Perception

 

Perception

Definition

Perception is a process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting sensory information. Perception = Sensation + Meaningful Interpretation

v  Process of getting to know objects and objective facts by the use of the senses -R.S. Woodworth and D.G. Marquis

v  Perception is the organizing process by which we interpret our sensory input. - Edmund Fantino, 1975

v  William James American psychologist has said if we understand the world as it appears to us, it will be a big booming- buzzing confusion. Hence, we do not see the things as they appear, but we see them as we want, i.e. more meaningfully .

v  This phenomenon was well explained by Gestalt psychologists. They believed that the brain creates a coherent perceptual experience by perceiving a stimulus as a whole than perceiving discrete entities.

v  This is more meaningfully stated in the gestalt principle as ‘the whole is better than sum total of its parts’. This is explained under many sub-principles of perception.

 

 

Characteristics

v  Perception is a process:

v  It is not a product or outcome.

v  It is initiated by input and followed by output/response.

v  Perception involves sensation: sensation precedes perception.

v  Perception needs the presence of stimulus: like sensation perception also occurs in response to stimulus.

v   Perception provides knowledge about the selected information: all the stimuli are not perceived. We select the sensory impressions.

v   Perception is preparation to response. It is the first step toward reaction/response/behavior of an organism. It helps in preparation of self.

v  Past experience plays a role in perception. The past experiences may be direct or indirect. Eg. Perception of a fruit such as likes or dislikes.

v  It is individualized. Different individuals do not perceive objects or events or relationships in the same way. It is always influenced by expectations, motivation etc.

v  It involves organization. We perceive a thing as a whole not fragmented. It tries deriver the relevant meaning of all sensory impressions or sensations related to a particular stimulus

Objective Factors

There are a number of characteristics of stimuli that influence our perception.

1. Intensity

2. Size

3. Distinct & Striking

4. Movement

5. Novelty

6. Duration

7. Repetition

8. Abrupt Change 

Subjective Factors

Sometimes, perception is determined not only by the physical characteristics of stimuli but by the characteristics of the perceiver.

1. Motives or needs

2. Interests & values

3. Past experience

4. Age

5. Preparatory set

6. Social & cultural factors.

Perceptual processes

1. Selection refers to choosing which of many stimuli that will be processed.
2. Organization involves collecting the information into some pattern.
3. Interpretation involves understanding the pattern.
4. memory,
5. recall

 

Types of Perception

1. Form Perception

2. Size Perception

3. Depth Perception

4. Perception of Movement

5. Time Perception 

Form Perception

Following principles are  operating in form perception

•       Principle of Figure and ground

•       Principle of proximity.

•       Principle of closure.

•       Principle of similarity.

•       Principle of continuity.

•       Principle of symmetry.

•       Principle of simplicity

Gestaltists proposed laws of organization that specify how people perceive form.

1.      Figure and ground are basic organizational themes for perception.

Figure is perceived as distinct from the background.Figure is closer to the viewer than the background. Reversible Figures: Figure and ground can be switched

 

 

 

According to figure ground relationship a figure is perceived in relation to its background. The perception of the object or figure in terms of colour, size, shape and intensity etc. depends upon the figure ground relationship.  We perceive a figure against a background or background against a figure depending upon the characteristics of the perceiver as well as the relative strength of the figure or ground.

Principle of proximity

The principle of proximity states that things that are close together appear to be more related than things that are spaced farther apart. Proximity is so powerful that it overrides similarity of color, shape, and other factors that might differentiate a group of objects.

Principle of closure

According to principle of closure, while confronting an incomplete pattern one tends to complete or close the pattern to fill in sensory gaps and perceive it as a meaningful whole.  This type of organization is helpful in interpreting various incomplete objects, patterns or stimuli present in our environment

Principle of similarity.

·         Similarity (also known as Invariance): The human eye tends to build a relationship between similar elements within a design. Similarity can be achieved using basic elements such as shapes, colors, and size.