Psychology - perception

What’s the technical name for a nerve cell?

A neuron.

Why can we perceive objects accurately even when it gets darker?

Due to light consistency. When people perceive objects, the brain makes allowances for lighting and therefore objects still appear the same to us.

What part of the brain processes visual information?

Visual cortex (or sensory cortex/ occipital lobe of the cerebral cortex).

Explain why depth perception is important to humans and other animals. [3]

Depth perception is essential for survival [1]. Accept two from the following:

Environmental risks for the species if they couldn’t tell how far away a threat was or how far they would fall if they jumped off something.

Predator species need to perceive how close a prey animal is before attacking.

Modern human examples such as sport and driving.

Do textures that are further away look sharper and more detailed?

No, they look blurry and less detailed.

Is the process of perception always accurate? Explain your answer.

No. There are illusions and distortions than can occur.

True or false? Some illusions occur because the stimulus is ambiguous.

True.

True or false? There is one basic explanation for all illusions.

False.

True or false? The Ponzo illusion is based on ambiguity.

False.

True or false? Illusions stop working when you know about them.

False.

What is the name of the researcher who is known for his work on the direct theory of perception?

James Gibson.

a) Which theory of perception states that inferences are a key aspect of perception?

b) Define inference and give an example. [2]

a) The constructivist theory

b) An inference involves working something out from incomplete information [1]. Accept any appropriate example, e.g. seeing a bus that is partially obscured by another object such as a building, and working out that it must be a whole bus [1].

What term means the group of emotions and other factors that lead to a tendency to perceive things in a particular way due to assumptions and emotions?

The perceptual set.

Give two examples of how people can sometimes fail to perceive the world accurately.

Illusions and hallucinations.

What general name is given to the cells that our senses use to gain information about the world, for example the rods and cones found in the retina?

Receptor cells.

Briefly explain the difference between sensation and perception. [2]

Answers must explain that sensation is the process of receiving information from the outside world to the sense e.g. vision, hearing [1]. While perception involves interpreting that information, automatically filtering it and making use of memories and assumptions [1].

Name 2 types of consistancy which are features of visual perceptions.

Any 2 from:

Colour constancy

Light constancy

Size constancy

Shape constancy

Is it easy to program a computer to perceive objects? Explain why or why not. [3]

No [1]. The perceptual system is very complex. The human brain automatically adjusts for things like lighting conditions and objects moving around - it is possible but difficult to program a computer to do this [1]. Also, human sensation relies on very complex network of receptor cells that help us to build up an image of the world/ could mention real-world examples, e.g. self-driving cars, facial recognition software [1].

Briefly explain what is meant by occlusion. [2]

Occlusion is a monocular depth cue [1]. Whereby one object partially covering another allows people to perceive that it must be closer [1].

Why do many predators have 2 forward-facing eyes?

Using binocular cues to depth gives more precise depth perception, and for predators this is very important for survival (more important than peripheral vision from side-facing eyes).

What would happen if a cheetah failed to judge the distance of a gazelle that it was trying to catch?

It would be less likely to hunt successfully, e.g. misjudging a pounce on the animal or running after it when it was too far away.

What term is given for the point that lines converge on as they get future away, helping to demonstrate the cue of linear perspective?

Vanishing point.

Why is it helpful to be able to use cues such as linear perspective in art?

It makes painting look more realistic, so that a 2D picture can give a sense of depth and distance.

Are illusions linked to perseption or to sensation?

Perception.

Describe the Necker cube illusion. [2]

It is a 2D shape that tends to be interpreted as a cube [1] but there are 2 ways it could be facing, making it possible for a person to mentally ‘flip’ the way they perceive the shape [1].

Explain the role of misinterpreted depth cues in illusions.

Depth cues guide us to distance but can be misinterpreted/ misleading. Various supporting points could be made, e.g. explanation of example(s) of illusions where depth cues are an issue e.g. Ponzo illusion, Muller Lyer.

Which illusion is shown here?

Rubin’s vase.

Name 2 researchers who have developed theories of perception, and name the theories with which they are associated.

James Gibson - direct theory

Richard Gregory - constructivist theory

Explain which theory of perception is supported by the idea that animals and humans perceive the the world in very similar ways. [2]

The direct theory (bottom-up processing) [1]. Animals have simpler thought processes than humans, so if they perceive the world in similar ways to us, then perception can’t be based to a large extent extent on cognitions such as memories, inferences, etc [1].

What term does the constructionist theory of perception give to the way that people try to make sense of incomplete sensory information?

A) Motion parallax

B) Inference

C) Bottom-up processing

D) A schema

B) Inference

What term does the direct theory of perception give to the effect that movement has on perception?

A) Visual cliff

B) Top-down processing

C) An illusion

D) Motion parallax

D) Motion parallax

Explain what is meant by an affordance and which theory it supports. [3]

It is a cue in the environment that allows a person or animal to perceive their surroundings [1]. The existence of affordances supports the direct (bottom-up) theory of perception [1]. Because it suggests that the environment provides enough information for organisms to perceive it without the need for using inference or schema knowledge (or could give examples of affordances such as depth cues) [1].

What general term do psychologists use to describe differences between people, including their age and culture?

Individual differences.

Which researchers conducted a study into expectations in perception, showing that the context (other letters or numbers) affected how an ambiguous figure was perceived?

A) Gilchrist and Nesberg

B) Atkinson and Shiffrin

C) Gibson and Walk

D) Bruner and Minturn

D) Bruner and Minturn

What term is used to describe the group of assumptions and emotions that affect and bias perception?

A) Light constancy

B) Perceptual set

C) Bottom-up processing

D) Motion parallax

B) Perceptual set

Briefly explain 2 classic research studies that demonstrated factors in the perceptual set. [4]

Gilchrist and Nesberg (1952) study [1] where people were asked to judge the brightness of food colours, such as the red of a tomato, and found it more vivid when they were hungry [1]. Burner and Minturn (1955) [1] where people were shown an ambiguous figure that could either be perceived as a ‘B’ or a ‘13’. The context )other numbers or letters) affected their expectations [1].