PERCEPTION!

Perception What is perception and how does it influence our perspectives? What is perception and how does it influence our perspectives?

Perception The process of integrating, organizing, and interpreting sensation

And Remember…your brain takes SHORTCUTS! Perceptions Influenced by: ----motivation ----Values ----Expectations ----Experience ----Culture ----Cognitive Style ----Personality

Selective Attention focus of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus

Visual Capture –tendency for vision to dominate the other senses

Perception – tell your neighbor the definition! The process of integrating, organizing, and interpreting sensationThe process of integrating, organizing, and interpreting sensation

Figure- Ground relationship organization of thevisual field into objects (figures)……… that stand out from their surroundings (ground) organization of thevisual field into objects (figures)……… that stand out from their surroundings (ground) Analyzing separate information allows us to re- act to each individual object accordingly Analyzing separate information allows us to re- act to each individual object accordingly

What is the figure, and what is the background here?

Camouflage when figures blend into the background when figures blend into the background No distinction between “figure” and “ground” No distinction between “figure” and “ground”

Cover one eye with a sunglass lens…

groups or as whole objects –Gestalt Psychologists focus on how we normally perceive images as groups or as whole objects, not isolated elements – Our brain takes shortcuts! Gestalt Psychology

…sometimes this is great! Automatic processes can enhance our perception

Olny srmat poelpe can raed tihs! cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

…sometimes this is bad! Automatic processes can interfere with our perception

RED Read the following words out loud… BLUE GREEN Now when you see the word, say ONLY the COLOR, not the word itself… BLUE GREEN YELLOW BROWN ORANGE PINK RED

Our brain gets so used to seeing things as whole objects (top down), it struggles with the “bottom up”

Gestalt Perception – Another Gestalt principle involves grouping objects together (again, seeing them as “whole”) – Several factors influence how we will group objects: Proximity Proximity Similarity Similarity Continuity Continuity Closure Closure

proximity –- your brain likes to group nearby figures together

Having trouble understanding the sign? Having trouble understanding the sign? Your brain is trying to group the words based on proximity… Your brain is trying to group the words based on proximity…

–similarity- Objects that are similar in appearance are more likely to be perceived as belonging in the same group Color similarity – we see two “groups” of fruit, not 10 individual ones

Continuity (or continuation) The tendency to Perceive continuous patterns

Continuation in artwork…

Two objects…or three?

Closure (or completeness)- – The tendency to overlook incompleteness, and complete objects – We make them fit our preconceptions

closure Do you see a square?Do you see a square? How many triangles?How many triangles?

Familiar objects are easier for our mind to complete…

Constancy – perceiving objects as unchanging despite changes in retinal image There are three types of constancy cues: – Size Constancy – Shape Constancy – Brightness Constancy

Size Constancy Objects closer to us will produce bigger images on our retinas, and as they move away they project a smaller image. The actual size of the object does not change

…our brains assume that the guys in the background are similar in height to the other people….they are just farther away… …but look how much smaller of an image they cast on our retina….surprising isn’t it?

…by the same token, if an object farther away WERE the same size, our brain assumes it is much larger than it actually is…

Objects viewed from different angles will produce different shapes on our retina. Though we may change our position, the shape doesn’t change. Shape Constancy

We perceive it as being “slanted” and therefore being the same shape as the circles in the columns on the right The 3 columns on the left and the 3 on the right are slightly different. Does the middle column belong with the left or the right? …but if you look carefully, you will notice that they are actually exactly the same as the circles on the left…

Brightness/Color Constancy We perceive objects as having a constant color, despite lighting, shading, etc. Are all these bricks the same color?

We perceive the white as a constant whiteness, regardless of the shadow, when in reality, it is the same gray as the gray squares...trust me.

Depth Perception Depth Cues allow us to perceive the world in three dimensions. – Monocular Cues – Monocular Cues are depth cues that do not depend on having two eyes working in conjunction together – Binocular Cues – Binocular Cues are depth cues that depend on having two eyes working in conjunction with each other

Relative Height Relative Size Texture Gradient Interposition Relative Clarity/Shadowing Linear Perspective Relative motion/motion parallax Monocular Cues

relative size smaller image is more distant

texture gradient –coarse --> close fine --> distant –(Look at the floor beneath you, and then across the room)

Interposition/ Overlap A closer object blocks a more distant object

relative clarity/shadowing hazy object seen as more distant Lighted objects seem closer Darker objects seem further away

Relative Clarity

Shadowing Notice the “perception” of depth changes when shading is reversed

If it doesn’t work…try clicking HEREHERE

Relative Height Objects higher in our field of vision are perceived as farther away Vertical Dimensions are often perceived as longer than identical horizontal dimensions

Who’s farthest away? Who’s tallest?

linear perspective parallel lines converge with distance

Vanishing Point – where two parallel lines connect in the distance

relative motion/ Motion ParallaxMotion Parallax closer objects seem to move faster (riding in a car, trees along the road vs. houses in the distance)

Artists use these all the time to give their work a true feeling of depth Trompe l'oeil

Check out this picture…

…from a different angle!

Same drawing from another angle…

These visual tricks provide depth and dimension to artwork on walls

Artwork inside houses

And of course…. Classical Art Escaping Criticism, 1874, by Pere Borrell del Caso

Binocular Cues – convergence neuromuscular cue two eyes move inward for near objects (bring a pencil slowly toward your eyes- keep focusing on the pencil- feel your eyes move)

– (Retinal) Binocular disparity images from the two eyes differ closer the object, the larger the disparity (Hold a pencil in front of you, close one eye, then close the other eye- you get two different images)

Binocular Depth Cues: Finger Sausage

Believe or not – there is a three dimensional hour glass in here!

Motion Eye muscle activity Changing retinal image Contrast of the moving object and its stationary background All combine to bring us the perception of motion

Motion Stroboscopic Motion- Stroboscopic Motion- timed flashing lights or moving pictures that give the illusion of movement

Factors That Influence Perceptual Interpretations Perceptual Set Perceptual Set –The tendency to perceive a person or a situation in a particular way due to our past experiences with similar persons or situations

Perpetual Set - UFO

Original Image – what do you see?

“this is the first blowup to just 500 times the original.. and addition of the cyan blue filter.. that will develop the interior of the ship”

“Below is the ship solarized and invert to find edges.. from the blue cyan filter.. this is just 500 times.. and for the abduction and cattle mutilation pix i had to go to 3000 times.. “

“from the solarized version.. i go to desaturation.. of color and then increase the enlargement.. ive found for myself it is better to have the photo in black and white to see the detail.. the colors are not as clear.. and btw some of the scenes in this are sexual.. i may eventually cut some out.. but these guys are certainly preoccupied with sex.. “ “NEXT IS CATTLE ABDUCTION FROM THE ABOVE PHOTO CUT>.”

“this is one of the two first cuts i made and shows a horse being abducted and probably the usual cuts.. etc.. or perhaps just DNA research..” …see anything yet? It depends on your “perceptual set” I guess…

“Below is the same picture … only OUTLINED.. and i think you can compare and see what is happening.. and certainly the ANSWER to many of the CATTLE MUTILATIONS ETC.. but i don't believe all of them.. the LIzARDS on this planet also use the horse and animals for sacrifice and ritual.. and even HANG HORSES.. these are not NOT NICE CRITTERS WHO ABUSE AND USE ALL OF THE LIFE ON THIS PLANET IN DEROGATORY METHODS...the PRIESTESS is also sometimes considered to be a REPTILIAN PRINCESS WHO TAKE CHARGE OF MUCH OF WHAT HAPPENS ON AND OFF THIS PLANET..” “ABDUCTIONS SHOULD END” …regardless of our perceptions, I think we all can agree on that…

Right side of room – get ready to close your eyes! Perceptual Set!

Left side of the room - Get your pencil ready and be prepared to jot something in the margins of your notes! Right Side – Close those eyes!

Quick! Write down what you think this a drawing of

Everyone open your eyes!

Right side of the room - Get your pencil ready and be prepared to jot something in the margins of your notes! Left Side – Close those eyes!

Quick! Write down what you think this a drawing of

Raise your hand if you said….Mouse! Raise your hand if you said….Face! Our expectations influence our perceptions! ….FaceMouse…

Perceptual Illusions When our normal, automatic perception processes guide us to the wrong conclusions because your brain takes shortcuts, what you perceive is not necessarily reality! … because your brain takes shortcuts, what you perceive is not necessarily reality! Do you perceive a face? When our normal, automatic perception processes guide us to the wrong conclusions because your brain takes shortcuts, what you perceive is not necessarily reality! … because your brain takes shortcuts, what you perceive is not necessarily reality!

Extrasensory Perception Some people claim to have extra powers of perception, or the ability to respond to an unknown event that is not presented to any of the known senses. Parapsychology

Subliminal Perception Can human behavior be influenced by stimulus that is below or beyond our level of awareness? Thresholds imply that there must be stimulus below and beyond our current levels of detection. Can human behavior be influenced by stimulus that is below or beyond our level of awareness?

Study!Subliminal messagesSTUDY!Subliminal messages Public concern 1957 A marketing researcher claimed dramatic increases in the sales of popcorn (58% increase!)when he flashed the phrase "Eat popcorn" for 1/2000 of a second during a movie. Despite public rage over the possibilities of “mind control”, further research has shown no evidence that subliminal messages influence out long- term behavior.