PerceptionPsychology Department

Viewpoints Nativists – “…born with the ability to perceive.” Empiricists – “…learn to perceive as they go

through experiences.” Contemporary – Integration Gestalt – Individuals can not understand their

perceptual world by breaking down experiences into tiny parts and analyzing them separately. The significance of the brain’s organizational system is innate. The brain can organize and arrange different stimuli into one whole pattern.

Definition Subjective in interpretation as brought about by the experiences. Interpreting sensations to make them significant or meaningful. Whole system by which stimuli affect whatever is the cognition and

behavior of the individual automatically responding to the stimuli. Factors:

Knowledge Experience

• Serves as an encoding process.• Serves as the function of converting raw sensory input into

meaningful information.

Functions

Attributes Perception is Limited to Sensory

Discrimination. An individual must be able to discriminate among stimuli

in his environment considering the properties of the stimulus (size, proximity, and illumination; pitch loudness, and timbre) and the condition of the organism (biological and psychological conditions).

Perception is Selective and Subjective Attention is affected by some external and internal

factors. Perception has Organizing Tendencies

Internal Factors Perceptual Constancies

Despite changes in the stimulation of the sense organs, constancy in shape, location, color, object, and size remain.

Accuracy in an individual’s perception. Set or Expectancy

Selecting what to pay attention to, focusing on what is important and exclude the rest from one’s perception.

Motives The need or interest will introduce your response to the stimuli.

External Factors Repetition

A series of repetition enhance situations to be better remembered. Intensity and size

A stimulus that is most intense (either bigger, brighter, or louder) is noticed first.

Movement Catchy signs of movement draw attention involuntarily.

Contrast A combination of loud sounds and soft ending of sounds catch

attention.

Gestalt Principles of Basic Perceptual Organization Grouping

Is when certain elements/subjects are put together forming a whole pattern according to the following principles: Proximity Similarity Continuity Closure Orientation Simplicity

Figure and Ground Figure and Ground

Has differentiations. (1) the feature of the figure is a unified entity of perception, an organized group of stimuli (contour); (2) feature lies in front of the ground, and always against on background; (3) Have meaning or may be described even if it is has no name. The ground is usually meaningless.

Tendency to see things as figures against ground.

One as primary target and the other as background.

Ex: Old – Young Woman Picture; Vase – 2 Faces Picture

Constancy Is the capacity to perceive stable properties

belonging to objects even if there are changes in their features. Size constancy Shape constancy Texture constancy Color constancy Brightness constancy

Constancies (1) Size Constancy

No matter how far, the size and shape still remain.

Two objects of equal size wherein one object is placed farther in the foreground is visualized as smaller as projected in the retinal image.

Ex: Moon Illusion

Constancies (2) Shape Constancy

If it changes shape or location, it is still the same thing.

A change in position can bring out a different perception.

(4) Color Constancy The lightning of an object can

appear different but its true color remains.

A bright lightning on a hue will make the colors appear lighter and less lightning will make colors appear darker.

Constancies (5) Texture Constancy

Reveals the true nature or property of an object.

If the object is closer or nearer, the details or features will be visualized.

Ex: Seeing the road from an airplane.

(6) Brightness Constancy Contrary to the theory of color constancy The hue changes with the variation of

lightning. In bright lamination, the hue of neutral colors will not change in its constancy.

Reversible Perspectives Perception changes

when one stares for a long period of time.

The more an individual looks hard at an object, the perspective of the object becomes different.

Necker CubeIllustration

Changes in the Surrounding The sum of the stimulus is

varied from its parts. Ebbinghaus Principle

Demonstrates a difference in the overview of the illustrations

(1st circle on the center may look bigger than that of the 2nd illustration. This is because of the parts surrounding the circle.

Movement Perception Perceptual motion happens when a stimulus is

perceived to move according to the viewer. Perceptual movement is when the stimulus

changes in its given spatial framework. Movement is perceived when the stimulus appears

and disappears from its line of background.

Movement Perception (1) Actual Motion

Real or deliberate movement seen and felt by the viewer. Moving when against the stationary frame in a fast moment of time.

(2) Relative Motion Is in consonance with actual movement. This motion simultaneously occurs with speed Looming – Enlargement in the size of an object or thing as it approaches the receiver.

(3) Apparent Motion Can be made by a swift alternation of immovable stimuli that stimulates movement, thus appearing in

real motion. Phi Phenomenon – Neon lights wherein light bulbs are lighted in rapid succession. Stroboscopic Motion - When a static stimulus is perceived in quick sensation, there is an

impression of motion. (Animation) (4) Induced Motion

When a large object moves beside the smaller, it appears to be moving also. Is the false impression that physically stationary objects move when in the presence of other objects

that really move It can also happen when the subject may have the feeling of moving when an existing frame moves

around the body. (5) Autokinetic Motion

Caused by eye movement Constant stationary stimuli are perceived moving when the eyes move in their specified direction.

Visual Depth Perception Depth perception is synonymous to perception

of distance, the ability to determine how far away a stimulus is.

This perception is partly based on cues or determinants from the external environment and partly on the physical component of the visual process.

Visual Depth Perception

(1) Relative Size Nearby or closer objects are perceived bigger because they

cast a larger image on the retina than the farther stimuli. Principle of relative size is based on the relationship between

the size of the image produced on the retina by the stimulus and the distance of the object from the subject.

(2) Interposition or Partial Overlap Front objects usually produce partial

blocking on the view of another object or of things further away. This creates a dimensional view that one object is far from one after the other in sequence.

Visual Depth Perception

(3) Linear Perspective or Convergence of Parallel Lines

• Stimulus that produces parallel lines or two straight lines with each other will always converge at the end point or towards the horizon.

Visual Depth Perception(4) Reduced Clarity or Atmospheric or Aerial Perspective

Closer objects are undoubtedly perceived as bigger and clearly seen.

In reduced clarity, the totality or the whole surrounding of the closer stimuli appears hazy. This interprets that the hazy effect is of farther or greater distance

The hazy effect is of farther or greater distance.

(5) Shading• Helps in determining the size and shape and distance of a stimulus.• Wider and Shorter Length: Big Object• Shaded Background: Closer View• Shaded Object: Farther Distance• Shaded Top on the Canvass: Far (and the objects near)• Thin and Long Shadow: Sunshine or Sunset• Short Shadow: Noontime

Visual Depth Perception(6) Textual Gradient

The surface appearance of a thing is very distinct or detailed if it is nearer. As the distance increases, the texture of the stimulus changes into a finer or less detailed form.

(7) Movement Gradient Affected by motion perception. Far objects can be viewed

clearly and distinctly than nearer objects that rush or flash fast across the field of objects. The nearby objects cannot be discerned or recognized.

Auditory Perception Distance cue

Determine the clarity of sound Direction cue

Is to detect or locate any sound It approximates from which direction the sounds comes

from It has different localization based on the following

principles: 1. Time Difference 2. Intensity Difference 3. Phase Difference 4. Learned Difference

Auditory Perception (1) Time Difference

Simultaneously heard when the sound is produced. The farther the sound source from one side of the ear, the later the

time of arrival at the other side of the ear. (2) Intensity Difference

Equally heard on the degree if quality and quantity of the sound made. The higher the intensity, the louder the sound heard

The more different sound elicited, the harder to differentiate. (3) Phase Difference

Ability to search, follow, and detect where the sound comes from. (4) Learned Difference

Ability to automatically search for the sound without tracing where it comes from.

Auditory Perception Echo and distortion are barriers that can cause

or affect the quality and quantity of sounds Auditory perception is just like visual perception. A sound can either be music or noise depending

on the orientation of the person. Not all sounds that are heard are perceived

accurately. The ear can be discriminating on what it wants to listen. It listens but refuses to understand.

Errors in Perception Hallucinations

False Perception Drawing of false notions or impressions of sensory vividness arising

from inner mental factors. Auditory Olfactory Visual Gustatory Tactual

Illusions Distorted Perception A false conception or perception of some object or something that

deceives by producing a distorted impression or belief. Takes place when a person misinterprets the relationship among

presented stimuli so what is perceived does not correspond to physical reality.

Extrasensory Perception (ESP) Perception outside the normal range of the senses or

perception without the mediation of the senses. Clairvoyance

To discern objects or events concealed from sight. Precognition

Foreknowledge of a situation or an event or an extrasensory awareness of a future situation.

Psychokinesis Hypothesized power of the will to physical force.

Telepathy Communication of one mind with another through some

means beyond normal sensory perception.