Chapter 4B Vocab Flashcards
gestalt
an organized whole. gestalt psychologists emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of info. into meaninful wholes.
figure-ground
the organization of the visual field into objects (the figures) that stand out from their surroundings (the ground)
grouping
the perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups
depth perception
the ability to see objects in 3D although the images that strike the retina are 2D
allows us to judge distance
visual cliff
a laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals.
binocular cues
depth cues, such as retinal disparity, that depend on the use of two eyes.
retinal disparity
a binocular cue for perceiving depth By comparing images from the retinas in the two eyes, the brain computes distance—the greater the disparity (difference) between the two images, the closer the object.
monocular cues
depth cues, such as interposition and linear perspective, available to either eye alone.
phi phenomenon
an illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession.
perceptual constancy
perceiving objects as unchanging (having consistent shapes, size, lightness, and color) even as illumination and retinal images change
color constancy
perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object
perceptual adaptation
in vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field.
perceptual set
a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another.
extrasensory perception
ESP
the controversial claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input; includes telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition.
parapsychology
the study of paranormal phenomena, including ESP and psychokinesis
