Perception 1 Flashcards
What is perception?
process of acquiring knowledge about environmental events
What is the perceptual process broken down into?
sensation and perception
Define sensation
process of transforming physical stimuli to electrical signals
Define perception (in terms of sensation)
process of interpreting sensation signals for conscious awareness and for action
In what was has perception evolved?
To aid the survival and reproduction of organisms
What is somatosensory perception?
touch
What is visual perception?
seeing
What is gustatory perception?
Taste
What is auditory perception?
Hearing
What is olfactory perception?
Smell
What are illusions?
situations in which perception differs from reality
What can illusions provide insight into?
Processes of sensation and perception
What are ambiguous figures?
Images that can give rise to 2 or more distinct perceptions
Is perception a clear window into reality?
No
When presented with an illusion, what is the brain trying to do?
Figuring out what is there based on the available information
What 2 factors aid perception?
Knowledge and sensory input
What is top-down processing?
Using knowledge about the structure of the world to influence perception
What is bottom-up processing?
Information from the senses and then making judgements about the situation/ world based on this info
What process does constructivist theorists focus on?
Top-down processing
What did Helmholtz argue?
Inadequate info provided by the senses is augmented by unconscious inference
What do constructivist theorists describe illusions as?
As rational inferences rather than ‘perceptual errors’
What process do direct theorists focus on?
Bottom-up processing
What did Gibson argue?
The constructivist approach may underestimate the richness of the sensory evidence we receive
