 Empiricism  Common-sense realism  Perceptual illusions  Interpretation; context, expectations,

How can we trust our senses?

It looks like poo, it smells like poo. I’ll taste it just to make sure.

 Eye-witness testimony  Selectivity of perception  Seeing and believing  Distinguishing appearance from reality

 How many passes can you count? How many passes can you count?  Lgp8w&feature=related Lgp8w&feature=related  wmI6c&feature=related wmI6c&feature=related

More about it

Ask two classmates sitting next to each other to stand up back to back and describe what the other is wearing and looks like.

This sounds as though it should be easy, but most people find it hard to remember details such as eye colour, clothes and colours. This simple activity demonstrates this.

Look at the following design for 2 minutes. Try and remember the design.

Now try and sketch the design in your journals (with colour) How easy do you find it to recreate the design? What strategies did you use when trying to recall the design?

Watch the following display of objects. You will be asked to recall them afterwards.

Write down a list of the items you have seen. Prize to the person who gets the most correct!

 Birthday presents  Coins  Glove  Guitar  Jug  Keys  Lightbulb  Mantle clock  Mug  Orange  Plate  Scissors  Pumpkin  Holepunch  Stick  Stickytape  String  Torch  Batteries  Screwdriver

Can you remember more detail about the objects displayed. 1. How many coins? What shape were they? 2. What colour was the string? 3. What colour was the torch? 4. What was written on the jug? 5. How many oranges? 6. What time did the clock show? 7. How many cells (batteries)? Is incorrect detail often introduced?

There is a vast amount of information flooding our senses all of the time. Our minds would overload if we were consciously aware of everything. Therefore our perception is SELECTIVE – we only notice some things and overlook others.

 Why do we notice some things more than others? - intensity - contrast - moving objects - our interests (as these change, so do our perceptions) - our mood - our emotions (how does being in love with someone affect the way you see them? How would fear change your perception of staying in an old house overnight?)

 Discuss in groups how the following picture would be interpreted through the eyes of a religious figure, a physicist, a painter or a farmer?

 Discuss in groups how the following picture would be interpreted through the eyes of a biologist, logger, environmentalist, a native American?

There’s someone for everyone.

In what emotional state do we see the world clearest? Why? GwM

What do you see? What would a doctor see?

What do you see? What would a musician see?

What do you see? What would a dentist see?

What do you taste? What would a wine expert taste? &feature=related

 In the 19 th century scientists believed there is a planet between Mercury and the sun. Some believed it so much they said they had seen it in their telescopes. No such planet exists.

 YouTube - Godless Comedy from That Mitchell and Webb Look YouTube - Godless Comedy from That Mitchell and Webb Look