Perception

1. Introduction
Perception is the process through which the information from outside environment is selected,
received, organized and interpreted to make it meaningful to you. This input of meaningful information
results in decisions and actions.

2. Definition:
Perception is the selection, organization, and interpretation of sensory information in order to
represent and understand the presented information or environment or conscious experience.
Perception refers to the process by which the brain arrives at a meaningful interpretation of basic
sensations
3. Nature of perception:
Perception is a complex process through which individuals interpret and make sense of sensory
information from the external world. It involves the brain's ability to organize and interpret sensory
input, such as sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell, to create a meaningful and coherent understanding
of the environment.
Here are some key aspects of the nature of perception:
a) Sensory Input: Perception begins with sensory input, which is information gathered through our
senses. These include vision, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. Each sense provides unique
information about the surrounding environment.
b) Selection: Not all sensory information is processed equally. The brain selectively focuses on
certain stimuli while filtering out others. This selective attention is influenced by factors such as
relevance, intensity, and individual interests.
c) Organization: Once sensory input is received, the brain organizes and interprets it. This process
involves grouping and structuring information to create a coherent perceptual experience.
Gestalt principles, such as proximity, similarity, and closure, play a role in how stimuli are
organized.

d) Interpretation: Perception involves the interpretation of sensory information based on existing

knowledge, experiences, and expectations. Past experiences and cultural influences can shape
how individuals perceive and make sense of the world around them.
 Gestalt Concept of Perception:
1. Introduction

The Gestalt concept of perception is a psychological framework that focuses on how individuals
organize and interpret sensory information into meaningful wholes. The term "Gestalt" is German for
"form" or "shape," and the Gestalt psychologists emphasized the idea that the whole is different from
the sum of its parts. This approach emerged in the early 20th century as a reaction to reductionist
approaches that analyzed mental processes by breaking them down into isolated components.

2. Gestalt’s principles
There are several gestalt principles that help us understand how we perceive and make sense of
visual information. These principles are fundamental in psychology and design, as they explain how our
brains naturally organize and interpret the world around us.
Some of gestalt’s principles are given below,

a) Law of closure:
The Law of Closure is a gestalt psychology principle that describes how our minds tend to
understand incomplete or open shapes as complete and whole. In other words,
when presented with a series of elements that form an incomplete figure, our brain automatically fills in
the missing parts to create a meaningful and recognizable image. This principle is closely related to the
human tendency to seek order and completeness in the things we perceive.
i) example:
In this case, you likely perceive the two incomplete triangles as a larger, complete triangle. This
is because the Law of Closure helps you see the whole shape even when parts of it are missing.

b) Law of Similarity:
The Law of Similarity is a principle in psychology and cognitive science that suggests that people
tend to understand and group together elements that are similar to each other. This principle is a part of
the Gestalt psychology framework, which seeks to understand how people perceive and organize
information in their environment.
The Law of Similarity is often summarized with the phrase "similar things tend to be grouped together."
When individuals watch a set of objects, elements, or stimuli, they tend to group or categorize those
that share common characteristics. These characteristics may be related to color, shape, size, texture,
orientation, or any other perceptual quality.
example,
if you see a group of circles and squares, and the circles are all red while the squares are all blue, the
mind would shall make categorization on base of their color and shape. It simplifies the process of
perception and allows us to quickly and efficiently make sense of our surroundings.
 c) Figure/Ground:
This law describes the way in which our brains distinguish between the main object of focus (the
"figure") and the background against which it is seen (the "ground"). This differentiation is critical for our
ability to make sense of the visual world.
Figure and Ground Reversal: Our perception can switch between the figure and ground. What was
initially perceived as the figure can suddenly be seen as the ground, and vice versa. This shift can occur
based on changes in context, lighting, or attention.

d) Law of Proximity:
This law suggests that when people observe a group of objects or elements, they tend to
perceive objects that are close to each other as forming a unified or related group. ] In other words, if
you have a collection of elements or objects, the ones that are located near each other are more likely
to be perceived as belonging together or as part of the same pattern. This principle highlights the
importance of spatial relationships in our perception of the world.

Factors affecting Perception:

Following are the factors affecting perception.
1. Subjective Factors/Personal Factors:
Sometimes perception is determined not only by the physical characteristics of the stimulus but by
the characteristics of the perceiver.
 a) Attitudes
A perceiver attitude towards the stimulus plays vital role in the perception regarding that particular
stimulus. The perceiver might have a +ve or –ve attitude towards an object, a person, or a situation.
E.g. if you attend an overcrowded class, and two more students are enrolled in that class. Then based on
people's attitudes, people will perceive the same situation differently. Some might like it but others
don’t
b) Needs or motives:
A person’s motives or needs influence his perception of the world around him. The things are perceived
quickly when matched with the motives of the person and match his need.
E.g. a person starving for 4-5 hours will be quickly perceive food stimuli because he was hungry.
c) Interests and values:
Interest and values play important role in perception. Individuals are more likely to perceive things in
which they have an interest.
Example; A professor of Botany and a Psychologist went to a park. Both of them attended quite
different aspects of the stimuli involved. The botany professor may attend to the particular flowers
found in the pool, but the Psychologist attends people in the park.
d) Past experiences
Past experiences helps to perceive about a stimulus quickly in daily life we often interact with same
stimulus, these stimuli can be understood easily because Past experiences helps to perceive about a
stimulus quickly
e) Age:
Age is an important factor in perceiving regarding a stimulus, an infant may not perceive quickly
regarding a stimulus but an elder person may perceive quickly.
Example; elder may perceive quickly about a bad scenario coming forth as compare to teenagers
f) Social and Cultural Factors:
Social and cultural factors are important factors of perceiving, one’s culture and social factor may make
hurdle in perceiving a stimulus. Because we behave according to our society and our cultural norms.
 2) Objective Factors/Stimulus Factors:
In certain instances, perception may be determined primarily by the stimulus involved. Some of the
objective factors are as under:

a) Intensity:
Intensity plays an important role in perceiving regarding a stimulus. For instance, if the sound is
louder, the more likely a person is to perceive it.
The brighter light, the more likely it is to be in the focus of perception.
b) Size:
Size does matter in case of perceiving, a person may perceive full page advertisement better as
compared half-column one or an advertisement that is in relatively larger sizes, which shows the effect
of size on perception.
c) Motion:
Moving objects are more likely to catch attention than non-moving objects.
For example, the birds that are sitting quietly on trees are not quickly perceived as compared to the
ones that are about to fly.
d) Novelty:
The word novelty refers to something new, so anything that is new and novel is perceived sooner
than the old and used thing.
e) Repetition:
Repeated stimuli are attended more likely than others. TV ads use this technique to catch the
attention of people
f) Contrast:
The extent to which one stimulus is physically different from other stimuli around it. Example; a men
wearing black suit in a crowd who are all wearing white can be perceived easily
g) Duration:
stimuli presented for longer periods are more likely to be perceived
h) Abrupt Change:
Anything that happens all of a sudden is perceived very easily than the one happening slowly.
Example; a fast car moving by may be perceived quickly as compare to a slowly moving old lady,
 Kind of Perception:

1. Spatial perception: Spatial perception is a kind of perception in which the perceiver relates the
different things in the environment and make a perception in his mind regarding the
environment. In other words, the perceiver makes a mental map in your head to figure out
where things are around you.
example: a person in an unknown place may collect signals from surrounding in his mind to
make a map and may perceive that where I am.
2. movement perception: Movement perception is a type of perception in which the perceiver
makes a collection of things that are moving compare to the stimulus from thigs that are on rest
position, the person compare these two perceptions and perceive that the thing is moving or
not.
example: a person shall look at a kid running in park and also the static things in the
background at last he may make perception that the kid is moving
3. Time perception: Time perception is a kid of perception in which feels the passage of time.
example, a person in hurry to a job interview may quickly perceive about the passage of time if
he is late and the taxi is stuck in traffic jam.
4. perceptual constancy: Perceptual constancy is the brain's ability to see an object as the same,
even when it looks different due to changes in lighting, distance, or angle. It helps us recognize
things consistently, even though the way they appear can vary.
Example; a person shall perceive quickly regarding a door’s handle even in dark as compared to
a 4 years old kid
5. Perceptual Vigilance: Perceptual vigilance is like noticing something more when you're thinking
about it. It's when you pay extra attention to things that are on your mind.
example, a person who likes red color may quickly notice what type of red shad the car is which
he is going to buy.
6. Temporal perception: Temporal perception, or the perception of time refers to how individuals
perceive and experience the passage of time. This perception plays a significant role in various
cognitive processes, behavior, and overall awareness.
Example; a person may perceive passage of time if he is waiting for his favorite tv show
7. Hearing, or auditory perception: Hearing, or auditory perception, is the ability to sense and
understand sounds with your ears. It's how we listen to and make sense of the world around us
through the sounds we hear.
Example; a person listening to a native language song may easily connect the music with the
lyrics and make a whole perception of song, but on other hand a person listening to nonnative
language song may not easily connect the music with the lyrics, and may not be able to make a
whole perception of song

Illusions

Illusion in perception is when your brain sees something that isn't really there or sees something
differently from how it actually is. It's like a little trick your brain plays on you.

Here's a simple example: Have you ever looked at a straw in a glass of water and noticed how it seems
to bend or break? Well, the straw isn't really bending or breaking. It's just the way light moves through
the water that makes it look that way. Your brain interprets this as an illusion.