Post on 04-Feb-2021
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The Constructivist Viewof Perception
Lecture 16
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Problems for Ecological Perception
• Conceptual Problem– Availability vs. Utilization
• Empirical Problems– Organization– Pattern Recognition– Perceptual Constancies– Ambiguous (Reversible) Figures– Perceptual Illusions– Cultural Differences– Perceptual Problem-Solving
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Perception as Construction
• Conditions– Stimulus information insufficient for perception– Stimulus information is misleading
• Perception is intelligent– Problem-Solving Activity– Requires knowledge of the world– Entails judgment, inference, reasoning
The perceiver must go“beyond the information given”
by the stimulusJerome Bruner (1973)
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The Constructivist Traditionin Perception
Hermann von Helmholtz
Richard Gregory
Julian Hochberg
Irvin Rock
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The Rubin VaseRubin (1915)
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Silver Jubileeof
Queen Elizabeth II
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The Necker CubeNecker (1832)
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The Schröder StaircaseSchröder (1854)
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The “Antioch Cube”Gombrich (1960)
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San Giovanni LaternoRome, c. 1587
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The “Boring” FigureBoring (1930); Puck (1915)
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The Jastrow FigureJastrow (1899, 1900)
Harper’s Weekly (1892); Die Fliegende Blatter (1892)
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Ambiguous FiguresReversible Figures
Bistable Figures
• Pattern of proximal stimulation constant– Retinal image doesn’t change
• Perception of distal stimulus is changes– Mental representation does change
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MC. Escher
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Salvador Dali
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“Slave Market with Disappearing Bust of Voltaire”
Dali (1940), after Houdon (1778)
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The Müller-Lyer IllusionMüller-Lyer (1889)
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The Müller-Lyer IllusionMüller-Lyer (1889)
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Muller-Lyer Illusion
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Muller-Lyer Illusion
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The Ponzo IllusionPonzo (1913)
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The Ponzo IllusionPonzo (1913)
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The Ebbinghaus IllusionEbbinghaus (1897); aka “Titchener Circles” (1901)
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Parallel Lines IllusionsHering (1861); Wundt (1897)
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The Poggendorf IllusionPoggendorff (1860), after Zollner (1860)
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The Poggendorf IllusionPoggendorff (1860), after Zollner (1860)
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The Poggendorf Illusionand the Union JackPoggendorff (1860), after Zollner (1860)
J.D.A. Wiseman
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Horizontal-Vertical IllusionWundt (1858), after Fick (1851)
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Gateway Arch, St. LouisEero Saarinen (1947)
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Unconscious Inference in Illusions
• Upper line appears farther away– Size an inverse function of distance
• Retinal image same size as lower line• Therefore the upper line must be longer than
the lower line
Unconscious inferences represent“going beyond the information given”
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The Moon IllusionKaufman & Rock (1962); Rock & Kaufman (1962)
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How the Ames Room WorksAmes (1934-1935)
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Distance Cues and Unconscious Inference in the Ames Room
• Lack of distance cues– Misleading stimulus
information• Unconventional geometry
– Inappropriate expectations• No compensation for
differences in retinal size
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“Shiprock” or “Rock with Wings”?Tse’Bit’Ai
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Two Views of the Arizona Whale-Kangaroo
Canonical Noncanonical
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Comparative Frequency of PerceptKihlstrom, Peterson, et al. (2006)
0
20
40
60
80
100
Noncanonical Canonical Noncanonical Canonical
% o
f Sub
ject
s
Orientation of Kangaroo
American Australian
Whale Kangaroo
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Constellations as PerceptsOrion, Taurus, and Friends
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
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Perceptionsof
Ursa Major
Japan Aerospace Exploration AgencyCarl Sagan, Cosmos
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A “Gestalt” Figure
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Gestalt Completion TestStreet (1931)
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Gestalt Completion TestStreet (1931)
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Gestalt Completion TestStreet (1931)
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Gestalt Completion TestStreet (1931)
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“Canali”On Mars
Schiaparelli (1880s)
Sheehan (1988)Sheehan & O’Meara (2001)
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“Canals”on Mars
Lowell (1894)
Sheehan (1988)Sheehan & O’Meara (2001)
49Sheehan (1988)
Sheehan & O’Meara (2001)
Mars: The View from MarinerNASA, 1960s
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Contrasting Views of Perception
• Ecological View– Perception given by information in stimulus– Perceive the world, as it is, directly
• Constructivist View– Perception “goes beyond the information given”– Actively construct mental representation of world
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Perception as Problem Solving
• Sources of Information– Proximal Stimulus (“Bottom-Up”)
• figure, ground• primary, secondary modalities
– Schemata (“Top-Down”)• world knowledge• expectations, beliefs
• Inferential Rules– Unconscious inferences– Conscious problem-solving
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The Perceptual CycleNeisser (1976)
Object
Schema(Knowledge,Expectations,
Beliefs)
Action(Thought,Behavior)
Modifies(Accommodation)
Directs
Modifies(Assimilation)
“Perception is where cognition and reality meet”
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Perceptual Hypothesis-Testing
• Perceptual Cycle Begins– Mismatch between object and schema
• … Continues– Assimilation of object to schema– Accommodation of schema to object
• … Completed – Object identified, categorized
• … Begins Anew – New surprising event
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Perceptual Hypothesis-Testing
• If Stimulus Information Rich, Structured– Perception is Automatic
• If Stimulus Information Vague, Fragmentary– Perception Requires Active Problem-Solving
• Percept as Compromise– Between Expectations, Reality
• Constructive Alternativism– Different Perceptions of Same Object, Event
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Perception as Effort After MeaningBartlett (1932)
• Constructive Activity– “Build Up” Mental Representation of World– Test a Hypothesis About the World
• Goes “Beyond the Information Given”– Draws on Memory– Invokes Judgment, Reasoning, Inference
The Constructivist View�of PerceptionProblems for Ecological PerceptionPerception as ConstructionThe Constructivist Tradition�in PerceptionThe Rubin Vase�Rubin (1915)Silver Jubilee�of�Queen Elizabeth II�The Necker Cube�Necker (1832)The Schröder Staircase�Schröder (1854)The “Antioch Cube”�Gombrich (1960)Slide Number 10San Giovanni Laterno�Rome, c. 1587The “Boring” Figure�Boring (1930); Puck (1915)The Jastrow Figure�Jastrow (1899, 1900)�Harper’s Weekly (1892); Die Fliegende Blatter (1892)Ambiguous Figures�Reversible Figures�Bistable FiguresMC. EscherSalvador Dali“Slave Market �with Disappearing Bust of Voltaire”�Dali (1940), after Houdon (1778)The Müller-Lyer Illusion�Müller-Lyer (1889)The Müller-Lyer Illusion�Müller-Lyer (1889)Muller-Lyer IllusionMuller-Lyer IllusionThe Ponzo Illusion�Ponzo (1913)The Ponzo Illusion�Ponzo (1913)The Ebbinghaus Illusion�Ebbinghaus (1897); aka “Titchener Circles” (1901)Parallel Lines Illusions�Hering (1861); Wundt (1897)The Poggendorf Illusion�Poggendorff (1860), after Zollner (1860)The Poggendorf Illusion�Poggendorff (1860), after Zollner (1860)The Poggendorf Illusion�and the Union Jack�Poggendorff (1860), after Zollner (1860)Horizontal-Vertical Illusion�Wundt (1858), after Fick (1851)Gateway Arch, St. Louis�Eero Saarinen (1947)Unconscious Inference in IllusionsThe Moon Illusion�Kaufman & Rock (1962); Rock & Kaufman (1962)Slide Number 33How the Ames Room Works�Ames (1934-1935)Distance Cues and Unconscious Inference in the Ames Room“Shiprock” or “Rock with Wings”?�Tse’Bit’AiSlide Number 37Two Views of the �Arizona Whale-KangarooComparative Frequency of Percept�Kihlstrom, Peterson, et al. (2006)Constellations as Percepts�Orion, Taurus, and FriendsPerceptions�of�Ursa MajorA “Gestalt” FigureGestalt Completion Test�Street (1931)Gestalt Completion Test�Street (1931)Gestalt Completion Test�Street (1931)Gestalt Completion Test�Street (1931)Slide Number 47Slide Number 48Slide Number 49Contrasting Views of PerceptionPerception as Problem SolvingThe Perceptual Cycle�Neisser (1976)Perceptual Hypothesis-TestingPerceptual Hypothesis-TestingPerception as Effort After Meaning�Bartlett (1932)