Studied by 1 person
Bottom-up processing
Analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain’s integration of sensory information (sensation first)
Top-down processing
Information processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experiences and expectations (experience first)
Expectations
Through experience, we come to expect certain results. Those expectations may give us a perceptual set
Perceptual set
A mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another
Context
External factors can impact how we perceive information
Motivation
Like research bias, we can see what we want to see
Emotion
Our feelings at the time can alter what we experience
Gestalt
A German word meaning a “form” or a “whole”
Proximity
Group objects that are close together as being part of the same group
Similarity
Objects similar in appearance are perceived as being part of the same group
Continuity
Objects that form a continuous shape are perceived as the same group
Connectedness
Elements tend to be grouped together if they are connected by other elements and viewed as a single unit
Closure
Like top-down processing, we fill gaps in if we can recognize it
Figure-ground
The organization of the visual field into object (figures) that stand out from their surroundings (the background)
Selective awareness
Focusing our conscious awareness on a particular stimulus
Cocktail-party effect
Refers to the ability to focus one’s attention on a particular stimulus while filtering out a range of other stimuli
Inattentional blindness
Failing to see visible objects when your attention is focused elsewhere
Change blindness
Failing to notice changed in the environment
Depth Perception
Our ability to estimate an object’s distance from us
Monocular cue
A depth cue that is available to either eye
Types of monocular cue
Linear Perspective, Interposition, Relative Size, Relative Height, Relative Clarity, Light/Shadow
Binocular cue
A depth cue that depends on the use of two eyes
Retinal disparity
A binocular cue for perceiving depth by comparing the retinal images from each eye and computing the distance between two images — the greater the difference between each image, the closer the object is
Perceptual constancy
The ability to perceive objects as unchanging even as illumination and retinal image change
Object maintain the same-
Color, Shape, Size, and Brightness
Perceptual adaptation
In the event your perception is altered for any reason, your brain will work to overcome this shift using previous memories so you can continue to function normally
Stroboscopic Effect
A rapid series of slightly varying images perceived as moving images
Phi Phenomenon
Illusion of movement created when two or more lights next to each other blink on and off
Autokinetic Effect
Perceptual phenomenon where a stationary point of light appears to move in a dark environment due to small eye movements
