AP PYSCHOLOGY UNIT 2

Cognition

sensation includes receiving an external stimuli from the environment, converting it into a neural message (also called ___), and ____

transduction; sending it to the brain to be evaluated

perception involves ___ and ___ sensory information to construct ___ and ___ the environment

organizing; interpreting; experiences; understand

bottom-up processing

processing raw visual data without any preconceived knowledge about it

top-down processing

relying on overall context of the situation to complete the image or understand stimuli

schema: mental ___ for how we think about and ___ the world

frameworks; understand

perceptual set

mental predisposition or readiness to perceive something in a certain way, shaped by expectations, emotions, context

3 Gestalt principles

closure, figure and ground, grouping

closure

figure and ground

organization of the visual field that distinguishes figures and their surroundings

grouping rules (4)

similarity, proximity, continuity, connectedness

attention is an interaction of

sensation and perception

inattentional blindness

ignoring certain parts due to focus on other parts of the visual field

selective attention

filtering out distracting stimulus to focus on what’s important

change blindness

changes in the environment are not perceived due to inattention or obscuration

why do binocular cues utilize both eyes

to provide depth perception

how do binocular cues use both eyes to perceive distance

inward rotation of both eyes as objects moves closer → brain senses the degree of muscle rotation required to maintain focus → translates to accurate estimate of depth

convergence

inward rotation of both eyes as objects moves closer

what does retinal disparity do

determines depth based on the difference between what each eye sees

how does retinal disparity work

dual image projection → disparity between views → key visual cue

monocular depth cues (5)

relative clarity; relative size; texture gradient; linear perspective; interposition

relative clarity

Objects that are clear and have more distinct details create sharper retinal images and are perceived as being closer.

texture gradient

The surface texture of an object appears coarser and more detailed up close but becomes finer and smoother as it recedes into the distance

linear perspective

parallel lines appear to converge as they recede into the distance, eventually meeting at a point on the horizon (the vanishing point). The closer the lines are to this point, the farther away they appear

interposition

When one object partially blocks or overlaps another object, the blocked object is perceived as being farther away, and the blocking object is perceived as being closer

visual perception constancies

size, shape, brightness, color

apparent movement

can be visually perceived even when objects are not moving

phi phenomenon

perception of movement created by 2+ adjacent lights blinking on and off