PSY1101 – Perceptual Constancy PDF

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PSY1101 – Perceptual Constancy Perceptual Constancy - this is perceiving objects as unchanging (having consistent color, brightness, shape and size) even ass illumination and retinal images change - we much recognize objects without being deceived by changes in their color, brightness, shape or size - perceptual constancy is a top down process Color and Brightness Constancies - our experience of color depends on an object’s context - color constancy – perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wave-lengths reflected by the objects - we see color due to our brain’s computations of the light reflected by an object relative to the objects surrounding it - brightness constancy also called lightness constancy depends on context, we perceive constant brightness even when illumination varies - perception of constancy depends on relative luminance which is the amount of light an object reflect relative to its surroundings - we perceive objects not in isolation but in their environmental context o this is important for artists, interior decorators, clothing designers o comparisons govern over perceptions Shape and Size Constancies - shape constancy – sometimes objects that cannot change shape seem to change depending on our angle of view o example: allows us to see a door opening as constantly being rectangular even if it appears trapezoidal - size constancy – we perceive objects as having constant size even when distance varies o example: we assume a car at a distance can still carry people - perceiving an object’s distance gives us cues to its size and knowing its general size provides us with cues to its distance - perception is not merely a projection of the world onto our brain, it’s a disassembly and reassembly that can sometimes lead us astray o our brain constructs our perceptions Perceptual Interpretation - Immanuel Kant maintained that knowledge comes from our inborn ways of organizing sensory experiences - John Locke said that through our experiences we also learn to perceive the world Experience

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Molyneux wondered if a man born blind could eventually visually see the difference between two objects if he regained sight o Example: born with cataracts, surgery, then could then sense colors and distinguish figure from ground but could not recognize objects that were familiar by touch o The cortical cells had not developed normal connections, so remain blind to shape but not color/brightness...