All Flashcards
What is the main idea behind Gestalt principles?
The brain actively constructs our perceptions, not just passively receive information; we naturally organize sensations into wholes.
Explain the Gestalt principle of similarity.
We group similar figures together (e.g., seeing team jerseys as a single unit).
Explain the Gestalt principle of proximity.
We group nearby figures together (e.g., seeing people sitting together as a group).
Explain the Gestalt principle of continuity.
We perceive smooth, continuous patterns rather than discontinuous ones.
Explain the Gestalt principle of closure.
We fill in gaps to create a complete, whole object.
Explain the Gestalt principle of connectedness.
We perceive uniform and linked spots, lines, or areas as a single unit.
Describe the monocular cue of relative height.
We perceive objects higher in our field of vision as farther away.
Describe the monocular cue of relative size.
We interpret smaller objects as being more distant.
Describe the monocular cue of interposition.
If one object partially blocks our view of another, we perceive it as closer.
Describe the monocular cue of linear perspective.
Parallel lines appear to converge in the distance, implying depth.
Describe the monocular cue of light and shadow.
Shadows create a sense of depth, allowing us to perceive form.
Explain how shrinking objects are perceived in motion perception.
Shrinking objects are usually interpreted as moving away from us.
Explain how enlarging objects are perceived in motion perception.
Enlarging objects are usually interpreted as moving closer to us.
Describe color constancy.
Perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object.
Describe size constancy.
Perception of an object as the same size regardless of the distance from which it is viewed.
What is the effect of retinal disparity on depth perception?
Greater retinal disparity leads to the perception of objects being closer.
How does damage to visual cortex affect perception?
Can cause inability to perceive motion, depth, or recognize objects.
What is the effect of stroboscopic movement on our perception?
It creates the illusion of continuous motion from a series of still images.
How does context affect perceptual constancy?
Context can influence how we perceive an object's size, shape, or color, even if the actual stimulus remains the same.
How do changes in illumination affect color perception, and how does color constancy counteract this?
Changes in illumination can alter the wavelengths of light reflected by an object, potentially changing its perceived color. Color constancy allows us to perceive familiar objects as having consistent color despite these changes.
Define sensation.
Bottom-up processing; detecting stimuli.
Define perception.
Top-down processing; interpreting stimuli.
Define Gestalt.
An organized whole; our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes.
Define figure-ground.
The organization of visual field into objects (figures) that stand out from their surroundings (ground).
Define depth perception.
The ability to see objects in three dimensions although the images that strike the retina are two-dimensional; allows us to judge distance.
Define monocular cues.
Depth cues, such as interposition and linear perspective, available to either eye alone.
Define binocular cues.
Depth cues, such as retinal disparity, that depend on the use of two eyes.
Define retinal disparity.
A binocular cue for perceiving depth. By comparing images from the retinas in the two eyes, the brain computes distance—the greater the disparity (difference) between the two images, the closer the object.
Define stroboscopic movement.
The brain's perception of continuous movement in a rapid series of slightly varying images.
Define Phi phenomenon.
An illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession.
Define perceptual constancy.
Perceiving objects as unchanging (having consistent shapes, size, lightness, and color) even as illumination and retinal images change.
Define perceptual adaptation.
In vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field.