Unit 2 AOS 2

Attention

• the ability to actively process specific information in the environment while tuning out other details, and it acts like a filter.

• E.g., talking to your friend in a busy classroom, you're able to block out the environmental stimuli to pay attention to your friend and hold a conversation

Sustained Attention

• maintaining a high degree of attention over a prolonged period of time and takes significant effort

• for example a SAC

Selective attention

• focusing on a single activity while disregarding other environmental stimuli with a high level of conscious awareness

• for example holding a conversation in a noisy environment

Divided attention

• distributing your attention to allow for the processing of two or more stimuli at the same time

• for example driving whilst listening to the radio

Visual perception

brains ability to interpret and make sense of what eyes see, biopsychosocial model can be applied to sensory information

Top-down processing

• use prior knowledge, expectations or past experiences to interpret sensory information

• time efficient and provides a structure for directing our attention

• can cause sensory information to be perceived inaccurately

Bottom-up processing

• we interpret information starting from the raw sensory input building our understanding from the details upward

• more accurate perceptions

• takes longer to interpret

Biological factors visual perception

genetics, injury, age or other biological reasons can cause differences for some individuals

Depth perception

refers to ability to see the world in three dimensions and judge distances

Binocular depth cues

visual information obtained from using both eyes

Binocular depth cues- convergence

both eyes turn inward to focus on nearby objects, interprets angle of inward gaze to gauge distance, closer objects create greater convergence

Binocular depth cues- retinal disparity

refers to the slight difference in the images seen by each eye due to their horizontal separation. This difference helps the brain gauge the distance of objects.

Monocular depth cues

Visual indicators of depth perception that can be perceived with one eye.

Monocular depth cues- accommodation

adjustment of the eye's lens to focus on objects at different distances, allowing depth perception.

Psychological factors of visual perception

unique combination of mental processes that cause them to interpret environmental stimuli

Psychological factors- Perceptual set

• past experiences- previous encounters shape expectations and interpretations

• memory- influences perceptions by providing context for what we see

• motivation- desires and needs can affect what we percieve

• context- surrounding environment and circumstances also play a crucial role in shaping pur perception

Social factors of visual perception

culture can influence how we view visual stimuli

Gustatory perception

Detecting and interpreting taste using receptors in the mouth

Biological factors of visual perception

• age and genetics- genetic variations can affect taste sensitivity and preferences, ageing can reduce number and sensitivity of tastebuds

• illness- can alter taste perceptions

• pregnancy- taste sensitivity may change, may crave or avert from certain foods

• past influences- can influence how we perceive and respond to taste

• food packaging- attractive may create positive perceptions

Visual distortions

misinterpretations of visual sensory information, demonstrating our visual perception isn’t always accurate

Prosopagnosia

also known as face blindness, is a condition that involves the inability to recognise faces of familiar people