Perception

2 Pages 609 Words

Outline one direct theory of visual perception:

Gibson’s theory:
Gibson’s mainly focuses on the idea that perception is a lot more biological and that we directly perceive using an optic array (Information is assumed to consist of signals and to be transmitted from the receptors to the brain). Instead of using the brain to interpret things we use the environment in which perception takes place and the activities of the perceiver within that environment. We then use the affordances (such terrain, water, vegetation, etc.) which provide the clues necessary for perception.
However this would eliminate the possibility for the different interpretation and mistakes of visual illusions

Using this purely bottom up approach to perception means that all objects in the world have a behavioural ‘significance’ for humans and animals. For example a chair is for sitting on, however the meaning to you of the chair can change according to your mood, if you need to reach for a book the chair is for standing on. Research that could support this idea is Palmer (1975). He showed his group of participant’s scenes that were easily recognisable (for example a kitchen). He would then briefly show them 3 separate images of objects, and ask the participants to identify them. The participants were more likely to choose the image that they perceived to best fit the picture of the familiar scene. It was also found that the first picture of the familiar kitchen scene seemed to prompt the participants to expect an object that you would find in a kitchen. If this research is to support Gibson the participants would have to afforded that the kitchen objects belonged in the kitchen or the items are used in the kitchen.
Also Marr (1982) agrees that there is constant perception in every day life, this is because the world around us is constantly changing. Gibson does his experiments in natural environments this is a good point to his research for the r...