Perception Flashcards
What is perception?
The ability to see, hear or become aware of something through the senses
How is perception an active process?
It is not just the receipt of sensory information
It requires higher order processes such as memory and thought to organise and interpret information
Can 2 individuals have the same perception of an event?
No - an experience can be shared
The perception of this experience is unique to the individual
What are the two directions of processing?
- bottom-up processing
2. top-down processing
How are bottom up processes driven?
What is their function?
They are sensory-driven
They are processes that organise incoming information
When does perception begin in bottom-up processing?
Perception begins with the stimulus itself
In which direction does processing occur when it is bottom-up?
It is carried out in one direction from the retina to the visual cortex
Each successive stage in the visual pathway carries out an increasingly more complex analysis of the input
How are top-down processes driven?
What is their function?
They are driven by knowledge, experience and expectations
They are used to determine perception in ambiguous settings
What does top-down processing refer to?
The use of contextual information in pattern recognition
Why is it easier to understand difficult handwriting when reading complete sentences rather than single words?
The meaning of the surrounding words provides a context to aid understanding
What does top-down processing suggest about perceptions of the world?
perceptions of the world are hypotheses based on past experiences and stored information
What is meant by visual perception?
It describes the brain’s ability to make sense of what the eyes can see
What are adaptation effects in visual perception?
Temporary change in sensitivity or perception when exposed to a new or intense stimulus
What do adaptation effects usually result in?
A negative after-image
What is a negative after-image?
A lingering afterimage that may result when a stimulus is removed
What type of process is depth perception and why?
Top-down process
Life experiences give people an idea about depth
What is binocular disparity?
The difference in image location of an object seen by the left and right eyes, resulting from the horizontal separation of the eyes
How does the brain use binocular disparity?
It uses it to extract depth information from two-dimensional retinal images in stereopsis
What is stereopsis?
the perception of depth produced by the reception in the brain of visual stimuli from both eyes in combination
What is the alternative name for stereopsis and why?
“binocular vision”
binocular cues require use of both eyes to perceive distance and depth
What are monocular cues?
They provide depth information when viewing a scene with one eye
What is an example of a monocular cue?
Linear perspective
When parallel lines appear to converge at some point in the distance
What types of cue are interposition, texture gradients and relative size?
Monocular cues
What does Gestalt or whole percept describe?
How people tend to organise visual elements into groups or visual wholes, rather than the sum of their constituent parts
