Cognitive 1.30

COGLab 1 Overview

• COGLab 1 is the first major homework assignment for the class.

• Deadline for COGLab assignments is 10 PM on the due date to encourage completion at a reasonable hour.

• Focus on understanding cognitive processes to apply knowledge to everyday life.

Preparing for Exams

• Emphasis on understanding and relating cognitive concepts to personal experiences.

• Exam formats include multiple choice and essay prompts designed to evaluate deeper understanding rather than rote memorization.

• Avoid unnecessary details such as researcher names unless absolutely correct; misinformation leads to point deductions.

Nature of Perceptual Experiences

• Perceptual experiences are influenced by both external stimuli and internal knowledge.

• Prior knowledge and representations shape how we interpret new situations (top-down processing).

• Importance of top-down processing for efficient navigation in life.

Theories of Perception

Helmholtz's Theory

• Introduced in the 1860s-1880s, posits that perceptual information is often incomplete.

• The mind makes quick inferences based on partial information, exemplified through visual perception.

Structuralism vs. Gestalt Psychology

• Structuralism: Focuses on analyzing individual components of perception (like shapes and colors) as if they are the "trees" in a forest.

  • Example: Breaking down the image of Betty White into individual elements.

• Gestalt Psychology: Emphasizes organizing perceptions into meaningful patterns rather than focusing on individual elements.

  • Key ideas revolve around laws of perceptual organization (Gestalt principles).

  • Example: Recognizing groups of dots as whole shapes through principles like the law of continuation and the law of good form.

Visual Perception and Gestalt Principles

• Gestalt principles help explain how we perceive organized patterns rather than chaotic inputs.

• Law of Continuation: Perception follows a smooth path rather than abrupt changes.

• Law of Good Form: The mind prefers simplicity and familiar shapes over complex arrangements.

• Examples of perceptual organization observed in logos and everyday visual experiences.

The Oblique Effect

• Refers to the phenomenon where individuals better perceive vertical and horizontal lines than oblique angles.

• This preference can be traced back to evolutionary advantages in visual processing.

• Studies show that exposure to vertical vs. horizontal environments shapes visual perception capabilities.

The Role of Light in Perception

• Light affects how we perceive shapes and objects in our environment.

• The perception of shadows and depth is influenced by the assumed position of the light source (light from above heuristic).

• Example: A rough area appearing different based on shadow and light orientation.

Experience-Dependent Plasticity

• Training and experience can change brain responsiveness to various stimuli.

• Example of a study involving training to recognize "griebles" leading to changes in the fusiform face area of the brain.

• Experience shapes perceptual abilities at both a long-term and short-term level.

Out of Class Activity

• Students will take a visually chaotic picture on campus to apply the theories discussed in class.

• Encourage collaboration and discussion with classmates to enhance understanding of perceptual theories in action.