Chapter 4 Module 10Perception

The process of organizing and interpreting sensory information.

Do you favour one sense over the other?

Which is your strongest sense? How do you know?

Perception

Gestalt psychologists believed that by breaking experiences into basic parts had something that was lost. Gestalt or whole organizes patterns that allows us to understand the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

We don’t focus on discrete individual stimuli but rather group them together in meaningful units.

Gestalt

Break into groups Each group is assigned either figure and

ground, similarity, proximity, closure or continuity.

In your groups explain what these concepts are

And how these concepts fit into the concept of Gestalt.

Present

Jig saw activity

The ability to see in three dimensions and judge distance.

Why is this important in our lives?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNmEUhvFxtM

Depth Perception

Gibson and Walk explored this using a visual cliff which ensures the infant’s safety while allowing the researchers to determine if the infant can perceive depth.

Is depth perception nature or nurture?

Infants were reluctant to crawl to the edge. So this ability may be in some ways nature. But by the time they can crawl they have learned (nurtured) so as to avoid obstacles.

Results?

Read pg. 187 and 188

Describe the two major binocular depth cues and how they help us perceive depth: a) retinal disparity and b) convergence.

Depth

Binocular finger sausage

Without binocular vision there can be no sausage. Note that when you alternately close one eye then the other the gap jumps. It’s your brain’s attempt to combine these two views that creates the view in the first place.

What did you see?

Roll a sheet of paper into a tube raise it to your eye and look through it. Open your hand next to the tube and try to have the spot go through your hand.

Retinal Disparity

Write this down

A binocular depth cue related to the tension in the eye muscles when the eyes track inward to focus on objects close to the viewer.

Can you see the 3d image on pg. 189?

Convergence

People who loose vision in one eye cannot use retinal disparity. But they can calculate depth by means of monocular cues.

The same way a painter can trick our 2 dimensional retinas into seeing three dimensions on canvas

Monocular

Read 189-192 and answer this question

Describe the following monocular depth cues and how they influence our perception: a) relative size; b) relative motion; c) interposition; d) relative height; e) texture gradient; f) relative clarity; g) linear perspective.

Monocular

We can perceive motion even when something is not moving.

Stare straight ahead. Put your finger out to the side so you can’t see it. Wiggle your finger. Can you see it now?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTcZjl4peO0&feature=related

Motion

Series of still images that when moved create the appearance of motion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSzCLf8tjP4

Stroboscopic motion

Illusion of movement when lights are turned on and off.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2-swEdDXsc

Phi Phenomenon

Things will remain constant despite changes in the distance, angle of view or level of light.

Three types Size Shape and Light

Perceptual Constancy

Put your left finger up and look at it. While fixed on it move your right hand forwards and backwards to your face.

Your right hand should be getting larger and smaller.

Size remains constant. Our knowledge of the world leads us to conclude that when the apparent size of an object changes the actual size does not change.

Size Constancy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ttd0YjXF0no

Size Constancy

An objects shape has not changed even though our angle indicates it has.

Shape Constancy

The ability to see an object as having a constant level of lightness now matter how the conditions change.

Lightness

Read pg. 194-195

Explain the concept of perceptual constancy as it relates to size, shape and color and brightness.

Answer

The power of suggestion

Perceptual Set

Read pg. 196

Define perceptual set and give some examples of how this mindset affects our interpretation of everyday experiences.

Answer

How we percieve the Coke bottle is in the Context in which We view it.

Context

How does context influence perception?

Answer on pg. 197

We are tricked into misunderstanding stimuli

Illusions

Describe the following illusions:

a) the Muller-Lyer illusion;

b) the Ames room illusion.

Pg. 199 - 200

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TITFtgH_TcA

Ames room again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOeo8zMBfTA

Muller Lyer

Multiple Choice 1-A, 2-D, 3-A, 4-A,5-D, 6-B Matching A-4, B-11, C-6, D-8, E-5, F-3, G-2, H-1, I-9 Fill in the blank 8. Perception, 9. Bottom up, top down, 10.

Perceptual constancy

Self test answers

Understand that Gestalt psychology tried to encourage psychologists to look at how people perceive the world rather than at their individual behaviours, They delved into why and how people perceived sensory phenomena to understand people’s behavior. Wundt analyzed how people react to stimuli, not why. Gestalt psychologists wanted to know how different stimuli can produce both similar and different behaviours.

Essay