1. Myers’ PSYCHOLOGY (6th Ed)
Chapter 6
Perception
James A. McCubbin, PhD
Clemson University
Worth Publishers

2. Perception
Selective Attention focus of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus

3. Testing Selective Attention

4. Perceptual Illusions

5. Perceptual Illusions

6. Perceptual Illusions

7. Perceptual Illusions

8. Perceptual Organization- Gestalt
Visual Capture
tendency for vision to dominate the other senses
Grouping
the perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups

9. Perceptual Organization- Gestalt
Gestalt- an organized whole
tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes
Grouping Principles
proximity- group nearby figures together
similarity- group figures that are similar
continuity- perceive continuous patterns
closure- fill in gaps
connectedness- spots, lines and areas are seen as unit when connected

10. Perceptual Organization- Illusory Contours

11. Perceptual Organization
Figure and Ground organization of the visual field into objects (figures) that stand out from their surroundings (ground)

12. Perceptual Organization- Grouping Principles

13. Perceptual Organization- Grouping Principles
Gestalt grouping principles are at work here.

14. Perceptual Organization-Depth Perception
ability to see objects in three dimensions
allows us to judge distance
Binocular cues
retinal disparity
images from the two eyes differ
closer the object, the larger the disparity
convergence
neuromuscular cue
two eyes move inward for near objects

15. Perceptual Organization-Depth Perception
Visual Cliff

16. Perceptual Organization-Depth Perception
Monocular Cues
relative size
smaller image is more distant
interposition
closer object blocks distant object
relative clarity
hazy object seen as more distant
texture coarse --> close fine --> distant

17. Perceptual Organization-Depth Perception
Relative Size

18. Perceptual Organization-Depth Perception

19. Perceptual Organization-Depth Perception
Monocular Cues (cont.)
relative height
higher objects seen as more distant
relative motion
closer objects seem to move faster
linear perspective
parallel lines converge with distance
relative brightness
closer objects appear brighter

20. Perceptual Organization-Depth Perception
Perspective Techniques

21. Perceptual Constancy Perceptual Constancy
perceiving objects as unchanging despite changes in retinal image
color
shape
size

22. Perceptual Organization

23. Perceptual Organization-Muller-Lyer Illusion

24. Perceptual Organization- Size-Distance Relationship

25. Perceptual Organization-Brightness Contrast

26. Sensory Restriction- Blakemore & Cooper, 1970
Kittens raised without exposure to horizontal lines later had difficulty perceiving horizontal bars.

27. Perceptual Interpretation
Perceptual Adaptation
(vision) ability to adjust to an artificially displaced visual field
prism glasses
Perceptual Set
a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another

28. Perceptual Set- Schemas
What you see in the center is influenced by perceptual set

29. Perceptual Set- Schemas
Flying Saucers or Clouds?

30. Perceptual Set- Human Factors

31. Perceptual Set- Human Factors
Actual
descent
path
Pilot’s perceived
descent path
Altitude looks
this much higher
Distance from runway (miles) 10 8 6 4 2
Altitude
(thousands
of feet)

32. Perception without Sensation?
Extrasensory Perception
controversial claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input
telepathy
clairvoyance
precognition
Parapsychology
the study of paranormal phenomena
ESP
psychokinesis