Top-Down Influences on Perception - 8
Top-Down Influences on Perception
Learning Objectives
- Understand how context influences and biases perception.
- Understand how improper context usage can contribute to psychopathology.
Models and Processing
- Traditional bottom-up approaches start in the periphery (retina) and work centrally.
- Top-down approaches involve context and imagination influencing perception.
- Evidence for top-down processing is diverse:
- Anatomy of the visual system suggests top-down processing.
- Context profoundly affects object recognition.
- Imagination allows forming images without peripheral input.
Observer Bias
- Signal detection theory: observers may be biased for or against particular errors.
- Priming: brief exposure to objects or words can bias subsequent behavior.
- Expectations: infants and other species have expectations (e.g., object permanence).
Demonstration: Context Effects