Chapter 8 - Perception Flashcards
Attention
Focusing on specific internal or external stimuli or aspects of sensory environment while excluding others
Top-down processing
Starting at the top with higher level processing and working from the whole ‘down’ to the details.
Bottom-up processing
perceptual processing that is built from new sensory imput, looking at the details of a stimulus before generating the whole interpretation.
Sensation
process of capturing sensory information
Perception
process of organising, recognising and interpreting sensory information
Sustained attention
maintenance of attention on one thing over an extended period
Divided attention
distributing attention so that two or more activities may be performed simultaneously
Selective attention
choosing and attending to a specific stimulus whilst at the same time excluding other stimuli
Distraction
when a stimulus interferes with attention
Inattention
lack of attention/failure to pay attention
Attention span
length of time an individual can concentrate/focus on/attend to a stimuli
controlled process
task requiring selective attention for it to be completed (usually a difficult or unfamiliar task)
automatic process
allows divided attention in order for it to be completed (usually easy or well-learned task)
what are some limitations in our brain’s attention
it is limited in its abilities
- is selective in what it attends to
- controllable (unconscious)
factors influencing our attention function
different levels of arousal
- task difficulty
- anxiety
- skill development
visual sensation
captured light information from the environment to the eye
what are the key stages of visual perception
reception
transmission
transduction
selection
organisation and interpretation
what are some biological factors influencing visual perception?
eye
optic nerve
primary visual cortex
describe the role of the eye in visual perception
responsible for receiving light
describe the role of the optic nerve in visual perception
is the means of transmission, highway of neurons that connects retina to the primary visual cortex
describe the role of the primary visual cortex in visual perception
processing light information, part of the occipital lobe
what is depth perception?
the ability to judge distances and see the world in three dimensions
what are depth cues?
how we receive info from the environment or our body to tell us how far away an object it
what are the two different types of depth cues?
Binocular depth cues
monocular depth cues
What are monocular depth cues? Meaning
cues that require the use of one eye
What are binocular depth cues? (Meaning)
cues that require the use of two eyes
What are the binocular depth cues
retinal disparity
convergence
what are the monocular depth cues
accommodation
pictorial cues
what are pictorial cues?
Cues from the visual environment that indicate the distance of objects from an observer
List the pictorial cues
interposition
texture gradient
relative size
height in the visual field
What is retinal disparity?
the slight difference of visual images between the right and left eye which enables us to make judgements about distance or depth
What is convergence?
the brain interprets depth and distance from changes in the muscle tension of the eyes
What is accommodation?
allows us to judge depth and distance by measuring how much the lens bulges and flattens depending on how far or close something is
What is interposition?
occurs when one object obstructs another and is perceived as closer
What is texture gradient?
the gradual reduction of detail that occurs on a surface as it recedes into the distance
What is relative size?
refers to the tendency to visually perceive the object that produces the largest image on the retina as being closer compared to another smaller object
What is “height in the visual field”?
refers to the location of an object in our field of vision
What are some psychological factors influencing visual perception?
gestalt principles
depth cues
visual constancies
perceptual set
What does it mean by “Gestalt principles”
a set of rules that we apply in the of organising and interpreting our perceptual experiences
What are “visual constancies”
principles that help maintain the perception of the world as stable, despite changes cast into the retinal image
What does it mean by “perceptual set”
the predisposition to perceive aspects of our environment in a way that is consistent with our expectations
List the gestalt principles
figure-ground
closure
similarity
proximity
What is proximity?
tendency to mentally group objects that are positioned closely together
What is ‘figure-ground’?
allows us to organise a visual scene by differentiating the stimulus (figure) away from the background (ground)
What is ‘closure’?
principle by which we tend to mentally fill any gaps in a visual stimulus and perceive it as a complete and meaningful whole
What is similarity?
the tendency to mentally group objects with similar qualities together as belonging to a whole (size shape texture colour)
What are psychological factors influencing perceptual set
context
motivation
past experiences
emotional stage
What does ‘context’ refer to?
refers to the setting or environment in which a perception is made.
How does context impact perception?
we are more likely to perceive a stimulus in a manner that is consistent with the environment in which it appears.
What does ‘motivation’ refer to?
refers to our internal processes which activate behaviour that are directed towards achieving a particular goal.
how does motivation impact perception?
we are more likely to perceive a stimulus in a way that is consistent with our desire
What does ‘past experience’ refer to?
our personal experiences throughout life.
How do our past experiences impact our perception?
readiness to perceive a stimuli in a way that is consistent with what we have previously encountered.
What are social factors that influence perceptual set
culture/cultural background
what does ‘culture’ refer to?
the way of life of a particular community or group that sets it apart from other communities and groups
What are the different types of visual contancies?
size
shape
brightness
What is size constancy?
Perceiving the size of an object to be stable, despite changes in the objects size as cast on the retina
What is shape constancy
Perceiving the shape of an object to be stable, despite changes in the objects shape that are cast onto the retina
What is brightness constancy
Perceiving the intensitiy of light of an object as stable, despite changes in the brightness of the object that are cast onto the retina
What is gustatory perception?
Meaningfully interpreting sensations to generate taste
what are taste buds
cells located around papillae that contain taste receptors
What are the papille?
the tiny raised protrusions on the tongue that contain taste buds.
What is ‘food culture’?
The common norms around eating, including flavour preference, eating patterns, beliefs and values about food.
What are some biological factors that influence taste perception
age
genetics
illness
pregnancy
What are some psychological factors influencing taste perception
Paste experiences
context
emotional state
what are some social factors that influence taste perception
food culture
How does age impact taste?
we become less sensitive to taste as we age, number of taste buds can decrease, takes longer to regenerate (especially after injury), mouth produces less saliva, sense of smell can diminish, these effects become more noticeable after the age of 60
How do genetics impact taste?
genetics impact how taste information is received, the number of tastebuds we have, and genetic variations can account for flavour preferences
How does illness impact taste
congested nose reduces taste
How does pregnancy impact taste?
There can be hormonal and/or biological changes which could account for changes in taste
How do out past experiences impact taste?
expectation for a similar experience
How does the context of which food is eaten impact taste perception
the context in which a meal is presented can impact our expectations of its tatse based on previous assumptions
How does our emotional state impact taste perception?
positive or negative associations
what are the stages of taste perception
reception
transduction
transmission
interpretation
Describe the process of reception in taste perception
physical stimulation of taste receptors through chemical tastants
Describe the process of transduction in taste perception
The taste receptors convert sensory input into neural messages
Describe the process of transmission in taste perception
the neural messages are sent via facial cranial nerves to the brain for interpretation
Describe
Neural messages are sent via the
