Myers EXPLORING

PSYCHOLOGY

Modules 13-14 Perceptual Organization and Interpretation

Perception Perception takes over where sensation stops Perception is an active and constructive process of how we interpret and organize sensations How the brain interprets and makes sense of incoming messages.
John Locke: We must learn to perceive, we are born blank slates. Immanuel Kant: We are born with innate categories of thought which facilitate perception.

Perceptual Organization

Gestalt
An organized whole. Tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes.

Perceptual Organization

Perceptual Organization Form Perception Form perception composed of several phenomenon Figure ground Grouping Depth Perception Perceptual constancy

Form Perception Figure and Ground

Figure and Ground: Organization of the visual field

into objects (figures) that stand out from their surroundings (ground). Ground = Not Important
Figure = Important

Form Perception Grouping Grouping

The perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups.

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

Form Perception Grouping

Gap between A & n is small

Gap between y & S is large

Proximity

Similarity

Continuity

Closure

Connectedness

Form Perception Grouping

Form Perception Grouping Gestalt grouping principles are at work here: your brain imposes a sense of wholeness that is not there.

Form Perception Grouping The whole is more than the sum of its parts.

Perceptual Organization Depth Perception Depth Perception Ability to see objects in three dimensions Allows us to judge distance

Perceptual Organization Depth Perception Binocular Cues

Binocular Cues: Depend on use of two eyes. 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 Binocular Accommodation Eyes must accommodate differently for slightly different views.

Perceptual Organization Depth Perception Binocular Cues Retinal Disparity and Convergence

Depth Perception Monocular Cues

Monocular Cues: Available to either eye alone Relative Size: Smaller image is more distant. Interposition (a.k.a. Overlap): Closer object blocks distant object.

Depth Perception Monocular Cues

Linear Perspective: Parallel lines converge with distance. Relative Clarity: Hazy object seen as more distant.

Depth Perception Monocular Cues Relative Height: Higher objects seen as more distant.
-As the land gets higher vertically in the picture, we view it as further away. -Above the horizon this relationship reverses and clouds which are lower are seen as further away.

Depth Perception Monocular Cues

Relative Brightness: Closer objects appear brighter.

Relative Motion: Closer objects seem to move faster.

Depth Perception Monocular Cues Texture coarse --> close fine --> distant

Perceptual Constancy

We perceive Objects in our world as stable and the environment as changing rather than the reverse We perceive changes in shape, size, color, or brightness as a function of distance, lighting, or movement. Size-familiar objects retain their size regardless of distance Shape-familiar objects retain shape regardless of angle of view Brightness-familiar objects retain their color despite differing illumination

Perceptual Constancy Shape Constancy

Perceptual Constancy Color Constancy

Perceptual Constancy Shape and Size Constancies

Perceptual Constancy Shape and Size Constancies Size-Distance Relationship

Perceptual Constancy Shape and Size Constancies Size-Distance Relationship

Perceptual Constancy Shape and Size Constancies Size-Distance Relationship

Perceptual Constancy Shape and Size Constancies Size-Distance Relationship

Perceptual Constancy Lightness Constancy

Perceptual Constancy Lightness Constancy

Perceptual Organization Other Senses

The equally spaced ticks of a clock are perceived in pairs, tick-tock. THEDOGATEMEAT Is this The dog ate meat or is it The do gate me at? When we first hear a foreign language it is really hard to hear word breaks. Gestalt principle of proximity allows Braille or Morse code to be sensible.

Perceptual Interpretation Two Conflicting Views

Immanuel Kant (Nature): Knowledge comes from our inborn ways of organizing sensory experiences. John Locke (Nurture): Through our experience we also learn to perceive the world. People born with cataracts can immediately sense colors and figure-ground distinctions after the cataracts removed, thus supporting Kants notion of innate perceptions. However, these same people could not identify by sight those objects which they were familiar with by touch, thus supporting Lockes notion of learned perception.

Perceptual Interpretation Perceptual Set

What you see in the center is influenced by Perceptual Set: A mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another.

Perceptual Interpretation Perceptual Set

Flying Saucers or Clouds?

Perceptual Interpretation Perceptual Set Context Effects

Perceptual Interpretation Perceptual Set Context Effects

We often interpret ambiguous situations based on things around it. In spoken language, homophones are totally ambiguous. The window pane/pain was raised. Standing alone, the word pane/pain is indistinguishable In context, it is quite easy to determine If someone proposes a tax on senators, we need to distinguish, based on the context, whether the speaker was promoting a tax or attacks.

Perceptual Interpretation Perception and the Human Factor

Human Factors: A branch of psychology which studies and implements the natural way to do things to make them easier for humans.