Understanding the role of attention in perception

Question 1

attention definition

Answer 1

actively focusing on particular information while simultaneously ignoring other information

Question 2

internal stimuli definition

Answer 2

information or sensations that originate within the body

Question 3

external stimuli definition

Answer 3

information or sensations that originate outside the body

Question 4

sustained attention definition

Answer 4

focusing on one stimulus or task across a prolonged, continuous period of time.
* Greater readiness to detect rare and unpredicatble stimuli
* The more rare or unique the stimili is, the greater a persons vigilance is likely to be when attending to it.

Question 5

selective attention definition

Answer 5

exclusively focusing attention on a specific stimulus or task while ignoring all other stimuli or tasks
* required when we complete a controled cognitive process that involves a high level of conscious awareness and mental effort
* task to be completed is complex or when the desired is known

Question 6

divided attention definition

Answer 6

refers to splitting attention across two or more stimulus at one time. This type of attention involves multitasking.
* Generally used when an automatic cognitive process is being performed, which requires little conscious awareness or mental effort
* where two or more stimuli rely on similar sensory systems, it is harder to pay attention and process information

Question 7

multitasking definition

Answer 7

the act of working on multiple tasks at one time

Question 8

sensation definition

Answer 8

process of recieving and detecting raw sensory stimuli via sensory organs and sending this information to the brain. Sensory data is recieved, converted into a neural impulse, and then this impulse is sent to the area of the brain that is responsible for processing specific sensory information.

Question 9

perception definition

Answer 9

the process by which we interpret and give meaning to sensory information. Refers to the process of selecting, organizing and interpreting sensory information. Allows sensory information to enter ones conscious awareness so that it can be understood.

Question 10

gustatory perception

Answer 10

the process of becoming consciously aware of flavour

Question 11

sensory stimuli definition

Answer 11

the raw pieces of information that are detected by the five senses

Question 12

top down processing

Answer 12

to apply prior knowledge and expectation to a situation, which changes how we percieve it. The various elements that help us organise and interpret these expectations, our schemas, are difference for everyone as every persons mental organisation and interpretations are different

Question 13

bottom up processing

Answer 13

begin with salient (how prominent or emotionally striking something is) sensory information, which is then processed and integrated to produce meaning. Data driven processing because it relies on sensory data. This is typically an automatic process.

Question 14

biological factors affecting visual perception

Answer 14

are grounded in physiology (functions of the body) and so are similar for most people, except where some difference in functionality is experienced by an individual due to genetics, injury, age or some other biological reasons

Question 15

depth perception

Answer 15

ability to judge distances and see the world in three dimensions. Relies on ability to correctly process biological depth cues (help one determine how near or far an object is from another object)
–> eye receive visual stimuli as two dimensional images, which are then converted, using depth cues, into a three-dimensional reality

Question 16

two types of depth cues and their definition

Answer 16

1. Minocular depth cues: rely on visual information perceived by just one eye (accomodation)
2. Binocular depth cues: rely on visual information from both eyes (convergence and retinal disparity)

Question 17

convergence definition

Answer 17

involves the inward turning of the eyes, which is detected by the brain as tension changes in the muscles surrounding the eyes.
–> when the brain detects an increase in muscle tensions in both eyes, the visual cortex in the brain is activated by this cue to assist in determining the depth and distance of an object.
* Further away the object the less inward turning of the eyes and the less muscle tension. An object that is close to the observer, on the other hand, requires greater inward turning of the eyes and stronger muscle tension to keep focus.
* object approximately 7m of viewer

Question 18

retinal disparity definition

Answer 18

the brain detecting similarities and differences between the information being sent from each eye, due to the pupils of our eyes being 6-7cm apart.
–> the mismatch between the sensory information provides cues about the objects depth and distance.
* When the disparity between the images is greatest; the object is percieved as close to the observer
* less disparity between the two images indicates that the object is furthest away.
* used on objects up to 10m away from the viewer.

Question 19

monocular depth cues - accommodation definition

Answer 19

involves the automatic focusing mechanism of the lens in the eye to adjust the shape of the lens in response to differing distances of view from the object
–> the ciliary muscles control the lens, making it bulge to focus on nearby objects and elongate to focus on farawar objects.
–> the brain monitors the movement of the ciliary muscles and uses this information to determine the depth and distance of the object in focus
–> allows the continuos focusing of moving objects

Question 20

psychological factors of visual perception definition

Answer 20

learned mental processes. Each individual has a combination of these mental processes, causing them to interpret environmental stimuli in a highly personal manner

Question 21

perceptual set definition

Answer 21

a predisposition to perceive features of sensory stimuli and ignore other features that are deemed irrelevant. Refers to top-down processing. Perceptual set leads you to view things in a certain way due to your readiness to receive certain stimuli. Informed by past experiences and memory, motivations and the context in which one experiences stimuli.

Question 22

4 types of psychological factors that influence visual perception

Answer 22

1. Past experiences
2. Memory
3. Motivation
4. Context

Question 23

past experiences definition

Answer 23

situations and events one encounters throughout their lives prior to the present and collectively referred to as our past experiences. Unique set of life experiences, no two people will have the same set of past experiences.

Question 24

memory definition

Answer 24

the system that actively receives, organizes, stores and recovers information. Memory is shaped by our experiences of the world, and it helps us understand how our world works. Plays an important role in our expectations of how the world should operate.

Question 25

motivation definition

Answer 25

individual desires that influence our visual perception. One will perceive certain stimuli that align with our goals as more salient than others.
–> stimuli that become salient will be directed by our past experiences and expectations through to[-down processing

Question 26

context definition

Answer 26

the situation or conditions which something occurs that influences how stimuli is percieved.

Question 27

Perceptual constancy definition

Answer 27

used to percieve a visual stimulus as remaining constant. The three types of perceptual constancy are: size constancy, shape constancy, and orientation constancy

Question 28

size constancy definition

Answer 28

occurs when an individual recognised that a stimuls’s actual size remains the same despite changes in the information sent to the brain about the size of the stimulus.

Question 29

shape constancy definition

Answer 29

occurs when an individual recognises that a stimulses actual shape remains the same despite changes in the shape of the retinal images sent to the brain.

Question 30

orientation constancy definition

Answer 30

occurs when an individual recognizes that a stimuls’s actual orientation remains the same despite changes in the orientation of the retinal images sent to the brain

Question 31

recall the four types of gestalt principles

Answer 31

1. Figure ground
2. Closure
3. Similarity
4. Proximity

Question 32

figure ground definition

Answer 32

describes the tendency to perceive part of a visual stimulus as more relevant (the figure) and standing out against its relevant surroundings (the ground). The line of separation between the figure and the ground is determined by the contour, and it helps differentiate the figure from the ground.

Question 33

closure definition

Answer 33

refers to the ability to closeup, fill in or ignore gaps in visual stimuli and percieve objects as a remaining full whole. Helps to perceive incomplete stimuli, potentially reducing the mental efforts required.

Question 34

similarity definition

Answer 34

refers to the tendency to group together as a whole any stimuli that are alike in shape, size or colour.

Question 35

proximity definition

Answer 35

the tendency to perceive the parts of a visual stimulus that are close together, rather than spaced far apart, as belonging to a group.