College of Arts, Science, and Education
Department of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences
Department of Psychology
PSYCH 255: COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
Prefinals Lesson 1: Visual Perception
Summarized Notes
I. Introduction to Visual Perception
A. What is Visual Perception?
• Visual perception is the process by which we interpret and make sense of
the visual information we receive through our eyes. It involves organizing and
interpreting sensory input, such as light, color, and movement, in order to
form meaningful experiences.
• Perception vs. Sensation: Sensation refers to the raw data gathered by our
sensory organs, while perception is the brain’s interpretation of that data.
B. Why is Visual Perception Important?
Visual perception allows us to interact with the world, recognize objects, navigate
our environment, and make decisions based on what we see. It's a vital cognitive
function for daily life—without it, we would struggle to understand even the simplest
tasks.
II. The Visual Pathway: How We See
A. The Visual Pathway:
The process of visual perception starts when light enters the eye through the cornea
and travels to the retina, where it is detected by photoreceptors called rods (for low-
light vision) and cones (for color and detail).
• Optic Nerve: After detection, signals travel via the optic nerve to the visual
cortex in the brain, where the information is processed.
• Bottom-up vs. Top-down Processing:
▪ Bottom-up Processing is data-driven and starts with the raw
sensory input (what we actually see).
▪ Top-down Processing is conceptually driven and involves using our
prior knowledge, expectations, and experiences to interpret what we
see.
• Rods and Cones:
▪ Rods: Primarily responsible for vision in dim light and detecting
movement.
▪ Cones: Responsible for color vision and fine detail in bright light.
▪ Visual Fields: The visual field is the entire area that we can see
without moving our eyes or head.
III. Theories of Visual Perception
A. Gestalt Principles
• The brain naturally organizes visual information into wholes rather than
perceiving individual parts. This theory suggests that we organize information
based on patterns and relationships.
• Principles:
▪ Proximity: Objects that are close together are perceived as a group.
▪ Similarity: Items that look alike are grouped together, whether they
share shape, color, or size.
▪ Closure: Our brain fills in gaps to create complete shapes even when
parts are missing (e.g., seeing a panda in the WWF logo even if the
outline isn't fully drawn).
▪ Figure-Ground: We distinguish an object (the figure) from its
background (the ground). For example, we see the figure of a bird against
the sky.
• Applications: Gestalt principles are frequently used in design, art, and
advertising. For instance, logos often use principles like closure and proximity to
create visually appealing and easily recognizable images.
B. Feature Analysis Theory
• We recognize objects by analyzing their individual features and then combining
those features to form a whole perception. This theory is often used to explain
how we recognize letters, faces, and other objects.
• How it Works: For example, when we look at the letter "A," we break it down into
specific features such as angles and the crossbar. These features are then
recognized as part of the letter "A."
C. Constructivist Theory
• Perception is an active, constructive process that involves using our prior
knowledge, expectations, and experiences to interpret the world around us. This
theory suggests that we don’t just passively receive information—we actively
construct our perception of the world.
• For example, when looking at clouds, we might see animals or familiar shapes
depending on what we expect to see or have seen in the past.
IV. Perceptual Phenomena and Illusions
A. Visual Illusions:
Illusions occur when our brain processes visual information in a way that doesn’t
match reality. This reveals how our perception is not always accurate and can be
influenced by context, expectations, and brain shortcuts.
• Müller-Lyer Illusion: The two lines appear to be different lengths because of the
orientation of the arrows at their ends, even though they are actually the same
length.
• Ames Room: A distorted room that creates an optical illusion, making objects or
people appear to change size when they move around inside it.
• Ponzo Illusion: Two horizontal lines appear to be different lengths, but they are
actually the same. This illusion occurs because the brain uses depth cues to
judge the length of the lines.
B. Change Blindness and Inattentional Blindness
• Change Blindness:
This is the failure to notice significant changes in a visual scene. For instance, if
a person changes clothes or a large object is moved, we may fail to notice the
difference if our attention is elsewhere.
• Inattentional Blindness:
This occurs when we miss unexpected objects or events while focusing on a
task. A famous example is the Invisible Gorilla experiment, where people
counting basketball passes fail to notice a person in a gorilla costume walking
through the scene.
• Real-World Impact:
Both phenomena highlight the limitations of our attention and how it can cause
us to miss important details in our surroundings. This is important to consider
when engaging in activities like driving or multitasking.
V. Summary
• Visual perception is not just seeing; it’s about interpreting and organizing sensory
information.
• Theories such as Gestalt principles, Feature Analysis, and Constructivist Theory
help explain how we process and understand what we see.
• Visual illusions and phenomena like change blindness and inattentional
blindness show that our perception can be influenced by context, attention, and
expectations.
Visual perception plays a crucial role in shaping our experiences and interactions with the world. By
understanding how we process visual information, we can better appreciate how our brains
interpret reality. Reflect on your own experiences with perception, and consider how these theories
apply to your daily life.
