Module 19- Visual Organization and Interpretation

Gestalt

An organized whole; the tendency to combine pieces of information into meaningful wholes.

Figure-Ground

Organizing the visual field into objects (figures) that stand out from their surroundings (ground).

Grouping

The perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into meaningful groups.

Depth Perception

The ability to see objects in 3D and judge distance, even though images on the retina are 2D.

Visual Cliff

A laboratory device used to test depth perception in infants and young animals.

Binocular Cue

A depth cue that depends on using both eyes.

Retinal Disparity

A depth cue based on comparing the images from both eyes. The greater the difference, the closer the object.

Monocular Cue

A depth cue that allows us to judge distance using either eye alone

Phi Phenomenon

An illusion of movement created when nearby lights blink on and off in quick succession.

Perceptual Constancy

Perceiving objects as having consistent size, shape, color, and brightness despite changes in viewing conditions.

Color Constancy

Perceiving familiar objects as having consistent colors even when lighting changes.

Perceptual Adaptation

The ability to adjust to changed visual input, including artificially displaced or inverted vision.