Old or Young Lady?

Saxophone player or woman’s face?

Duck or rabbit?

Sensation and Perception Watch the following episode of: Discovering Psychology

Factors that Influence Perception Do external stimuli alone determine perception? –it is assumed that emotional and motivational states also determine perception –This is often referred to as the perceptual set. Tendency to perceive or notice some aspects of the available sense data and ignore others

Factors that Influence Perception There are certain factors that influence perception and create perceptual sets –Influence of Motivation The extent of our motivation will affect the speed and way in which we perceive the world Bruner & Goodman (1947) Solley & Haigh (1948) Both studies suggest that motivation influenced the child’s perception

Factors that Influence Perception Influence of Expectation –What we see is influenced by what we expect to see Expectation is useful because it allows the perceiver to focus their attention on particular aspects of incoming sensory stimulation and helps to know how to deal with the selected data –How to classify it, understand it, and name it Minturn & Bruner (1951) –See next slide

Factors that Influence Perception E D C I3 A I3 12 The context changed and it affected your perception due to expectation.

Factors that Influence Perception Influence of Emotion –Our emotional state will affect the way we perceive Perceptual defence (McGinnies 1949) –Refers to the effects of emotion on perception