Myers’ PSYCHOLOGY
(6th Ed)
Perception
Perception: A mental process that elaborates
and assigns meaning to the incoming sensory
patterns.
Perception brings meaning to sensation. It
produces an interpretation of the world, but it
isn’t a perfect representation.
Perception
Selective Attention
focus of conscious
awareness on a
particular stimulus
Testing Selective
Attention
http://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=vJG698U2
Mvo
Bottom-Up and Top-Down
 Bottom-Up processing: Analysis that emphasizes
the characteristics of the stimuli rather than our
concepts and expectations.
 Top-Down perception: Analysis that emphasizes
the perceiver’s expectations, rather than individual
characteristics.
Describe This Picture
•
Describe This Picture
The Forest Has Eyes by Bev Doolittle
•Bottom-Up: Lines, angles and colors…a guy riding a horse through the forest
•Top-Down: We consider the title and direct our attention to aspects that will give
meaning to it.
Perceptual Constancy
Perceptual Constancy
perceiving objects as unchanging despite
changes in retinal image
color
shape
size
Perceptual Illusions
Perceptual Illusions
Perceptual Illusions
Perceptual Illusions
Perceptual OrganizationGestalt
Visual Capture
tendency for vision to dominate the
other senses
Grouping
the perceptual tendency to organize
stimuli into coherent groups
Perceptual Organization
Figure and Ground
organization of the
visual field into objects
(figures) that stand
out from their
surroundings (ground)
Works for all senses
Perceptual OrganizationGestalt
Gestalt- an organized whole
tendency to integrate pieces of information
into meaningful wholes
Grouping Principles
proximity- group nearby figures together
similarity- group figures that are similar
continuity- perceive continuous patterns
closure- fill in gaps
connectedness- spots, lines and areas are
seen as unit when connected
PerceptualOrganizationGrouping Principles
What shapes do you
see in each image?
Law of Perceptual Grouping
Law of Common Fate: The Gestalt
principle that we tend to group similar
objects together that share a common
motion or destination.
Think a school of fish, a flock of seagulls, a murder of
crows
Laws of Perceptual Grouping
Law of Pragnanz: The Gestalt principle
which states that the simplest
organization, requiring the least cognitive
effort, will emerge as the figure.
What is wrong with
this image?
PerceptualOrganizationGrouping Principles
Gestalt
grouping
principles
are at
work here.
Perceptual OrganizationDepth Perception
Depth Perception
ability to see objects in three dimensions
allows us to judge distance
Binocular cues
retinal disparity
images from the two eyes differ
closer the object, the larger the disparity
convergence
neuromuscular cue
two eyes move inward for near objects
Perceptual OrganizationDepth Perception
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6cqNhHrMJA
Visual Cliff
Perceptual OrganizationDepth Perception
Monocular Cues
relative size
smaller image is more distant
interposition
closer object blocks distant object
relative clarity
hazy object seen as more distant
texture
coarse --> close
fine --> distant
Perceptual OrganizationDepth Perception
Relative Size
Perceptual OrganizationDepth Perception
Perceptual OrganizationDepth Perception
Monocular Cues (cont.)
relative height
higher objects seen as more distant
relative motion
closer objects seem to move faster
linear perspective
parallel lines converge with distance
relative brightness
closer objects appear brighter
Perceptual OrganizationDepth Perception
Perspective Techniques
Perceptual Organization
Perceptual OrganizationMuller-Lyer Illusion
Perceptual OrganizationSize-Distance Relationship
More Illusions at the Perceptual Level
Perceptual OrganizationBrightness Contrast
Perceptual
Interpretation
Perceptual Adaptation
(vision) ability to adjust to an
artificially displaced visual field
prism glasses
Perceptual Set
a mental predisposition to
perceive one thing and not another
Perceptual SetSchemas
What you see in the
center is influenced
by perceptual set
Perceptual SetSchemas
Flying Saucers or Clouds?
Perception without
Sensation?
Extrasensory Perception
controversial claim that perception can occur
apart from sensory input
telepathy
clairvoyance
precognition
Parapsychology
the study of paranormal phenomena
ESP
psychokinesis
The End
If you assume your senses give you an
accurate and undistorted picture of the
world, you are probably wrong. If you
don’t believe me, try this.
Silently read the backwards statement
below. Flip if over in your mind. What
does it say?
.rat eht saw tac ehT
Answer
How many people saw this:
The cat saw the rat.
Look at it again:
.rat eht saw tac ehT
How many people saw this:
The cat was the rat.
Answer:
The cat was the tar.