AP Psychology Perceptual Process Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What is the perceptual process?

The process of selecting, organizing and interpreting data from our senses.

What is bottom up processing?

Recognition of an object (correct)

Feature analysis (correct)

Faster than top down

More accurate than top down (correct)

What describes top down processing?

Slower and less accurate

Filling in gaps in sensing (correct)

Relies on prior experience (correct)

Breaks down components

What is constructive perception?

Creating perceptual constructs out of pieces or elements with higher cognitive functions. Signup and view all the answers

What is direct perception?

Sensations and sensory context are all we need for perception. Signup and view all the answers

What does adaptation refer to in perceptual processes?

Unconscious temporary change in response to environmental stimuli. Signup and view all the answers

What is habituation?

Becoming accustomed to a stimulus. Signup and view all the answers

What does dishabituation mean?

A change in stimulus causes us to notice it again. Signup and view all the answers

What is selective attention?

Focusing on certain stimuli in the environment while excluding others. Signup and view all the answers

What is the cocktail party effect?

The ability to attend to only one voice among many. Signup and view all the answers

What is change blindness?

Failing to notice changes in the environment. Signup and view all the answers

What do filter theories propose?

Stimuli must pass through some form of screen or filter to enter into attention. Signup and view all the answers

What is attentional resource theory?

People have a set amount of attention that they can allocate according to task requirements. Signup and view all the answers

What is divided attention?

The ability to distribute one's attention and simultaneously engage in two or more activities. Signup and view all the answers

What is an illusion?

A false idea; something that one seems to see or to be aware of that really does not exist. Signup and view all the answers

What is visual capture?

The tendency for vision to dominate the other senses. Signup and view all the answers

What is gestalt psychology?

The principle in which we organize perceptions into wholes. Signup and view all the answers

What is the figure-ground relationship?

Organization of what part of the image is the figure or focus and what part is the surrounding or background. Signup and view all the answers

What does proximity refer to in perception?

The tendency to see objects near each other. Signup and view all the answers

What does similarity refer to in perception?

Grouping similar figures together. Signup and view all the answers

What does symmetry refer to in perception?

Grouping forms that make up mirror images of each other. Signup and view all the answers

What does continuity refer to in perception?

We perceive smooth, continuous patterns rather than discontinuous. Signup and view all the answers

What does closure refer to in perception?

Filling in gaps to create whole objects. Signup and view all the answers

What does connectedness refer to in perception?

Uniform/linked spots, lines, areas = single unit. Signup and view all the answers

What is the law of Pragnanz?

We tend to see objects in their simplest forms. Signup and view all the answers

What is visual perception?

We perceive depth, size, shape, and motion. Signup and view all the answers

What is the visual cliff?

A lab device that tests depth perception in infants and animals. Signup and view all the answers

What is depth perception?

E.J. Gibson. Signup and view all the answers

What are binocular cues?

Depth cues that depend on 2 eyes. Signup and view all the answers

What is retinal/binocular disparity?

Difference between two different retinal images. Signup and view all the answers

What is convergence?

Extent to which the eyes converge inward when looking at an object. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Perceptual Process

Involves selecting, organizing, and interpreting sensory data.
Essential for understanding how we perceive the world around us.

Processing Types

Bottom-up processing
- Recognition through feature analysis; involves breaking objects into components for accurate perception.
- Takes longer than top-down processing but offers greater accuracy.
Top-down processing
- Involves using prior knowledge to fill gaps in sensory information.
- Faster but may lead to inaccuracies.

Perception Theories

Constructive perception
- Involves higher cognitive functions to create perceptual constructs from sensory elements.
Direct perception
- States that perception can occur from immediate sensations and context alone, with no need for prior learning.

Adaptation and Habituation

Adaptation
- Unconscious, temporary adjustment to environmental stimuli.
Habituation
- Gradual decrease in response to a repeated stimulus.
Dishabituation
- Resuming notice of a stimulus following a change in it.

Attention Mechanisms

Selective attention
- Focused awareness on certain environmental stimuli while ignoring others.
Cocktail party effect
- Ability to focus on a single conversation while disregarding surrounding noise.
Change blindness
- Failure to notice significant changes in the environment.
Filter theories
- Suggest that stimuli must pass through a filter before reaching attention.
Attentional resource theory
- Indicates that individuals have finite attention resources which can be allocated based on task demands.
Divided attention
- Ability to engage in multiple activities simultaneously.

Illusions and Visual Perception

Illusion
- A false perception of reality; something perceived that does not exist.
Visual capture
- The dominance of visual information over other sensory inputs.

Gestalt Principles

Gestalt psychology
- Emphasizes organizing perceptions into coherent wholes.
Figure-ground relationship
- Distinguishing the main focus (figure) from the background (ground).
Proximity
- Tendency to group nearby items together.
Similarity
- Grouping similar visual elements.
Symmetry
- Tendency to see objects that mirror each other as a single unit.
Continuity
- Perception of smooth, continuous patterns over abrupt changes.
Closure
- Filling in gaps to perceive complete shapes or figures.
Connectedness
- Perceiving linked spots, lines, or areas as a unified entity.
Law of Pragnanz
- Preference for seeing objects in their simplest form.

Visual Characteristics and Depth Perception

Visual perception
- Ability to perceive depth, size, shape, and motion.
Visual cliff
- Experimental apparatus used to study depth perception in infants and animals.
Depth perception
- Explored by psychologist EJ Gibson.
Binocular cues
- Depth cues arising from the use of both eyes; involves stereopsis.
Retinal/binocular disparity
- The difference in images received by each eye, aiding depth perception.
Convergence
- Degree of inward eye movement as an object approaches, crucial for depth perception.

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Description

Test your knowledge of the perceptual process in AP Psychology with these flashcards. Explore key concepts like bottom-up and top-down processing, and understand how we select, organize, and interpret sensory information.