Perceptual Organization Flashcards
Perception definiton, influence, passive or active, is it reality or not
- the process of the brain that interprets sensory information; sensations is given meaningful representations of the world
- is an active process
- influenced by past experiences, current information, new information which makes expectations
- our perception may not accurately reflect the external reality
Ebbinghaus illusion
what is it; what can be concluded
one orange circle (with big blue circles around it) appears smaller than another orange circle (with smaller blue circles around it)
however, both orange circles are the same size
-therefore, context is important how brain interprets information
Perceptions are influenced by…
genetics, experiences, and expectations or preconceptions
nature and nurture
Generalization of Bottom up vs top down
Bottom up: sensory driven; focus on shapes and individual features
Top down: cognitive driven; experiences and knowledge shape perception
Bottom up processing
focus on specific shapes and individual features
- brain assembles specific features of shapes to form patterns
- patterns are compared to stored images; lines and shapes are then assembled to create whole perceptions
- for brand new information; building representation piece by piece
Emergent images
as a result of bottom up processing; objects are initially difficult to see but once you have recognized them they are easy to see even after months or years
Top down processing
use of preexisting knowledge to organize individual features into a unified whole
-based on experience and knowledge
Thatcher effect
uses concept of top-down processing; more difficult to detect local feature changes in upside down faces despite those changes being obvious when the face is oriented upright
Examples of top down processing
- thatcher effect
- human mind does not read every letter when reading the words; by having the right letter in the first letter and last letter and the extra letters in the middle, we can fill in the blanks
Perceptual organization definiton
the way individual elements are grouped together to create larger objects
Gestalts Laws of perpetual organization
from where, what does it indicate
from gestalt psychology; “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” Max Wertheimer
indicate HOW elements are organized and grouped together
Proximity law
gestalt law
things closer together appear to belong with each other
Closure law
gestalt law
grouping elements to create a sense of completeness
-“fill in the gaps”
Similarity law
gestalt law
- grouping stimuli together that are similar in appearance
- mentally segregates
Simplicity law
other name
gestalt law
law of pragnanz (good form)
grouping elements in good form creating a structure that is simple as possible
When confronted with complex shapes, we tend to reorganize them into simpler components or into a simpler whole.
