Perception - Constructivist Theory

OUTLINE

This theory states that we construct our perception of the world not only based on what we see in front of us but also based on past experience. This supports top down processing and perceptual set

Top down processing - When perception is dominated by what we expect to see
Perceptual set - A tendency to perceive something in line with what you expect based n past experience

Numerous factors demonstrate the role of perceptual set in processing.

 - Expectations

• If you are looking for a friend in a crowd, you will easily see them as you expect to

- Motivation

• If you are hungry/thirsty, pictures of food/drink are likely to look brighter

CRITICISMS

1 - It ignores how people may perceive the world in a similar way despite individual differences

• This suggests that most information comes from our environment rather than our minds.

2 - It can't explain how a newborn baby perceives, as they don't have experience

• Studies have shown that newborns have some perceptual abilities early on
• At 2 months, some can recognize faces and complex patterns
• At 6 months, they will not crawl over an imaginary cliff despite limited environmental experience 

3 - Illusions disprove this theory

• If perception is about experience, then we should learn not to be fooled the second time

4 - It tends to ignore the fact that we are born to see and make sense of distance, movement,colour, and shape