______________ processing refers to how the physical characteristics of stimuli influence their interpretation. Top down Bottom up Para psychological Interdisciplinary Bell Work

Sensation refers to how we detect physical energy from the environment and encode it as neural signals. Sensory analysis works at the entry level and is called “bottom-up” processing. Perception refers to how we select, organize (into schemas), & interpret sensory information. Perception, which draws on our experience & expectations, is called “top-down processing.

Signal Detection Signal detection studies indicate that thresholds depend not only on the strength of the stimuli but also on experience, expectations, motivation, & alertness. Thus, thresholds are not constant.  

Subliminal Stimuli Subliminal stimuli, which are below the absolute threshold, are detected less than half the time. Experiments show that under certain conditions, a weak stimulus may reach part of the brain where it evokes a feeling but not conscious awareness. Claims that subliminal stimulation may lead to thought persuasion have not been supported by evidence, however. While subliminal messages may have a fleeting effect on thinking, they do not have an enduring effect on behavior.

Acuity Sharpness of vision In nearsightedness, the eyeball is longer than normal, causing light rays to converge in front of the retina. So, the image falls in front of the retina. In farsightedness, the eyeball is shorter than normal, causing light rays to reach the retina before they have converged to produce a sharp image.

Gestalt The whole is more than the sum of its parts. The word 'Gestalt' means 'form' or 'shape'. For Gestalt psychologists form is the primitive unit of perception. When we perceive, we will always pick out form. Gestalt

When you look at a) you see (a man + a man) + a table; when you look at b) you see (a man + a table) + a man. Things which are close together in space or time tend to be perceived as grouped together. Thus, if you want your audience to associate the product with the presenter, put them close together; if you want them to perceive two ideas as associated, present them in close proximity. Proximity

This appears to be confirmed by experiments conducted by Staats and Staats ( 1958) in which words were presented auditorially to subjects immediately after the visual presentation of a name of a nationality. The words presented auditorially had either positive or negative connotations (e.g. vacation, gift, bitter, failure). Dutch was systematically paired with positive words, Swedish with negative ones. When tested afterwards, subjects rated Dutch more positively than Swedish.

Similarity Closure

Continuity