Visual perception

Question 1

list the gestalt principals:

Answer 1

-figure-ground
-closure
-similarity
-proximity

Question 2

what is figure-ground?

Answer 2

the process of separating the figure from the ground with a perceived or actual line, this is called a contour line

Question 3

what is closure?

Answer 3

refers to the process of when looking at an object with a gap being able to close it up to perceive objects as complete

Question 4

what is similarity?

Answer 4

involves the tendency to perceive parts of an image with similar features to another image and group them into the ‘same’ category, as a group or whole

Question 5

what is proximity?

Answer 5

the tendency to perceive closely placed items as belonging in a group

Question 6

what is involved in the process of visual perception?

Answer 6

-reception
-transduction
-transmission
-interpretation

Question 7

what is reception?

Answer 7

our sensory organs and receptors detect and respond to sensory information (physiological process)

Question 8

what is transduction?

Answer 8

the process where the sensory message is converted into a chemical message to be transported

Question 9

what is transmission?

Answer 9

once the message has been converted into a different form it then proceeds to travel from neuron to neuron

Question 10

what is interpretation?

Answer 10

once the message is organised correctly, the brain will interpret the meaning of the message

Question 11

what are the two photoreceptors?

Answer 11

rods and cones

Question 12

what are the features of rods?

Answer 12

-125 million per eye
-periphery of retina
-work at nights
-black and white vision
-peripheral vison

Question 13

what are the features of cones?

Answer 13

-6 million per eye
-centre of retina
-works during the day
-coloured vision
-high detail and accuracy

Question 14

what are monocular depth cues?

Answer 14

-accommodation
-relative size
-linear perspective
-interposition
-height in the visual field
-texture gradient

Question 15

what are binocular depth cues?

Answer 15

-convergence
-retinal disparity

Question 16

define monocular and binocular depth cues

Answer 16

monocular:
use of one eye
binocular:
use of two eyes

Question 17

what is accommodation?

Answer 17

the process of the eye shortening and bulging to focus on an object and expanding and flattening to look at an object further away

Question 18

what is relative size?

Answer 18

the tendency to perceive the object that produces the largest image on the retina as closer and the object that produces a smaller image is further away

Question 19

what is linear perspective?

Answer 19

is the apparent conversion of parallel lines in the distance

Question 20

what is interposition?

Answer 20

also known as overlap, when one object partially covers another creating the appearance that the object it is covering is further away

Question 21

what is height in the visual field?

Answer 21

refers to the location of objects in our visual field, whereby objects that are located closer to the horizon are perceived as being more distant than objects located further from the horizon.

Question 22

what is retinal disparity?

Answer 22

refers to the very slight difference in the location of the visual images on the retinas, which enables us to make judgements about the distance of an object from the viewer.

Question 23

what is convergence?

Answer 23

involves the brain detecting and interpreting depth or distance (up to 6 metres) from changes in tension in the eye muscles when the two eyes turn inwards to focus on nearby objects.

Question 24

what are perceptual constancies?

Answer 24

refers to the tendency to perceive a visual stimulus as stable and unchanging despite any changes that occur on the retina

Question 25

what does perceptual constancies consist of?

Answer 25

-size
-shape
-brightness

Question 26

what is size constancy?

Answer 26

involves recognising that an object’s actual size remains the same, even though the size of the image that is cast on the retina changes

Question 27

what is shape constancy?

Answer 27

is the tendency to perceive an object as maintaining its shape despite any change in the shape of the image cast on the retina.

Question 28

what is brightness constancy?

Answer 28

is the tendency to perceive an object as maintaining its level of brightness relative to its surroundings, despite changes in the amount of light being reflected from the object on the retina

Question 29

what is a visual illusion?

Answer 29

a visual illusion is a misinterpretation of real sensory stimuli. It is an experience in which there is a mismatch between our perception and what we understand as physical reality

Question 30

what is perceptual set?

Answer 30

a perceptual set is the readiness to perceive stimuli in accordance with certain expectations that often cause us to select certain aspects of the visual stimulus to be organised and interpreted, yet to ignore other aspects

Question 31

what are the two key factors in perceptual set?

Answer 31

-past experiences
-context

Question 32

what are past experiences?

Answer 32

refers to personal experiences that have happened throughout one’s life

Question 33

what is context?

Answer 33

refers to the environment or setting in which a perceived event occurs or an object exists