AP Psychology Unit 2: Cognition - Lecture 2.1: Perception

Overview

• Lecture by: Debra Hansen
• Focus: Understanding perception (2.1) as part of cognition in AP Psychology.
• Objective: Explain how internal and external factors influence perception using CED questions and essential knowledge.

Key Concepts

Definition of Perception

• Perception: Process of organizing and interpreting sensory information to make sense of the environment.
• Influences: Both internal and external factors.

Processing Types

• Bottom-up Processing: Relies on external sensory information; e.g., recognizing a face by analyzing individual features.
• Top-down Processing: Relies on internal expectations and prior knowledge; e.g., recognizing a face based on context or past experience.

Schemas and Perceptual Sets

• Schemas: Cognitive frameworks for organizing/interpreting information; e.g., stereotypes.
• Perceptual Sets: Expectations that shape perception; e.g., seeing expected objects in familiar environments.

External Influences on Perception

• Context, Experience, and Culture:
  • Surroundings and past interactions influence perception.
  • Cultural background affects perception of symbols, gestures, and colors.

Gestalt Psychology

• Holistic Approach: Understanding human experience by focusing on interconnectedness of thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and environment.
• Gestalt Principles of Perception:
  • Closure: Filling in gaps to perceive a complete object.
  • Figure and Ground: Distinguishing an object from its background.
  • Proximity: Grouping objects located close to each other.
  • Similarity: Grouping similar objects together.
  • Continuity: Following continuous lines and patterns.
  • Common Fate: Grouping objects moving in the same direction.

Interaction of Sensation and Perception

• Attention: Focused awareness on a particular stimulus.
• Selective Attention: E.g., Cocktail party effect - focusing on one conversation amidst noise.
• Inattentional Blindness: Missing visible objects when attention is on something else; e.g., the "gorilla in basketball" video.

Key Summary for CED Question 2.1

• Perception is shaped by internal (expectations) and external (context, culture) factors.
• Gestalt principles show how we organize visual info.
• Attention affects perception, leading to selective focus and inattentiveness to other stimuli.

CED Question 2.1 (Continued)

Visual Perceptual Processes

• Interpretation of Stimuli: How visual perceptions can be accurate or lead to illusions.
• Depth Cues:
  • Binocular: Retinal disparity and convergence.
  • Monocular: Relative clarity, size, texture gradient, linear perspective, interposition.
• Perceptual Constancies: Size, shape, and color constancy.
• Apparent Movement: Phi phenomenon and stroboscopic movement.

Optical Illusions

• Examples: Mueller-Lyer illusion, Ponzo illusion.
• Cause: Incorrect interpretations due to visual cues.

Summary for CED Question 2.1

• Visual perception involves depth, constancy, and movement interpretation.
• Misinterpretations can lead to visual illusions.
• Understanding these processes helps explain visual world interpretation.

Additional Resources

• Follow-Up: Separate video for key terms and examples.
• Study Materials: Full slideshow, workbook with multiple-choice and short-answer questions available on Teacher P. Teacher Story.

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