Perception Flashcards
What is sensation?
The physical process of collecting data from the environment via the 5 senses
Define perception?
The cognitive process of interpreting data
What are illusions?
The effect of misinterpreting data
What are geometric illusions?
When an image displayed appears distorted
What are ambiguous figures?
When an image is seen in multiple ways
What are fictions?
Seeing something that is not actually there
What are the three types of illusions?
- Geometric illusions
- Ambiguous figures
- Fictions
What do visual constancies allow us to see?
They allow us to see things as the same even though they’re constantly changing
What are the two types of visual constancies?
- Shape constancy
2. colour constancy
What is shape constancy and give an example
The ability to see a constant shape even if it is constantly changing e.g. we know an open door is rectangular in shape even though from where we view it, it is distorted due to perception
What is colour constancy and give an example?
The ability to see the same colour even if it is constantly changing e.g. colour of our bedding changes depending on light but we still perceive it to stay the same
What is depth perception?
The ability of our brain to add a 3rd dimension/depth to everything we see
Define depth cues and name them?
Things that allow us to add this 3rd dimension
- Linear perspective
- Height in plane
- Relative size
- Super imposition
- Texture gradient
What is linear perspective?
When parallel lines converge at a distant point
What is height in plane?
If an image is higher to the eye, it is seen as further away than objects that are lower
What is relative size?
Objects that seem smaller than other objects are perceived to be further away
What is super imposition?
If an object is being blocked by something, we assume that the object doing the blocking, is closer
What is texture gradient?
When we can see the detailed texture of objects that are close, but objects are less detailed further away
What is the core theory of perception?
The constructivists theory
What does the constructivist theory state?
- Perception is based on past experiences
- Uses idea of top down processing and perceptual set
- perceptual set is demonstrated by expectations and motivations
What is top down processing?
The idea that perception is based on what we expect to see
What is perceptual set?
Being pre-disposed to perceive things in one way
Give an example of ‘expectations’ (in perceptual set)
We can read jumpled up sentences correctly due to what words we expect to see in the sentence
Give an example of ‘motivations’ (in perceptual set)
When we feel hungry whilst watching tv, and the names of food attract our attention as our hunger is motivating us to perceive food
What are criticisms of the core theory? (constructivists theory)
- If perception is based on personal experiences, why do we perceive things in the same way
- If perception requires experience, how do we explain a new born babies ability to perceive the world
- The ideas of illusions goes against the constructivists theory e.g if we use our experiences to build perception, why do we fall for the same illusions time and time again?
What is the alternative theory of perception?
Nativists theory
What does the nativists theory state?
- supports the role of nature
- uses the idea of bottom-up processing
- The role of the mind is only to analyse info once it has been perceived
- explains how we perceive so quickly and why we see things in the same way (because we all evolved in the same way)
What is bottom-up processing?
The idea that perception is immediate/direct and not based on experiences, expectations and misinterpretations
Outline the core study?
Haber and Levin (2001)
What was the aim of the study?
To investigate whether perception follows top-down or bottom-up processing
Who were the participants of the study?
9 male students from the US (all previously tested for good eyesight)
What was the method of the study?
- controlled experiment
- repeated measures
What was the procedure of the study?
- participants were taken to a large field that had been divided into 4 areas: arrival area, 15 fixed size objects area, 15 varying sized objects area, geometric shapes area
- participants were taken through arrival area to the middle of the field and they had to estimate the distance from the centre to each object in each area (noted them down)
What were the results of the study?
- Distance of fixed size objects were most accurate
- distance of varying sized objects were not so accurate
- Distance of geometric shapes were least accurate
What are limitations of the study?
- small sample size, not representative
- Demand characteristics may be present as it was a self report (unreliable)
- lack of ecological validity as estimating distances of objects is unrealistic in daily life
Outline the main application of research into attachment?
Advertising
What is subliminal advertising?
A brief message directed to us without us being aware and they can make us do things e.g. buy things as our unconscious minds have heard it or seen it
Where does info coming from the left side of the brain go to?
To the right side of the brain and vice versa
What is the right side of the brain responsible for and what does this mean advertisers should do?
The right side is responsible for creativity so advertisers should display creative content on the left side of the screen/advertisement
What is the left side of the brain responsible for and what does this mean advertiser should do?
The left side is responsible for logical thinking/ language area so advertisers should display this kind of information on the right side of the screen/advertisement
What is the effect of context to perception (in advertsement)
Perception of an object can be altered by context e.g. an expensive product may seem more suitable to wealthier people
