Learn: Vocab Quiz #7

Perception

Organizing and interpreting sensory input into meaningful experience, like recognizing a melody from sound waves.

Bottom-up processing

Perception built from raw sensory input upward, with no reliance on expectations.

Top-down processing

Perception driven by prior knowledge and expectations, like reading a sloppy word from context.

Schema

A mental framework organizing knowledge, like your concept of "restaurant."

Perceptual set

A readiness to perceive one thing over another, like seeing a "B" in "A B C" but a "13" in "12 13 14."

Gestalt psychology

The view that we perceive organized wholes, not just sums of parts.

Closure

Mentally filling gaps to see a complete object, like seeing a circle drawn with dashes.

Figure and ground

Seeing an object (figure) stand out from its background (ground), like the vase/faces image.

Proximity

Grouping nearby objects together, like seeing dots close together as a cluster.

Similarity

Grouping objects that look alike, like seeing rows of same-colored dots.

Selective attention

Focusing on one stimulus while filtering out others.

Cocktail party effect

Tuning in to one conversation but still noticing your name from another.

Inattentional blindness

Missing a visible object because attention is elsewhere, like the unseen gorilla.

Change blindness

Failing to notice a change in a scene, like not noticing a swapped conversation partner.

Binocular depth cues

Depth cues requiring both eyes.

Retinal disparity

Depth from the difference between each eye's image; larger difference means closer.

Convergence

Depth from the inward turn of the eyes; more strain means closer.

Monocular depth cues

Depth cues that work with just one eye.

Relative clarity

Hazy objects look farther away; sharp objects look closer.

Relative size

Of two similar objects, the smaller retinal image looks farther away.

Texture gradient

Fine, blurry texture looks distant; coarse, detailed texture looks near.

Linear perspective

Parallel lines appear to converge with distance, like railroad tracks.

Interposition

An object blocking part of another is seen as closer.

Perceptual constancies

Seeing objects as unchanging despite changes in sensory input, like a door that looks the same shape when opened.

Apparent movement

Perceiving motion from stationary stimuli, like sequential flashing lights.

Prototypes

The most typical example of a category, like a robin for "bird."

Schemas

Mental frameworks that organize and interpret information.

Assimilation

Fitting new information into an existing schema, like calling a zebra a "striped horse."

Accommodation

Changing a schema to fit new information, like creating a new category for zebras.

Algorithms

Step-by-step procedures that guarantee a solution but can be slow.

Heuristics

Quick mental shortcuts that are fast but can cause errors, unlike algorithms.