallest difference between 2 stimuli that is detectable 50% of the time
ex: How much more sugar would you need in your regular coffee to taste a difference
Absolute threshold
Lowest level of stimulation that a person can consciously detect 50% of the time
ex: The tick of a watch 20 ft away
One drop of perfume diffused throughout three rooms
Subliminal perception
- Looking at things unconsciously
- Affects attitude and cognition
Sensory habituation
Although you may hear something, you aren’t paying attention to it
- The way brain deals with unchanging info from environment
- The sensory receptors are still responding to stimuli
Sensory adaptation
Tendency of sensory receptor cells to become less responsive to a stimulus that is unchanging
Selective attention
Tend not to notice changing stimuli in environment
Cones
- ability to see fine detail
- located in the center where there are no rods
- color vision
- works best in bright light
- sensitive to different wavelengths of light
Rods
- not located in the forvea
- located in the periphery
- sensitive to changes in brightness
- only see in black, white, and shades of gray
Muller-Lyer Illusion
- Relative distance
- We perceive distance and the distance alters our perception of line lengths
- Changing perception of distance (angles)
ex: Lines in video
Moon Illusion
Relative distance of the moon angles
