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Psychology > Perception > Flashcards

Perception Flashcards

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1
Q

Sensation

A

Information coming into the brain through stimulating the 5 senses

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2
Q

Perception

A

Brain interpreting sensory information to give it meaning

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3
Q

Proprioception

A

Receptors in muscles and joints telling your brain where in space each bit of you is

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4
Q

Kinaesthetic

A

Sensors tell the brain when you are moving

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5
Q

Types of depth cue

A
  • monocular
  • binocular
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6
Q

Monocular depth cue

A

Depth cue interpreted through 1 eye

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7
Q

Monocular Depth Cues

A
  • height in Plane
  • relative Size
  • occlusion
  • linear Perspective
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8
Q

Height in Plane

A

Objects higher up in our visual field appear further away

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9
Q

Relative Size

A

The more distant an object, the smaller it will be on your retina

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10
Q

Occlusion

A

An object overlapping another will appear closer

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11
Q

Linear Perspective

A

Parallel line that appear to get closer together in the distance

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12
Q

Binocular depth cue

A

Depth cue interpreted through 2 eyes

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13
Q

Binocular Depth Cues

A
  • retinal Disparity
  • convergence
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14
Q

Retinal Disparity

A
  • difference between an image from the right and left eye
  • bigger difference means object is closer
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15
Q

Convergence

A
  • muscular information provided by angle of focus
  • eyes point closer together when object is nearer
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16
Q

Gibson’s direct theory of perception DATE

A

1966

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17
Q

Gibson’s direct theory PARTS

A
  • perception
  • optical array
  • bottom-up
  • optic flow patterns
  • motion parallax
  • nature
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18
Q

Gibson’s direct theory PERCEPTION

A

Sensation and perception are the same thing

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19
Q

Gibson’s direct theory OPTICAL ARRAY

A

Optical array (field of vision) contains enough info for us to directly perceive

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20
Q

Gibson’s direct theory BOTTOM-UP

A

Eyes tell brain what is being perceived

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21
Q

Gibson’s direct theory OPTIC FLOW PATTERNS

A
  • evidence of direct perception
  • e.g - rushing towards stationary point, object appears still, surroundings blur in FOV, ‘flow’ is direct signal to brain we are moving
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22
Q

Gibson’s direct theory MOTION PARALLAX

A
  • monocular depth cue
  • e.g in car - furthest things (sheep in distant field) appear to move slowly, nearest things (nearby hedges) whiz by quickly
  • helps more accurately perceive depth/distance
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23
Q

Gibson’s direct theory NATURE

A

Important as we are born with perceptual abilities (innate)

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24
Q

Gibson’s direct theory STRENGTHS

A
  • developed using real world research
  • Gibson studied pilots in WW2 landing planes with damaged instruments, concluded they were relying on motion parallax and other depth cues (like ground texture)
  • good ecological validity
    +
  • supporting research from infants
  • Gibson and Walk (1960) - human/other infants reluctant to crawl over safe steep visual cliff drop
  • suggests they were born with innate perceptual abilities, theory has more real-world validity
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25
Q

Gibson’s direct theory WEAKNESS

A
  • struggles to explain how visual illusions trick brain
  • e.g. Ame’s room - brain struggles to understand people are same size
  • goes against theory as we should be able to directly perceive it
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26
Q

Explanations of Visual Illusions

A
  • ambiguity
  • misinterpreted depth cues
  • fiction
  • size constancy
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27
Q

Ambiguity

A

When there are 2 possible interpretations of the same image - brain finds it hard to choose

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28
Q

Misinterpreted depth cues

A

Brain tricked into interpretting distance when it isn’t there

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29
Q

Fiction

A

Shapes using illusory contours to suggest something else is there when it isn’t

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30
Q

Size constancy

A

Keeping original perception of size of an object, even when information received by eyes changes

31
Q

Visual illusions

A
  • Ponzo illusion
  • Müller-Lyer
  • Rubin’s vase
  • Ames room
  • Kanizsa triangle
  • Necker cube
32
Q

Ponzo Illusion Explanation

A
  • misinterpreted depth cues
  • relies on linear perspective - two outer lines create illusion
  • unconsciously see top line being further away so longer
33
Q

Müller-Lyer Explanation

A
  • misinterpreted depth cues
  • perceive length of lines different dependent of whether arrow points inwards/outwards
34
Q

Rubin’s Vase Explanation

A
  • ambiguity
  • 2 equally possible interpretations - brain struggles to choose between background/foreground so image appears reversible
35
Q

Ames Room Explanation

A
  • size constancy
  • room is not square, rear wall is slanted further back on the left but appears a normal room at right angles with smaller person on left
36
Q

Kanizsa Triangle Explanation

A
  • fiction
  • gaps in triangle, perceptual system generates an image that fills the gap to create something plausible
37
Q

Necker Cube Explanation

A
  • ambiguity
  • brain can’t decide where front is as image perfectly balanced so can be seen from multiple viewpoints
38
Q

Gregory’s constructivist theory DATE

A

1970

39
Q

Gregory’s constructivist theory PARTS

A
  • top-down
  • inferences
  • visual cues
  • nurture
  • environment
40
Q

Gregory’s constructivist theory TOP-DOWN

A
  • perception is top-down process
  • construct our reality using brain to make guesses about what we are perceiving
  • the brain tells the eyes what to see
41
Q

Gregory’s constructivist theory INFERENCES

A

Make inferences about what we are perceiving based on past experiences

42
Q

Gregory’s constructivist theory VISUAL CUES

A

Relied on to help measure things like depth and distance

43
Q

Gregory’s constructivist theory NURTURE

A
  • how we perceive is learnt
  • things like culture have big impact on how we perceive
44
Q

Gregory’s constructivist theory ENVIRONMENT

A
  • environment we are brought up in will affect how we perceive
  • e.g - people from West fall for Müller-Lyer illusion (brought up with rectangular buildings), people brought up in rainforest won’t mistake depth cues so won’t fall for illusion
45
Q

Gregory’s constructivist theory STRENGTH

A
  • supporting research evidence
  • Hudson (1960) found different cultures perceived 2D image of elephant + hunter in different ways
  • supports idea we learn to perceive through nurture/experiences + rely on visual monocular depth cues like height in plane to perceive
46
Q

Gregory’s constructivist theory WEAKNESSES

A
  • opposing research
  • Fantz (1961) found babies are born with perceptual abilities, would prefer images of human faces from birth
  • goes against Gregory’s nurture idea, suggests some perceptual abilities innate
    +
  • opposing theory
  • Gibson’s theory may be better at explaining everyday perception, Gregory’s theory explains why we fall for ambiguous visual illusions deliberately designed to trick us (like the Necker Cube)
  • Gibson’s theory may be more ecologically useful
47
Q

Perceptual Set

A

The tendency or readiness to notice certain aspects of our sensory environment

48
Q

Factors affecting perceptual set

A
  • motivation
  • expectation
  • culture
  • emotion
49
Q

How does motivation affect perceptual set

A

Wanting something increases it’s attractiveness and we notice it more

50
Q

Gilchrist and Nesburg DATE

A

1952

51
Q

Gilchrist and Nesburg AIM

A
  • study effects of motivation on perceptual set
  • see if hunger is motivating factor affecting perception
52
Q

Gilchrist and Nesburg METHOD

A
  • lab experiment
  • 26 undergraduates
  • independent groups - half food deprived for 20 hours, half not
  • showed food (steak,chicken) on projector for 15 seconds, turned off, made to readjust to original brightness
  • Ps told it was matching pictures exercise
53
Q

Gilchrist and Nesburg RESULTS

A
  • food deprived Ps perceived + made images brighter
54
Q

Gilchrist and Nesburg CONCLUSION

A
  • hunger is motivating factor affecting perceptual set
55
Q

Gilchrist and Nesburg STRENGTH

A
  • similar results in other studies
  • Sanford (1963) showed food deprived Ps ambiguous pictures, saw brown blobs as burgers
  • Gilchrist and Nesburg have strong reliability, motivation more likely to be factor affecting perceptual set
56
Q

Gilchrist and Nesburg WEAKNESSES

A
  • ethical issues
  • protection from harm - discomfort caused, consent given but may not have realised effects so may not have been fully informed
  • may be considered unethical, may not have been worth it for psychological research
    +
  • artificial task
  • images of food used, when food presented in real life, other sensory factors like smell influence perception
  • low ecological validity, results may not be applicable to how motivation affects perception of food in real world
57
Q

How does expectation affect perceptual set

A

When we expect something to happen, we are more likely to notice it

58
Q

Bruner and Minturn DATE

A

1955

59
Q

Bruner and Minturn AIM

A
  • see if expectation is a factor affecting perceptual set
  • see if anticipating seeing something makes it more likely you will
60
Q

Bruner and Minturn METHOD

A
  • 24 students
  • lab experiment
  • independent groups
  • 1 condition shown letters A + C stimulus on screen
  • 1 condition shown numbers 12 + 14 stimulus on screen
  • both groups flashed ambiguous figure inbetween for 30 milliseconds, looked like B/13
  • Ps made to write down what they saw
61
Q

Bruner and Minturn RESULTS

A
  • most Ps shown letters stimulus drew ‘C’
  • most Ps shown number stimulus drew ‘13’
62
Q

Bruner and Minturn CONCLUSION

A

Expectation affects perceptual set as Ps perception of ambiguous figure easily influenced by stimulus shown

63
Q

Bruner and Minturn STRENGTH

A
  • explains perceptual errors
  • US navy cruiser in 1988 shot down civilian plane knowing there was military action nearby, expectation affects perception, knowing context can reduce errors in judgement
  • gives study real world application
64
Q

Bruner and Minturn WEAKNESSES

A
  • artificial task
  • ambiguous figures not found everyday, visual illusions deliberately designed to trick us
  • doesn’t show how everyday perception is affected by expectation, low ecological validity
    +
  • problems with experimental design
  • independent groups, Ps only did 1 condition of IV, may be participant variables, may be Ps whose name begins with ‘B’ or Ps who are superstitious about ‘13’
  • may be weaker reliability of findings
65
Q

Culture

A

Beliefs and expectations that surround us

66
Q

How does culture affect perceptual set

A

People from different cultures may perceive same object/situation differently due to the different cultural norms, values, beliefs

67
Q

Culture study METHOD

A
  • schooled/unschooled South African Ps
  • show man hunting + antelope + elephant - say who man is hunting
  • height in plane + relative size shows antelope is closer
68
Q

Culture study RESULTS

A

More schooled Ps to perceive depth and complete task successfully than unschooled

69
Q

Culture study CONCLUSION

A

People from different culture/ background have different perceptual set

70
Q

How does emotion affect perceptual set

A
  • notice things we find exciting
  • takes longer to perceive something unpleasant
  • block out things we find threatening
71
Q

Emotion study METHOD

A
  • flash emotionally neutral (tree) + taboo (penis) words
  • make Ps say words out loud
  • measure time taken to say word + emotional arousal using GSR
72
Q

Emotion study RESULTS

A

Offensive words take longer to say and have higher change in emotional arousal

73
Q

Emotion study CONCLUSION

A
  • emotion affects perceptual set
  • perceptual defence used by brain with offensive or anxious words

Psychology (8 decks)

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