Ch 6 Perception

Convergence

A binocular cue for perceiving depth. The extent to which the eyes converge inward when looking at a close object. The brain computes distance by just how "cross-eyed" the eyes are.

Selective attention

The focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus

Figure-ground

The organization of the visual field into objects (the figures) that stand out from their surroundings (the ground).

Closure

The perceptual tendency to fill in gaps to create a complete whole object.

Similarity

The perceptual tendency to group stimuli that are alike.

Grouping

The perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups.

Continuity

The perceptual tendency to see discontinuous stimuli as a continuous pattern

Connectedness

The perceptual tendency to see linked objects as a separate grouping from adjacent objects

Visual capture

the tendency for vision to dominate the other senses.

Depth perception

the ability to see objects in three dimensions although the images that strike the retina are two-dimensional. It allows us to judge distance.

Retinal disparity

Abinocular cue for perceiving depth. By comparing images from the two eyeballs, the brain computes distance based the two retinas seeing slightly different images.The greater the disparity (difference) between the two images, the closer the object is.

Visual Cliff

An experimental apparatus that forms the illusion of a cliff and tests the ability of infants to perceive depth.

Gestalt

An organized whole or form. Gestalt psychologists emphasized the tendency of our brains to organize even incomplete sensory information into wholes or complete forms.

Binocular depth cues

Cues to depth that depend on the use of two eyes, namely retinal disparity and convergence.

Monocular cues

Depth cues that depend on only one eye. Relative size, relative height, relative clarity, interposition, texture gradient, motion parallax, linear perspective and light & shadow are examples of such cues.

Inattentional blindness

Failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere.

Proximity

Perceptual grouping nearby figures together.

Gestalt principles of grouping

Proximity, similarity, continuity, connectedness and closure are the major gestalt organizational principles.