Chapter 3.14-3.16 Flashcards
Perception
the method by which the sensations experienced at any given moment are interpreted and organized in a given fashion
The Perceptual Constancies (3)
1) Size Constancy: the tendency to interpret an object as always being the same size, regardless of distance
2) Shape Constancy: the tendency to interpret an object’s shape as the same, despite the angle or distance
3) Brightness Constancy: the tendency to perceive an objects apparent brightness as the same even when light conditions change
The Gestalt Principles (8)
1) Figure-ground relationships: tendency to perceive objects or figures existing on a background (people can have different preferences, leading to optical illusions)
2) Proximity: tendency to perceive objects near each other as part of the same grouping
3) Similarity: tendency to perceive objects that look similar to each other as part of the same group
4) Closure: tendency to finish things that are incomplete (filling in missing parts)
5) Continuity: tendency to perceive things as simply as possible through a continuous pattern rather than a broken one (want to find an easy way to connect dots)
6) Contiguity: tendency to perceive to things that happen near to each other in time as related
7) Common region: tendency to perceive objects in a common area as in a group (can override similarity)
8) Element connectedness: tendency to perceive physically connected objects overrides similarity and proximity
Depth Perception (definition and importance)
the ability to see the world in 3 dimensions
Helps us distinguish relative distance, not present in infants
Monocular Cue
cue for perceiving depth that only requires one eye
Binocular Cue
cue resulting from differing patterns in our eyes’ visual fields
Pictorial Depth Cues (definition and 6 examples)
monocular cues
1) Linear Perspective: tendency for parallel lines to appear to converge
2) Relative Size: people associate smaller objects with being further away
3) Overlap/Interposition: people assume that if an object blocks another, it is closer
4) Aerial/Atmospheric Perspective: the farther away an object is, the hazier it will appear due to atmospheric particles
5) Texture Gradient: viewer assumes that as texture gets finer, the object is further away
6) Motion Parallax: Closer objects appear to be moving faster as they are passed
Accomodation
a muscular cue, the brains use of information from changing its lens in response to looking at objects that are further away
Examples of Binocular Cues (2)
1) Convergence: a muscular cue, the eyes must rotate further inward to focus on an object that is closer
2) Binocular Disparity: due to the eyes separation, the see slightly different images
Illusion
a perception that does not correspond with reality
Hermann Grid
illusion where you see gray dots between a separated grid
Muller-Lyer Illusion (definition and founder)
an illusion of line length that is distorted by inward-turning or outward-turning of corners on the end, causing two equal lines to appear to be different sizes
Segall found that peoplle in Western cultures were more susceptible due to seeing building all the time
Ebbinghaus Illusion
Circle (target) inside of larger circles (inducer) appears smaller than circle inside of smaller circles. Plays on our use of context to judge size
Moon Illusion (illusion and hypothesis)
Moon appears larger the lower it is in the sky.
Apparent distance hypothesis: people use the fact that if they can still see an object that is far away, it is large.
Autokinetic Effect
a stationary light in a darkened room will appear to move due to lack of other cues
