Psychology Module 20 - Perceptual Processes

Perceptual Constructions

A mental model of external events.

Illusion

A misleading or misconstructed perception.

Hallucination

Perception with no basis in reality.

Bottom-up Processing

Organizing perceptions by beginning with low-level features.

Reality Testing

Obtaining additional information to check on the accuracy of perceptions.

Top-down Processing

Perception guided by prior knowledge or expectations.

Figure-ground Organization

Organizing a perception so that part of a stimulus appears to stand out as an object (figure) against a less prominent background (ground).

Shape Constancy

The principle that the perceived shape of an object is unaffected by changes in its retinal image.

Perceptual Hypothesis

An initial guess regarding how to organize (perceive) a stimulus pattern.

Size Constancy

The principle that the perceived size of an object remains constant, despite changes in its retinal image.

Depth Perception

The ability to see 3D space and to judge distances accurately.

Brightness Constancy

The principle that the apparent (or relative) brightness of objects remains the same, so long as they are illuminated by the same amount light.

Monocular Depth Cues

Perceptual features that impart information about distance and 3D space that require just one eye.

Depth Cues

Features of the environment and messages from the body that supply information about distance and space.

Binocular Depth Cues

Perceptual features that impact information about distance and 3D space that require two eyes.

Convergence

Degree to which the eyes turn in to focus on a close object.

Retinal Disparity

Difference between the images projected onto each eye.

Stereoscopic Vision

Perception of space and depth as a result of each eye receiving different images.

Pictorial Depth Cues

Monocular depth cues found in paintings, drawings, and photographs that impart information about space, depth, and distance.