Perception (2022) without studies

Question 1

visual cues

Answer 1

features of the environment that give us information about depth, distance, movement etc.

Question 2

visual constancies

Answer 2

seeing objects as the same despite seeing them from different angles and distances

Question 3

name 4 monocular depth cues

Answer 3

Height in plane
Relative size
Occlusion
Linear perspective

Question 4

define height in plane

Answer 4

Objects higher up in the visual field appear further away

Question 5

define relative size

Answer 5

Smaller objects in the visual field appear further away

Question 6

define occlusion

Answer 6

Objects in front of others appear closer, obscured objects appear further away

Question 7

define linear perspective

Answer 7

Parallel lines appear to converge in the distance

Question 8

name 2 binocular depth cues

Answer 8

Retinal disparity

Convergence

Question 9

define retinal disparity

Answer 9

The difference between the left and the right eyes view which the brain receives to provide information about depth and distance

Question 10

define convergence

Answer 10

Muscles around our eyes work harder when objects are close, this information is sent to the brain to give understand depth and distance

Question 11

outline Gregory’s constructivist theory

Answer 11

Perception is a construct of both visual cues and inferences
Visual cues = clues
Inferences come from past experience
Visual cues can be interpreted incorrectly leading to a mistaken hypothesis

Question 12

give 3 evaluation points of Gregory’s constructivist theory

Answer 12

STRENGTH - cross cultural support
WEAKNESS - visual illusions are deliberate
WEAKNESS - doesn’t explain the origin of perception

Question 13

elaborate strength of Gregory’s constructivist theory (cross cultural support)

Answer 13

Cross cultural support
Studies have found that people in different cultures interpret visual cues differently. Their experiences have influenced their perception.
Therefore the theory can explain cultural differences

Question 14

elaborate weakness of Gregory’s constructivist theory (visual illusions are deliberate)

Answer 14

Visual illusions are deliberate
Although mistaken hypothesis has been useful, it may not tell us about the real world as visual illusions are designed to fool you
Gibson’s theory may be a better explanation of everyday perception

Question 15

elaborate weakness of Gregory’s constructivist theory (doesn’t explain origin of perception)

Answer 15

Doesn’t explain origin of perception
Lots of studies suggest that babies have perceptual abilities at birth, indicating not all perception is due to nurture
Gregory’s theory struggles to explain examples of innate perception

Question 16

define motivation

Answer 16

Refers to the forces that drive your behaviour

For example, hunger is an animal drive state that pushes and animal to seek food

Question 17

give 3 evaluation points of Gregory’s constructivist theory

Answer 17

STRENGTH - has cross cultural support
WEAKNESS - visual illusions are deliberate
WEAKNESS - doesn’t explain how perception begins

Question 18

give 3 evaluation points of Gilchrist and Nesburg’s study

Answer 18

STRENGTH - similar studies have found similar results
WEAKNESS - study was not like everyday life
WEAKNESS - studies in this area are unethical

Question 19

give one strength of Gilchrist and Nesburg’s study

Answer 19

Similar studies had similar results

Question 20

give two weaknesses of Gilchrist and Nesburg’s study

Answer 20

Studies in this area are unethical

Study was not like everyday life

Question 21

elaborate weakness of Gilchrist and Nesburg’s study (unlike everyday life)

Answer 21

Unlike everyday life
Participants were asked to judge pictures of food not actual food
This makes the applying the results to real life difficult

Question 22

elaborate weakness of Gilchrist and Nesburg’s study (studies in this area are unethical)

Answer 22

Studies in this area are unethical
Depriving participants of food and water can cause discomfort. Participants may have underestimated this and stayed to not spoil the study.
This is unfair to do for research

Question 23

elaborate strength of Gilchrist and Nesburg’s study (similar studies found similar results)

Answer 23

Similar studies found similar results
Sanford deprived participants and showed them ambiguous pictures, the longer they were deprived the more likely they were to see food
This increases the validity of G+N’s study

Question 24

give 3 evaluation points of Bruner and Minturn’s study

Answer 24

WEAKNESS - ambiguous figure was used
WEAKNESS - independent groups design
STRENGTH - explains perceptual errors

Question 25

give two weaknesses of Bruner and Minturn’s study

Answer 25

ambiguous figure used

independent groups design

Question 26

give one strength of Bruner and Minturn’s study

Answer 26

explains perceptual errors

Question 27

elaborate weakness of a Bruner and Minturn’s study (ambiguous figure used)

Answer 27

Ambiguous figure used
Ambiguous figures are designed to trick participants into making errors. Although there are occasions when we come across things like this in real life (misreading a sign) they are rare
This means the results lack validity

Question 28

elaborate weakness of Bruner and Minturn’s study (independent groups design)

Answer 28

Independent groups design
People in one group may have been different from people in the other group in important ways e:g their names may have began with B in the letter group.
Therefore participant variables may have altered the conclusions of the study

Question 29

elaborate strength of Bruner and Minturn’s study (explains perceptual errors)

Answer 29

Explains perceptual errors
Gregory argues that people make hypothesis about what they see and this is influenced by their past experience. The results suggest that expectations do influence perception, explaining errors.
This helps us understand how perceptual errors occur and why