Lecture 1 - Theories of Visual Perception Flashcards
What are the four theories of visual perception?
Gestalt, Gibson’s ecological theory, Marr’s info processing theory, Constructivist approach
How are receptors distributed?
Unevenly
What is perception?
How we experience outside world, aim to translate sensory information into perceptual experience
Why is perception important?
Only source of info about world, other cognitive systems rely on it
The 4 theories have diff approaches to:
Bottom up vs Top down processing, goal of perception, methods of study
What is Gestalt’s approach?
Top down, whole is greater than the sum of its parts, segregation/grouping, separating figure/ground
What are the Gestalt laws of perceptual organisation?
Similarity, good continuation, proximity, connectedness, closure, common fate, familiarity, invariance, Pragnanz “good figure”
What is similarity?
Similar things appear to be grouped together
What is good continuation?
Points when connected result in straight/smoothly curving lines are seen as belonging together
What is proximity?
Things near to one another appear to be grouped together
What is connectedness?
Closed figure preferred to open figure
What is common fate?
Things moving in same direction grouped together
What is familiarity?
Things more likely to form groups if groups appear familiar/meaningful
What is invariance?
Things perceived as same even from diff angles
What is pragnanz?
Things perceived in simplest form
What is figure-ground segregation?
How we separate objects (figures) from background (ground)
What affects figure-ground segregation?
Symmetry, convexity, area, orientation, meaning/importance
What is symmetry?
Symmetrical areas usually figure
What is convexity?
Convex shapes usually figure
What is area? (figure ground)
Stimuli with smaller area usually figure
What is orientation?
Vertical/horizontal orientations usually figure
What is meaning/importance?
Meaningful objects more likely seen as figure (implies top down)
What are problems with Gestalt?
Underplay parallel/unconscious processing, some explanation of laws wrong, description rather than explanation, ill-defined laws, stating obvious
What is Gibson’s ecological theory?
Bottom-up approach, direct, rich info received enough for interaction with environment, cognitive processes unnecessary