Perception - Internal and External Factors of Perception

Perception: Internal & External Factors of Perception Principles of Perception Cognition: Cognition refers to the mental processes involved in gaining knowledge and understanding. These include thinking, learning, memory, problem-solving, decision-making, and language use. Essentially, cognition is how we process, store, and apply information in daily life. Sensation: Perception: The process of detecting and receiving physical The process of organizing and interpreting sensory stimuli from the environment information to give it meaning (e.g., recognizing a face) Top-down processing: Bottom-up processing: • Perception driven by prior knowledge, expectations, and experiences. • Perception starts with raw sensory input, and the brain builds meaning from it. Example: Reading messy handwriting by guessing the words based on context. • Example: Seeing a new shape for the first time and trying to identify it. Internal Factors That Influence Schema: Mental frameworks or templates that help organize information. • Example of schema: Example of Schema: A schema for a "dog" might include four legs, a tail, and barking. You might misidentify a wolf as a dog because it fits your schema. 1. Perceptual set: A predisposition to perceive something in a certain way, influenced by expectations or prior experiences. o Example of perceptual set: Example of Perceptual Set: If you’re told to look for a UFO, you might interpret a strange light in the sky as a spacecraft instead of a plane. External Factors That Influence Perception is influenced by context, which provides situational clues; past experiences, which create expectations and mental frameworks; and cultural backgrounds, which shape focus and interpretation. These factors work together to form perceptual sets that filter and guide how we interpret the world beyond just sensory input. How can contexts, experiences, and cultural experiences influence what we perceive? Internal and External Processes Attention Selective attention: Divided attention: Selective Attention is the process of focusing on Divided Attention one specific task or stimulus while ignoring other distractions around us. • Definition: The ability to focus on multiple tasks or stimuli at the same time. • Example: At a party, you can focus on a • Example: Trying to text while walking, or conversation with a friend while tuning listening to music while studying. out the background noise of other people • Why it matters: Dividing attention often talking. reduces the quality of attention given to • This ability allows us to concentrate on each task, making it harder to process what’s most important at the moment, but information fully. it can also cause us to miss other details or stimuli in the environment. Cocktail party effect: Divided Attention • • • Definition: The ability to focus on multiple tasks or stimuli at the same time. Example: Trying to text while walking, or listening to music while studying. Why it matters: Dividing attention often reduces the quality of attention given to each task, making it harder to process information fully. Inattentional blindness: • • • • Definition: Failing to notice something that is in plain sight because attention is directed elsewhere. Example: Not noticing a person in a gorilla suit walking through a scene while you focus on counting basketball passes. Why it matters: It demonstrates how our attention can be so focused that we miss important details right in front of us.