Perception

Psychology Department

Viewpoints

Nativists born with the ability to perceive.

Empiricists learn to perceive as they go
through experiences.
Contemporary Integration
Gestalt Individuals can not understand their
perceptual world by breaking down experiences
into tiny parts and analyzing them separately. The
significance of the brains organizational system is
innate.
The brain can organize and arrange
different stimuli into one whole pattern.

Definition

Subjective in interpretation as brought about by the experiences.

Interpreting sensations to make them significant or meaningful.
Whole system by which stimuli affect whatever is the cognition and
behavior of the individual automatically responding to the stimuli.
Factors:

Knowledge
Experience

Functions

Serves as an encoding process.

Serves as the function of converting raw sensory input into
meaningful information.

Attributes
Perception is Limited to Sensory
Discrimination.

Perception is Selective and Subjective

An individual must be able to discriminate among stimuli

in his environment considering the properties of the
stimulus (size, proximity, and illumination; pitch loudness,
and timbre) and the condition of the organism (biological
and psychological conditions).
Attention is affected by some external and internal
factors.

Perception has Organizing Tendencies

Internal Factors

Perceptual Constancies

Set or Expectancy

Despite changes in the stimulation of the sense organs, constancy

in shape, location, color, object, and size remain.
Accuracy in an individuals perception.
Selecting what to pay attention to, focusing on what is important and
exclude the rest from ones perception.

Motives

The need or interest will introduce your response to the stimuli.

External Factors

Repetition

Intensity and size

A stimulus that is most intense (either bigger, brighter, or louder) is

noticed first.

Movement

A series of repetition enhance situations to be better remembered.

Catchy signs of movement draw attention involuntarily.

Contrast

A combination of loud sounds and soft ending of sounds catch

attention.

Gestalt Principles of Basic

Perceptual Organization
Grouping

Is when certain elements/subjects are put

together forming a whole pattern according to the
following principles:

Proximity
Similarity
Continuity
Closure
Orientation
Simplicity

Figure and Ground

Figure and Ground

Has differentiations. (1) the feature of the

figure is a unified entity of perception, an
organized group of stimuli (contour); (2)
feature lies in front of the ground, and
always against on background; (3) Have
meaning or may be described even if it is
has no name. The ground is usually
meaningless.
Tendency to see things as figures
against ground.
One as primary target and the other as
background.
Ex: Old Young Woman Picture; Vase
2 Faces Picture

Constancy
Is

the capacity to perceive stable properties

belonging to objects even if there are
changes in their features.

Size constancy
Shape constancy
Texture constancy
Color constancy
Brightness constancy

Constancies

(1) Size Constancy

No matter how far, the

size and shape still
remain.
Two objects of equal size
wherein one object is
placed farther in the
foreground is visualized
as smaller as projected
in the retinal image.
Ex: Moon Illusion

Constancies

(2) Shape Constancy

If it changes shape or location, it is

still the same thing.
A change in position can bring out a
different perception.

(4) Color Constancy

The lightning of an object can

appear different but its true color
remains.
A bright lightning on a hue will make
the colors appear lighter and less
lightning will make colors appear
darker.

Constancies

(5) Texture Constancy

Reveals the true nature or property of

an object.
If the object is closer or nearer, the
details or features will be visualized.
Ex: Seeing the road from an airplane.

(6) Brightness Constancy

Contrary to the theory of color constancy

The hue changes with the variation of
lightning. In bright lamination, the hue of
neutral colors will not change in its
constancy.

Reversible Perspectives
Perception changes
when one stares for a
long period of time.
The more an individual
looks hard at an object,
the perspective of the
object becomes
different.

Necker Cube
Illustration

Changes in the Surrounding

The sum of the stimulus is

varied from its parts.
Ebbinghaus Principle

Demonstrates a difference
in the overview of the
illustrations
(1st circle on the center may
look bigger than that of the
2nd illustration. This is
because of the
parts
surrounding the circle.

Movement Perception

Perceptual motion happens when a stimulus is

perceived to move according to the viewer.
Perceptual movement is when the stimulus
changes in its given spatial framework.
Movement is perceived when the stimulus appears
and disappears from its line of background.

Movement Perception

(1) Actual Motion

Real or deliberate movement seen and felt by the viewer.

Moving when against the stationary frame in a fast moment of time.

(2) Relative Motion

Is in consonance with actual movement. This motion simultaneously occurs with speed

Looming Enlargement in the size of an object or thing as it approaches the receiver.

(3) Apparent Motion

Can be made by a swift alternation of immovable stimuli that stimulates movement, thus appearing in
real motion.

Phi Phenomenon Neon lights wherein light bulbs are lighted in rapid succession.

Stroboscopic Motion - When a static stimulus is perceived in quick sensation, there is an

impression of motion. (Animation)
(4) Induced Motion

When a large object moves beside the smaller, it appears to be moving also.

Is the false impression that physically stationary objects move when in the presence of other objects
that really move

It can also happen when the subject may have the feeling of moving when an existing frame moves
around the body.
(5) Autokinetic Motion

Caused by eye movement

Constant stationary stimuli are perceived moving when the eyes move in their specified direction.

Visual Depth Perception

Depth perception is synonymous to perception

of distance, the ability to determine how far
away a stimulus is.
This perception is partly based on cues or
determinants from the external environment and
partly on the physical component of the visual
process.

Visual Depth Perception

(1) Relative Size

Nearby or closer objects are perceived bigger because they

cast a larger image on the retina than the farther stimuli.
Principle of relative size is based on the relationship between
the size of the image produced on the retina by the stimulus
and the distance of the object from the subject.

Visual Depth Perception

(2) Interposition or Partial Overlap

Front objects usually produce partial

blocking on the view of another object or
of things further away. This creates a
dimensional view that one object is far
from one after the other in sequence.

(3) Linear Perspective or Convergence of

Parallel Lines

Stimulus that produces parallel lines or

two straight lines with each other will
always converge at the end point or
towards the horizon.

Visual Depth Perception

(4) Reduced Clarity or Atmospheric or Aerial Perspective

Closer objects are undoubtedly perceived as bigger and clearly

seen.
In reduced clarity, the totality or the whole surrounding of the
closer stimuli appears hazy. This interprets that the hazy effect is
of farther or greater distance
The hazy effect is of farther or greater distance.

(5) Shading

Helps in determining the size and shape and distance of a stimulus.

Wider and Shorter Length: Big Object
Shaded Background: Closer View
Shaded Object: Farther Distance
Shaded Top on the Canvass: Far (and the objects near)
Thin and Long Shadow: Sunshine or Sunset
Short Shadow: Noontime

Visual Depth Perception

(6) Textual Gradient

The surface appearance of a thing

is very distinct or detailed if it is
nearer. As the distance increases,
the texture of the stimulus changes
into a finer or less detailed form.

(7) Movement Gradient

Affected by motion perception.
Far objects can be viewed
clearly and distinctly than
nearer objects that rush or flash
fast across the field of objects.
The nearby objects cannot be
discerned or recognized.

Auditory Perception

Distance cue

Determine the clarity of sound

Direction cue

Is to detect or locate any sound

It approximates from which direction the sounds comes
from
It has different localization based on the following principles:
1. Time Difference
2. Intensity Difference
3. Phase Difference
4. Learned Difference

Auditory Perception

(1) Time Difference

Simultaneously heard when the sound is produced.

The farther the sound source from one side of the ear, the later the
time of arrival at the other side of the ear.
(2) Intensity Difference

Equally heard on the degree if quality and quantity of the sound

made. The higher the intensity, the louder the sound heard

The more different sound elicited, the harder to differentiate.

(3) Phase Difference

Ability to search, follow, and detect where the sound comes from.
(4) Learned Difference

Ability to automatically search for the sound without tracing where it

comes from.

Auditory Perception

Echo and distortion are barriers that can cause

or affect the quality and quantity of sounds
Auditory perception is just like visual perception.
A sound can either be music or noise depending
on the orientation of the person.
Not all sounds that are heard are perceived
accurately. The ear can be discriminating on what
it wants to listen. It listens but refuses to
understand.

Errors in Perception
Hallucinations

False Perception
Drawing of false notions or impressions of sensory vividness arising
from inner mental factors.

Auditory

Olfactory

Visual

Gustatory

Tactual

Illusions

Distorted Perception
A false conception or perception of some object or something that
deceives by producing a distorted impression or belief.
Takes place when a person misinterprets the relationship among
presented stimuli so what is perceived does not correspond to physical
reality.

Extrasensory Perception (ESP)

Perception outside the normal range of the senses or

perception without the mediation of the senses.

Clairvoyance
To discern objects or events concealed from sight.
Precognition
Foreknowledge of a situation or an event or an extrasensory
awareness of a future situation.
Psychokinesis
Hypothesized power of the will to physical force.
Telepathy
Communication of one mind with another through some
means beyond normal sensory perception.