Module 3 Lesson 2 - Perception Flashcards
What is the Gestalt Principle?
It is a perception principle that helps people interpret what they see. Wertheimer believed that our brain tries to perceive information as a meaningful whole.
What does Gestalt mean and who was it created by?
“An organized whole.” This was created by Max Wertheimer.
6 parts of Gestalt psychology?
Laws of…
- Closure
- Pragnanz
- Proximity
- Similarity
- Continuity
- Inclusivity
Describe Closure.
According to Gestalt psychology, when a sensation is incomplete, our psyche fills in the gaps.
Ex. When we see a partially written word or drawn picture, we are able to “fill it in.”
Describe Pragnanz.
Our psyche will make a sensation full or complete. This is common in children when they attempt to explain a concept they have heard without full understanding of.
Ex. “The man took mommy away in his car” when in reality, the mom called a Lyft or Uber for a ride.
Describe Proximity.
Objects that are close together are perceived as being together even when they aren’t.
Ex. A person was talking to me about how they liked Arby’s but I thought they were talking about RVs for several minutes! They were just passing an RV lot so the brain made the conversation and visual input the same even when they were vastly different.
Describe Similarity
Items that are colored, drawn alike, or shaped similarly can be viewed as the same when they are actually different.
Ex. Geometrical figures in black and white are different, but may seem the same since they are in the same color.
Describe Continuity
When something that is extended without a break is perceived as a whole figure.
Ex. The “connecting-the-dots” activities done in Elementary school could sometimes be seen as a whole figure even before it was actually completed.
Describe Inclusivity
When elements are perceived more readily in a figure than other elements.
Ex. In the Amazon logo, the arrow line underneath shows that they have everything from A-to-Z with a smile.
What are Perceptual Sets?
They are mental predispositions that cause us to perceive one object instead of another.
Ex. A popular image of an object in the middle of the lake is shown to people. Those who are familiar with the Loch Ness monster are more inclined to say that they see the Loch Ness monster. The same goes for UFOs, Sasquatches, and ghosts.
Prior knowledge can influence what we seem and people may also be primed to see images as well.
What did the Muller-Lyer illusion demonstrate?
It demonstrated the influence culture had on perception.
In the experiment, Muller-Lyer took arrows, with one on top of the other. People were told to mark the center of each arrow. It was noted that the altered width, angles, and direction of the arrow impacted how the ‘center’ was chosen.
What are the two types of cues that help us perceive?
Binocular and Monocular cues
What are the two kinds of binocular cues?
Retinal Disparity and Convergence
Describe Retinal Disparity.
When an image enters each eye, the image will differ. The brain then takes the signals it receives from both eyes to create a perception for interpretation of the image. This helps us understand depth and dimension.
Describe Convergence.
When we see an object, we are able to judge the distance of the object based on the angle of convergence. Objects further away have smaller angles, whereas closer objects have larger angles.
