Pg 243-252

Our perceptual constancy enables us to perceive an object as unchanging

even through the stimuli we receive from its changes. Thus, we can identify things
regardless of angle, distance, and illumination. Within perceptual constancy there is
shape and size constancies. Size constancy explains that we perceive objects as
having a constant size, even while our distance from them varies. The size-distance
relationship can further explain why perceived size and perceived distance helps
explain several well-known illusions.

Our tendency to submit to the illusions presented is because of our ability to

adapt perceptually. Perceptual adaptation in vision, is the ability to adapt to an
artificially misplaced or inverted visual field. For instance, since humans grow up
with the world right side up, when they suddenly have their vision inverted, they are
temporarily unable to perform simple activities. However after a period of time,
humans are able to adapt quickly to their new perceptions. This supports John
Locke’s idea of emphasis on learning as a part of perception.

Perceptual sets explain our mental predispositions. A mental predisposition is

what makes one perceive one thing about another object in our perceptual set.
Perceptual sets support Locke’s theory because with perceptual sets we can explain
how our experiences, assumptions, and expectations may give us and influence our
new perceptions. For example, people are more likely to think a child and their
parent look alike after they have found out that the pair is parent and child are
related.

Once one forms an idea about reality, it is harder to see the truth. Locke’s
emphasis of learning states that through one’s learning, all perceptions can be
different, our perceptual sets are formed by our learning experiences called
schemas that enable us to organize information that organizes our perceptions.