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Sensation & Perception

Ψ. Sensation & Perception. Ψ. 1 - Introduction. First lecture:. Administrative part (Syllabus, etc.). Content part (Introduction to S&P). The staff:. David Bradley (Professor) Andy Clark (TA) Sammy Hong (TA) Pascal Wallisch (TA). The website. Usually: bradlinux.spc.uchicago.edu

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Sensation & Perception

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  1. Ψ Sensation & Perception

  2. Ψ 1 - Introduction

  3. First lecture: • Administrative part (Syllabus, etc.) • Content part (Introduction to S&P)

  4. The staff: • David Bradley (Professor) • Andy Clark (TA) • Sammy Hong (TA) • Pascal Wallisch (TA)

  5. The website • Usually: bradlinux.spc.uchicago.edu • But we got hacked… • For now: www.lascap.de English  Classes  S&P Fall 2004

  6. Exams and Grading • 2 Midterms (counting for 30% each) • 1 Final (counting for 40%) • No homeworks • Exams are short written answers & MC

  7. Readings • Textbook: Goldstein, Sensation & Perception, 6th edition. • Readings for every class (except this one). • Textbooks are late. So there are no readings for wednesday either. • Why do the reading?

  8. The Discussion Section • There is an additional Discussion section. • Participation is mandatory for graduate students, strictly optional for undergraduates. • Recommended only for advanced undergraduate students with a very strong interest in the subject matter. • We will read, analyze, discuss and present classic and current papers in S&P. • Please stay after class if you are a grad student or an interested undergrad student to schedule it.

  9. The Syllabus • Click me

  10. Anything else?

  11. CONTENT

  12. Why study Sensation & Perception? • Isn’t the immediate sensory experience the most natural thing of all? • Don’t we completely take it for granted? • Isn’t looking around and seeing things absolutely trivial and effortless? • Is it an intelligent, cognitive act at all? • What’s wrong with this picture?

  13. But what about this? • We are excited about “high” cognitive performances like playing chess or proving mathematical theorems, but this has been very well reproduced with AI. • Yet, all efforts to create computers that perceive the world as quickly and accurately as we do have failed utterly. • And it’s not been for a lack of trying…

  14. A paradox?

  15. Actually, no • From our current understanding, while perception is in fact a highly complicated affair, it appears so effortless to us, because large numbers of brain structures are devoted to perceptual processing. (>50%) • Since most of this processing occurs unconsciously (we “see” only the final product), it appears to be effortless.

  16. Perceptual processing in the brain

  17. What to take from this? • Sensation and Perception is the study of how the brain brings about our perceptions. • More specifically, it is concerned with • The question which computations occur in which brain areas. • Uncovering, which assumptions the brain makes in order to simplify the task of perception ((re)-constructing biologically relevant aspects of the external world) .

  18. Some claims and demonstrations...

  19. Claim 1: • There is not always an isomorphic relationship between objects and qualities in the external world and perceived qualities. • One of many examples: The Motion Aftereffect.

  20. The motion aftereffect

  21. Claim 2: • Our perception is a (re)construction of the external world, with an emphasis on construction. • In this construction, the brain makes many assumptions about the structure of the world. • One of many examples: Shepards tables

  22. Shepards tables

  23. Claim 3 • In order to reconstruct the external world, the brain makes decisions, sometimes arbitrary decisions about the structure of the stimulus. • Many examples: Necker’s cube, Rubin’s vase, Bistable Spheres.

  24. Necker cube, Rubins vase Structure from motion

  25. Claim 4: • There is an interaction between Perception and Action. • Even brain areas that are not solely devoted to Perception influence perception. • One of many examples: Eyemovements.

  26. Conclusions • Perception can’t be taken for granted. It’s the endresult of massive computations that we can’t yet reproduce with AI. • Sensation and Perception is currently one of the most intriguing and rewarding fields within Psychology. • Taking this class seriously might literally change your outlook on life. Or at least your outlook on the outlook…

  27. Next time: • Basic methods to study Sensation and Perception. • Presented by Andy.

  28. Thank you!

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