Perception Flashcards
Just-noticeable difference
The difference threshold that defines the change
Weber’s law
Computer of difference threshold, states that the change needed is proportional to the original intensity of the stimulus
Top-down processing
We perceive by filling in gaps in what we sense
Schemata, or Schema
Mental representations of how we expect the world to be
Perceptual set
A predisposition to perceiving something in a certain way
Bottom-up processing
Or feature analysis, is the opposite of top-down processing; Instead of using our experience to perceive an object, we use only the features of an object itself to build a complete perception
Figure-ground relationship
One of the first perceptual decisions our mind must make: What part of a visual image is the figure and what part is the ground of background?
Gestalt psychology
Points out that we normally perceive images as groups. not as isolated elements
Proximity (Gestalt Principle of Perception)
Objects that are close together are more likely to be perceived as belonging in the same group
Similarity (Gestalt Principle of Perception)
Objects that are similar in appearance are more likely to be perceived as belonging in the same group
Continuity (Gestalt Principle of Perception)
Objects that are arranged in a continuous line or curve (such as a trail or a geometric figure) are more likely to be perceived as belonging in the same group
Closure (Gestalt Principle of Perception)
Objects that make up a recognizable image are more likely to be perceived as belonging in the same group even if the image contains gaps that the mind needs to fill in
Visual cliff
Ability to perceive depth
Monocular depth cues
Depth cues that do not depend on having two eyes
Binocular depth
Cues that depend on having both eyes
Linear perspective (Train drawing example)
If you wanted to draw a railroad track
that runs away from the viewer off into the distance, most likely you would
start by drawing two lines that converge somewhere toward the top of your
paper
Relative size cue (Train drawing example)
If you were drawing a train, you would draw the boxcars closer to the viewer as larger than the engine of in the distance
Interposition cue (Train drawing example)
A water tower blocking our view of part of the
train would be seen as closer to us
Texture gradient (Train drawing example)
We know that we can see details in texture
close to us but not far away
Retinal disparity, or binocular disparity
Each of our eyes view an objects from a slight different angle; the brain receives both images
Convergence
As an object gets closer to our face our eyes move toward each other to keep focused on the object
