8B - Perception Flashcards
Perception definition
the process of selecting, organising, and interpreting sensory information
- brain based activity
Sensation vs. Perception
We experience perceptions of our external world. These perceptions are constructed based on inputs from our senses (data collected by our eyes, ears, nose, skin and taste buds etc.)
Sensory stimuli definition
the raw pieces of information that are detected by the five senses
Sensation definition
the process of capturing stimuli from the environment by our sense organs
The three processes of perception:
- Selection
- Organisation
- Interpretation
Selection
-Brain attends to only some sensory stimuli
-Can be conscious or unconscious
Example:
- Actively choosing to block out a conversation (conscious)
- Brain attending to most salient stimulus (unconscious)
Organisation
-Arranging the selected stimuli in a coherent way
Example, Lines that make up a shape are grouped together
Interpretation
-We begin to make sense of the information and gain a conscious understanding of it.
Example, A flashing light has been registered and interpreted by someone using their phone in the dark.
Our perceptual experience involves two key processes:
- Bottom - up processing
- Top - down processing
Bottom-up processing definition
information processing where perceptual experiences are created by building larger holes from minute aspects (features) of sensory data
Bottom-up processing explanation
Builds knowledge in real-time as the stimuli is received, allowing each of the elements to be perceived
Top-down processing definition
information processing where psychological, social and contextual information is applied to and influences the perception of stimuli
Top-down processing explanation
Uses prior knowledge to fit the incoming stimuli with similar previous understandings
