Perception | Notes | Unit 4 | Class 11 | Psychology

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Welcome to our comprehensive guide on “Perception,” a key topic from the book of Psychology Class 11 Unit 4 of the West Bengal Board (WBCHSE). In this studymat, you’ll find detailed Notes from Psychology Class 11 Chapter 4. This is designed to clarify your understanding and help you excel in your Class 11 Psychology Semester 1 Exam. Additionally, this study material is a valuable resource for competitive exams for psychology students. Stay tuned as we dive into Psychology Class 11 Chapter 4 MCQs with Answers to enhance your grasp of this essential subject further.

Perception | Notes

Perceptual Process

The Perceptual Process begins with the stimulation of sensory organs, leading to basic experiences like seeing light or hearing sound. However, these basic sensations don’t tell us much about what causes them. To make sense of these sensations, we use our learning, memory, motivation, emotions, and other psychological processes. This process of giving meaning to sensations is called perception. Perception involves interpreting stimuli based on our personal experiences, and it’s not just about identifying objects as they are, but also involves constructing meaning from them based on our viewpoint.

Perception involves two main approaches:

Bottom-Up Processing starts with the basic features of stimuli and builds up to recognize the whole object.

Top-Down Processing starts with an overall understanding and works down to recognize specific parts.

Both processes work together to help us understand the world.

Principles of Perception

1. Figure-Ground Segregation:

This principle explains how we focus on one part of what we see (the figure) while the rest becomes background. For example, when reading, the words stand out, and the page becomes the background.

2. Principle of Similarity:

We group similar things together. For example, if you see circles and squares together, you’ll group the circles and squares separately because they look alike.

3. Principle of Proximity:

Things that are near each other are seen as a group. For example, if dots are close to each other, we see them as forming a shape or line.

4. Principle of Continuity:

We prefer to see smooth, continuous patterns instead of broken or disconnected ones. For example, if two lines cross, we usually see them as two continuous lines rather than four short segments meeting at a point.

5. Principle of Closure:

Simplified: Even if a picture or shape is incomplete, our brain fills in the gaps to see it as whole. For example, if part of a shape is missing, we still see it as a complete shape.

6. Principle of Symmetry:

Symmetrical areas are perceived as figures against asymmetrical backgrounds. For example, we are more likely to see a symmetrical black shape as the figure and the white, asymmetrical area around it as the background.

7. Principle of Smallness:

Smaller areas tend to be seen as figures against larger backgrounds. For example, a small black shape within a larger white space will be seen as the figure, with the white space as the background.

8. Principle of Surroundedness:

If something is surrounded by other things, it will stand out as the main object.

These principles help us understand how we organize what we see into meaningful patterns, making sense of the world around us. For example, a shape surrounded by a larger area will stand out as the figure.

Perception of Space, Depth, and Distance

Space is the area where things exist and move. It is three-dimensional, allowing us to perceive size, shape, direction, and the distance between objects.
Although the images projected onto our retina are two-dimensional, we perceive them as three-dimensional. This ability is known as Depth Perception.
Depth perception is crucial in everyday life, such as when driving to judge the Distance of an oncoming car or calling out to someone on the street.

Perception of Motion

Motion Perception refers to the process of perceiving movement in the environment.
The Perception of Motion is influenced by different factors such as the movement of objects, the observer’s movement, and the environment.
Motion Parallax is one of the cues for perceiving motion, where objects closer to the observer move faster than those further away.

Perception: Monocular and Binocular Cues

Monocular Cues

Relative Size:

When objects move farther away, they appear smaller. If something looks small, we think it’s farther away. If it looks bigger, we think it’s closer.

Interposition (Overlapping):

When one object covers part of another, we see the covered object as farther away and the one doing the covering as closer.

Linear Perspective:

This happens when parallel lines, like train tracks, appear to come together as they get farther away. The more the lines seem to meet, the farther away they seem.

Aerial Perspective:

Distant objects often look hazy or blurry because of dust and moisture in the air. For example, mountains in the distance might look blue.

Light and Shade:

The way light hits an object can create shadows, making some parts of the object look closer and others farther away.

Texture Gradient:

As you look farther into the distance, surfaces appear smoother and finer. For example, a field of grass will look less detailed far away than up close.

Motion Parallax:

When you’re moving, objects closer to you seem to move faster than those farther away. This difference in speed helps your brain understand how far things are from you.

Binocular Cues

Binocular Cues are depth perception cues that require the use of both eyes. These cues help us understand how far away or close objects are in our environment. The two main binocular cues are:

Retinal Disparity:

Our eyes are about 6.5 centimeters apart, so each eye sees a slightly different view of the world. This difference in images between the two eyes is called retinal disparity.
The brain uses this difference to determine how close or far away an object is. If the images from both eyes are very different, the object is close. If the images are similar, the object is far away.

Convergence:

When we focus on an object that is close to us, our eyes turn inward, or converge. This movement is sensed by muscles in the eyes and sent to the brain.
The more our eyes converge, the closer the object appears. When the object is far away, our eyes do not need to turn inward as much.

Accommodation:

Your eye lens changes shape to focus on objects at different distances. When something is close, the lens becomes thicker, and when it’s far, the lens relaxes. This change in the lens helps your brain judge distance.

These binocular cues work together to help us perceive depth and distance in a three-dimensional space.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

What do you mean by Perception?
What does Your Perception Mean?
What is the Correct Definition of Perception?
What does having a Perception Mean?
What is Perception Example?
What is Perception in Psychology?
What is Called Perception?
What is the Types of Perception?
Perception in Psychology Examples.
Importance of Perception in Psychology.
What is Perception in Psychology Short Note?
What are the Four Types of Perception in Psychology?

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