Introduction to Psychology –PSY101
PERCEPTION I
VU
Lesson 17
“Perception is not determined simply by stimulus patterns; rather it is a dynamic searching for the best
interpretation of the available data.”
Gregory (1966)
The process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting stimuli; it includes identification,
recognition, and images of the stimulus in question; previous experiences have a role to play in it.
Perception is holistic. Perception is the mental organization and interpretation of sensory information. The
Gestalt psychologists studied extensively the ways in which people organize and select from the vast array
of stimuli that are presented to them, concentrating particularly on visual stimuli. Perception is influenced
by a variety of factors, including the intensity and physical dimensions of the stimulus e.g. such activities of
the sense organs as effects of preceding stimulation; the subject's past experience; attention factors such as
readiness to respond to a stimulus; and motivation and emotional state of the subject. Stimulus elements in
visual organization form perceived patterns according to their nearness to each other, their similarity, the
tendency for the subject to perceive complete figures, and the ability of the subject to distinguish important
figures from background.
If you look at the following figures you may see two overlapping triangles, a cat, and a hut. Why don’t we
see them as different separate triangles, ovals, and rectangles???
Different Connotations of the Word ‘Perception
oProcess, act, or faculty of perceiving.
oEffect or product of perceiving.
oRepresents what is being perceived.
oAwareness of something with the help of sense organs/ sensations.
oFeelings, attitudes, opinions, and images people possess about different places, people, and environment
of various kinds.
oImmediate or intuitive cognition or comprehension__ capacity to “analyze”/ "see" with the help of
experience.
oThe ability to process or use information coming/ received from the senses
oProcess of classifying sensations.
A Comprehensive Definition of Perception would be that of a cognitive process involving:
• Acquisition,
• Interpretation,
• Selection, and
• Organization of sensory information,
that involves past experiences as well as neurological processes that affect recognition and interpretation.
Gestalt Psychology
The Gestaltists made an important and lasting contribution to our understanding of perceptual processes.
They did show that certain, explicit, factors do affect the way in which incoming stimuli are organized into
figures.
• It developed as a reaction to structuralism in the early 1900s.
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