Questions and Answers
What is prosopagnosia?
What is the meaning of gestalt?
A perceptual whole; derived from the German word meaning 'form' or 'whole'.
What does selective attention refer to?
What is the cocktail party effect?
Signup and view all the answers
What does figure-ground refer to in Gestalt psychology?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the grouping principle of proximity?
Signup and view all the answers
How does the similarity principle manifest in perception?
Signup and view all the answers
What does the continuity principle suggest?
Signup and view all the answers
What is meant by connectedness in Gestalt psychology?
Signup and view all the answers
What does closure refer to in perception?
Signup and view all the answers
What are illusory contours?
Signup and view all the answers
What is depth perception?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a visual cliff?
Signup and view all the answers
What are binocular cues?
Signup and view all the answers
What are monocular cues?
Signup and view all the answers
What is retinal disparity?
Signup and view all the answers
What is convergence in depth perception?
Signup and view all the answers
What does relative height indicate in perception?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the concept of relative size?
Signup and view all the answers
What does interposition tell us about depth perception?
Signup and view all the answers
How is linear perspective related to depth perception?
Signup and view all the answers
What role do light and shadow play in depth perception?
Signup and view all the answers
What does relative motion describe?
Signup and view all the answers
What is relative clarity in depth perception?
Signup and view all the answers
What does texture gradient refer to?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the phi phenomenon?
Signup and view all the answers
What is stroboscopic movement?
Signup and view all the answers
What does perceptual constancy mean?
Signup and view all the answers
What is perceptual adaptation?
Signup and view all the answers
What is meant by perceptual set?
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
Sensation & Perception Key Terms
-
Prosopagnosia: A condition characterized by the inability to recognize faces, often referred to as face blindness.
-
Gestalt: A principle of perception emphasizing holistic processing; derived from a German term meaning "form" or "whole".
Attention Mechanisms
-
Selective Attention: The cognitive ability to focus on a specific stimulus while ignoring others, crucial for processing sensory information effectively.
-
Cocktail Party Effect: A phenomenon that illustrates selective attention, allowing individuals to focus on a single conversation in a noisy environment.
Gestalt Principles
-
Figure-Ground: A perceptual strategy that separates objects (figures) from their background (ground), facilitating clearer visual interpretation.
-
Grouping: A tendency to mentally organize visual stimuli into organized patterns or coherent groups based on specific criteria.
-
Proximity: A Gestalt principle where nearby elements are perceived as a single group due to their closeness.
-
Similarity: The perception tendency to group similar figures together, enhancing visual coherence.
-
Continuity: The inclination to perceive smooth, continuous lines or patterns rather than abrupt changes.
-
Connectedness: Objects that share uniform characteristics, such as color or texture, are perceived as a single entity when linked together.
-
Closure: The cognitive ability to perceive incomplete shapes as whole figures by mentally filling in gaps.
-
Illusory Contours: Perceived borders or outlines that do not physically exist, created by visual contrast and context.
Depth Perception
-
Depth Perception: The capability to perceive the world in three dimensions, enabling distance judgment despite 2D retinal images.
-
Visual Cliff: A device used to assess depth perception in infants and animals; demonstrates that most species have depth perception by the time they can move.
Cues for Depth Perception
-
Binocular Cues: Depth cues reliant on both eyes working together for a comprehensive view of spatial relationships.
-
Monocular Cues: Depth cues that can be discerned with one eye, often employed in art to create a sense of depth.
-
Retinal Disparity: A binocular cue that arises from the differing images captured by each eye; greater disparity indicates closer objects.
-
Convergence: A binocular cue that occurs when eyes angle inward to focus on closer objects; increases muscle strain, signaling proximity.
-
Relative Height: A monocular cue where objects that appear higher in visual space are perceived as further away.
-
Relative Size: A depth cue where similar-sized objects are perceived as further away if they cast smaller retinal images.
-
Interposition: A depth cue where overlapping objects imply that the one obstructing view is closer.
-
Linear Perspective: A depth cue observing that parallel lines converge in the distance, indicating greater perceived distance.
-
Light and Shadow: A monocular cue suggesting depth through light reflection, where dimmer objects seem further away.
-
Relative Motion: The perceived motion of objects as we move; nearby objects appear to shift in the opposite direction while distant objects seem to maintain position.
-
Relative Clarity: A depth cue indicating that less distinct or fuzzier objects are perceived as being further away.
-
Texture Gradient: The gradual transition from coarse to fine texture signals increasing distance.
Perception Phenomena
-
Phi Phenomenon: An optical illusion of perceived motion created by rapidly blinking adjacent lights.
-
Stroboscopic Movement: The brain's interpretation of continuous motion from a series of slightly varying images, foundational for film and animation.
Constancies and Adaptations in Perception
-
Perceptual Constancy: The ability to recognize objects as stable despite changes in sensory input related to size, shape, light, or color.
-
Perceptual Adaptation: The capacity to adjust to altered perceptual inputs, such as viewing through lenses that invert visual fields.
-
Perceptual Set: A cognitive bias that predisposes individuals to perceive certain interpretations based on expectations or previous experiences.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Test your knowledge of key terms in sensation and perception with these AP Psychology flashcards. Each card features a specific word along with its definition, helping you master important concepts for your exam. Get ready to enhance your understanding of how we perceive the world around us!