I hate this fucking class

Perception

process of organizing and interpreting sensory information

Sensation

process by which sensory receptors and nervous system receive stimuli

Bottom-up processing

information processing starts with sensory receptors and moves up to the brains integration of sensory information

Top-down processing

information processing guided by higher level mental processes as we construct perceptions drawing on our experiences and expectations

Schema

A mental construct
Concepts that organize and interpret unfamiliar information

Perceptual Set

Our mental predisposition to perceive one thing rather than other – based on our experiences, assumptions, and expectations (schema)
Influences top-down processes

Context, experiences

A later stimulus can affect how we perceive another one
it provides a framework of external cues and past experiences that help us interpret sensory information, influencing how we understand and categorize stimuli

Cultural Experiences

A later stimulus can affect how we perceive another one
it influences perception by shaping top-down processing through learned beliefs, values, and schemas, which creates expectations and "filters" how people interpret sensory information

Gestalt Psychology

an organized whole. Psychologists of this region emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of info into meaningful wholes

closure

a Gestalt principle of perception where the mind fills in missing gaps to perceive an incomplete image or shape as complete

Figure and Ground

We organize our visual field into objects (form) that stand out from their surroundings (ground)

Proximity

grouping nearby figures

Similarity

similar figures

Selective Attention

focussing conscious awareness on a particular stimulus

Cocktail party effect

ability to attend to one voice among many

inattentional blindness

failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewher

Change blindness

failing to notice changes in environment; a form of inattentional blindness

depth perception

ability to see objects in three-dimmensional although the images striking the retina are two-dimmensional; allows us to judge distance

Binocular Cues

depth cue, such as retinal disparity, that depends on the use of two eyes

Retinal Disparity

binocular cue for perceiving depth. By comparing retinal images from the two eyes, the brain computes the distance - the greater the disparity between the two images, the closer the object.

Convergence

cue to nearby objects’ distance, enabled by the brain combining retinal images

Monocular Cues

depth cue such as interposition on linear perspective available to either eye alone

Relative Clarity

Perceive hazy objects as farther away than sharp, clear objects

Relative Size

a monocular depth cue that explains how we perceive distance

texture gradient

Gradual change from a coarse, distinct texture to a fine, indistinct texture = increasing distance

Linear Perspective

a monocular depth cue where parallel lines appear to converge or meet as they recede into the distance, creating the illusion of depth and distance (the more parallel lines converge, the greater their perceived distance)

Interposition

when one objects (A) covers or overlaps another object (B), we see object (A) as being in front.

Perceptual Constancy

Perceiving objects as unchanging even as illumination and retinal images change

Types – shape, size, lightness, color

Color Constancy

Perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, despite changing illumination

Shape Constancy

We perceive the form of familiar objects as constant, even when our retinal image of it changes

Size Constancy

We perceive familiar objects as having constant size, even when our distance from them varies

Apparent Movement

an illusion of motion or change in size of a visual stimulus.

Phi Phenomenon

an illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession - Perceiving a series of still images, when viewed in rapid succession, as continuous motion

Stroboscopic Movement

an illusion of continuous movement experienced when viewing a rapid series of slightly varying still images - Flip book, animated film