7th Lesson - Perception Theory

PERCEPTION THEORY AND PSYCHOLOGY OF FORM

Course Information

  • Instructor: Marta Calbi

  • Institution: IED

  • Academic Year: 2025/2026

Concept of Clothing and the Body

  • Clothes are integral to the body that wears them and are not merely surface coverings. They can modify:

    • Personal identity.

    • Sensory experiences (e.g., enhancing tactile interactions with the environment).

    • Awareness of bodily discomfort.

  • References:

    • Ciaunica et al. (2021) discuss how clothing changes our perceptions.

    • Negrin's work highlights fashion as an embodied art form.

Reading and Discussion Topic

  • Text: "Fashion as an Embodied Art Form"

Historical Context and Examples

Paul Poiret

  • Notable for abstraction from corporeal nature in design.

  • Examples of Works:

    • Fancy Dress Costume (Met Museum Link)

    • Irudree (Met Museum Link)

    • Evening Dress (Met Museum Link)

Issey Miyake

  • Focused on the return of the body in fashion.

  • Source: Harper's Bazaar article on notable looks.

Comme des Garçons

  • Highlighted various collections, notably Spring 1997 Ready-to-wear.

  • Discussed across multiple Vogue articles, emphasizing ongoing influence and concepts in fashion.

Case Study: The Face Mask

Context of Study

  • The face mask examined as an artifact that reveals and modifies:

    • Mind-body integration.

    • Aesthetic experience.

    • Behaviors and personal identity.

  • Described as a performative artifact that influences the user’s perception of self.

Relevant Research Publications

Philosophical Psychology Journal Publications

  • Calbi & Cappelletto (2024): Explores how face mask wearing disrupts bodily self-consciousness due to breathing alterations.

  • Calbi & Cappelletto (2025): Discusses the impact of facial masks on facial expressions and self-awareness, featuring the feedback effect of material artifacts on body self-consciousness.

Epistemic Clash

  • Face masks serve as:

    • Superimposing surfaces or veils that separate individuals from the external world.

    • Objects of participation (Malafouris, 2013): "How things shape the mind: A theory of material engagement."

Study Aims and Interdisciplinary Approach

  • Investigate face masks as artifacts doing the following:

    • Integrating into the mind-body system.

    • Influencing behaviors and self-perception through aesthetic qualities.

Methodology

Participants

  1. Group A: 24 Naive participants (no previous experience with protective equipment).

    • Age: 25-65.

    • Gender-balanced group.

  2. Group B: 24 Medical professionals (doctors and nurses) with prior experience.

    • Age: 25-65.

    • Gender-balanced group.

  3. Preparation: Conducted three pilot sessions for training and experimental setup.

Interview Structure

Qualitative Approach

  • Semi-Structured Phenomenological Interviews:

    • Focused on personal experiences, theoretical frameworks, and literature reviews on masks and prostheses.

Interview Sections

  1. Iconic Aspects:

    • Questions about visual-perceptual experience with masks.

  2. Practical Actions:

    • Tasks participants performed while masked or unmasked to assess practical experience.

  3. Performative Aspects:

    • Questions addressing changes in self-perception and sensory experiences when wearing a mask.

  4. Family of Artifacts:

    • Discuss the relations between different artifacts and their societal roles.

  5. Temporal Experience:

    • Assess how mask-wearing experiences have evolved over the pandemic.

  6. Questionnaire and Open Questions:

    • Participants evaluated the mask's influence on various aspects of their experience.

Data Collection Procedures

Initial Phase

  • Socio-demographic Information:

    • Medical history, informed consent, and demographic data collected.

Interview Administration

  • Structured verbal questions exploring iconic features, practices, distinctive observations related to mask usage.

  • Practical exercises comparing experiences in both masked and unmasked states.

Data Analysis Techniques

  • Transcription and thematic analysis using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis principles.

  • Comparative tables created for organizing emergent themes and participant insights.

Results Overview

Focus on Breathing

  • Vital questions explored include:

    • Changes in breathing mechanics with a mask.

    • Reported discomfort and subjective alterations in respirational ability.

  • Observed Findings:

    • Many participants sense breathing difficulties.

    • Feelings of dyspnea influenced by mask material and fit, affecting overall perception of bodily function.

  • Examples of participant responses reveal a variety of physical responses to mask-wearing.

Alterations in Self-Perception

  • Discussion on:

    • How wearing a mask impacts self-awareness, especially concerning breathing difficulties, leading to a heightened sense of bodily consciousness.

  • Cited studies (Ciaunica et al., 2021) suggest that masks alter the pre-reflective understanding of the self, introducing an awareness of bodily processes often taken for granted.

Effects on Facial Expressions

  • Participants noted:

    • Masks inhibit expression effectiveness, affecting emotional communication.

    • Various adaptive strategies; some reported new behavior patterns, with some feeling freer to express emotions with part of the face concealed.

  • Identified behavioral shifts include modulation (inhibition vs. enhancement) based on context:

    • Inhibition:

    • Many commented on reduced expressiveness.

    • Enhancement:

    • Some leveraged non-verbal cues to make up for the lost visibility of the lower face.

Conclusion and Implications

  • The journey from traditional visual perception theories toward a broader understanding of bodily engagement emphasizes:

    • The performative nature of identity shaped by interactions with artifacts like masks.

    • The necessity of a multisensory approach in understanding human perception and identity formation.