Perception 1- sensation & perception Flashcards
Sensation
The process of transforming physical stimuli to electrical signals
Perception
The process of interpreting these signals for conscious awareness and for action
Distal stimuli
A physical object or event in the external world that reflects light
Proximal stimuli
The physical energy from a stimulus as it stimulates a sense organ or receptor
What is perception for?
Aids survival and reproduction of organisms
Senses help to seek out desirable objects and avoid dangerous ones
Proprioception
Sense of body position and movement
Nociception
Pain
Thermoception
Temperature
What is an illusion?
A situation where perception differs from reality
Bistable image
Image that can give rise to two or more distinct perceptions
Ambiguous figures/ sounds
Can produce different perceptions over time
Top-down processes
Use knowledge about structure of the world to influence perception
Bottom-up processes
Take information from the senses that make judgements about the world based on this information
(Data driven process)
Types of illusion
-Failure to perceive objects (e.g. Lilac chaser)
-Perception of objects in the absence if a stimulus (e.g. Lilac chaser, Hermann grid)
-Perceptual distortions (e.g. Müller-Lyer illusion)
-Multiple perceptions of the same stimulus (e.g. Necker cube, Rubin’s vase)
-Perceptions that are physically impossible (e.g.Penrose triangle)
