Visual perception
depth perception - define
the ability to accurately estimate the distance of objects and therefore perceive the world in three dimensions
the process of focusing on specific stimuli or aspects of the sensory environment whilst ignoring and therefore excluding others
attention
the use of both eyes working together in order to provide information to the brain about depth and distance
binocular depth cue
in visual perception, a way in which we organise the features of a visual stimulus by grouping them to perceive a whole, complete form
Gestalt principle
bottom-up processing - define
the perceptual process starts ‘at the bottom’ with raw sensory information that is sent ‘up’ to the brain for higher level mental ‘processing’
a source of information from the environment (external cue) or from within the body (internal cue) that aids perception of how far away objects are and therefore depth perception
depth cue
divided attention
the ability to distribute attention so that two or more activities may be performed simultaneously
a visual perception binocular depth cue involving the inward turning of the eyes to focus on nearby objects
convergence
a Gestalt principle of visual perception that involves a perceptual tendency to mentally ‘close up’, fill in or ignore gaps in a visual image and to perceive objects as complete
closure
a perceptual process that starts ‘at the top’ with higher level ‘cognitive processing’ in the brain and then works ‘down’ from the whole to the details
top-down processing
the use of only one eye to provide information to the brain about depth and distance
monocular depth cue
selective attention - define
choosing and attending to a specific stimulus whilst at the same time excluding other stimuli
a visual perception monocular depth cue involving a perceptual tendency to visually perceive objects located closer to the horizon as being more distant than objects located further from the horizon
height in the visual field
a Gestalt principle of visual perception, that involves organising visual information by perceptually dividing a visual scene into a something, which stands out from the something which is its surroundings
figure–ground
a visual perception binocular depth cue based on the difference (disparity) of the two retinal images
retinal disparity
a visual perception monocular depth cue involving perceptual tendency to visually perceive the object that produces the largest image on the retina as being closer and the object that produces the smallest image as being further away (when objects are expected to be the same size)
relative size
maintenance of attention on a specific stimulus or task for a continuous period of time without being distracted
sustained attention
linear perspective - define
a visual perception monocular depth cue based on the apparent convergence of actual or imagined parallel lines as they recede into the distance
a Gestalt principle of visual perception, that involves a tendency to perceive parts of a visual image which are positioned close together as belonging together in a group; also called nearness
proximity
a temporary readiness to perceive something in accordance with expectations of what it is
perceptual set
in visual perception, a monocular depth cue involving the automatic focusing of the lens in the eye to adjust shape in response to changes in the distance of view from an object
accommodation
Jamie is doing homework while music plays in the background. She focuses on solving math problems for 30 minutes without getting distracted. Then, her little brother starts asking her questions, and she answers him while still working on her math. Later, she turns off the music to concentrate better when the problems get harder.
Identify the types of attention linking answer to the scenario.
1. Sustained Attention. When Jamie focuses on her math homework for 30 minutes.
2. Divided Attention. When she answers her brother’s questions while still working on math.
3. Selective Attention. When she turns off the music to concentrate better.
a visual perception monocular depth cue based on the principle that an object which partially covers another is closer than the object it covers and the covered object is further away; also called overlap
interposition
a Gestalt principle of visual perception that involves a tendency to perceive parts of a visual image that have similar features, such as size, shape, texture or colour, as belonging together in a unit, group or ‘whole’
similarity
Damian is playing with a toy box that has lots of different shapes inside—blocks, balls, and animal figures. His teacher tells him to find the blue dinosaur. Damian immediately starts looking only at blue toys and ignores anything that’s not shaped like a dinosaur. When he sees a blue animal with a long tail and spikes, he grabs it right away—even before checking closely—because his brain was already expecting to find a dinosaur that’s blue.
What processing is at play? Justify your answer.
top-down processing
Justification:
Max uses what he already knows (blue + dinosaur shape) to guide how he looks and what he notices.
His expectations help him filter out toys that don’t match.
He’s not just reacting to what he sees, he’s using his brain to decide what matters.