Chapter 4: Perception Music: “Speed of Sound” Coldplay “Suddenly I see” KT Tunstall

Lecture #4: Agenda *Midterm Information* 1. Distinction between Sensation and Perception 2. Perceptual Organization: a) Visual Capture b) Form Perception c) Depth Perception 3. Interpretation a) Sensory Restrictions b) Perceptual Sets: Context & Contrast Effects 4. ESP: Extra-Sensory Perception

Midterm October 20 th 2 hours in class; no lecture 60 multiple choice (80%) 4 short answers (20%) To prepare: 1) TEXT: Read ENTIRE CHAPTERS Concentrate on sections covered in class To study: Use the features in your book, e.g. concept checks, multiple choice questions, “Review of Key Points” 2) LECTURES: Go over your notes carefully, and try to anticipate short answer questions from the slides 3) TUTORIALS: Mondays 10:30 a.m. Ross S103 Mondays 1:30 p.m. FC 117 Tuesdays 2:30 p.m. Ross N146

1. Distinction Between Sensation and Perception Sensation: Based on activity of the sense receptors How physical energy is transformed into neural impulses E.g. Light = Wavelengths ---- Hit retina---- Transformed into sight by the brain (p ) Primarily Bottom-Up processes: i.e. from the outer world, to the senses, up to the brain

1. Sensation (cont’d) p.138

1. Sensation & Perception (cont’d) Perception How we analyze sensory information Elaboration, transformation, interpretation of what is registered by the senses Assignment of Meaning to sensory experiences Top-down processes Starts in the brain  Sometimes overrides the sensory input (see p. 144 on subjective contours)

1. Sensation vs. Perception p. 132

The Role of Interpretation You see the world that you have made but you do not see yourself as the image maker. How can you influence your perceptions? What kind of images do you want to focus on? What image maker will you be?

2. Perceptual Organization a) Visual Capture: Sight has preeminence over other senses b) Form Perception: Gestalt Principles Figure-ground relationship (p. 153) Grouping Principles: Similarity Proximity Closure Continuity

2. c) Perceptual Organization: Depth Perception How do we transform 2-D retinal images into 3-D perceptions? i) Binocular Cues: Retinal disparity:  difference btw. 2 retinal images provides important clues to the brain Angle of convergence:  muscular movement to focus on an object provides info. on distance

2. c) Depth Perception (cont’d) ii) Monocular Cues Important for more distant objects Relative Size Linear Perspective Texture gradient Overlap Relative height Motion Parallax (p. 156)

2. c) ii. Monocular cues (con’t)

2. c) ii. Monocular cues (cont’d)

3. Interpretation a) Sensory Restriction: For some aspects of visual perception, experience is critical Experiments with cats Cataract patients b) Perceptual Sets: Needs, beliefs and emotions influence perceptions Prior experience and expectations also provide a readiness to perceive in a certain way Context effects: Immediate context influences perception (e.g. film sets) Contrast effects Comparitors p. 185  E.g. student letter to parents

4. ESP: Extra-Sensory Perception Claims of ESP: (perception without sensation) Telepathy: mind to mind communication Clairvoyance: perceiving remote events Precognition: perceiving future events Psychokinesis: moving objects with one’s mind Skepticisms About ESP: Parapsychologists: Study “para” normal phenomena “After tens of thousands of experiments, there has never been discovered a reproducible ESP phenomenon, nor any individual who can convincingly demonstrate psychic ability” (Marks, 1986)

5. Quiz Questions Perceptual constancy refers to: a. seeing life in a seamless way, like a movie b. our perception of objects remaining stable despite the fact that sensory information changes c. the existence of schemas that guide our perception d. visual fields in the retina that allow our perception of the world to remain stable e. linear perspective

5. Quiz Questions (cont’d) The perception associated with the amplitude of a sound wave is: a. timbre b. loudness c. tonal quality d. pitch

5. Quiz Questions (cont’d) Abnormalities at the norepinephrine and seratonin synapses appear to play a role in which of the following? a. hyperactivity b. depression c. high anxiety d. Parkinson’s disease e. schizophrenia

Happy Reading Week! Keep breathing….