History & Systems of Psychology Notes
CHAPTER 6 continued…
Kant’s Dualism * Noumenal World * Things as they are * We cannot experience this directly * Phenomenal World * Things as they are experience/perceived. * Mental representations of the noumenal world
Perceptual Theory 1. Objects in the world 2. Sensations (secondary qualities, simple ideas) 3. Structuring by the mind 4. Perception, and Knowledge of universals/abstracts
Space Perception * Kantian problem of Space Perception:
Lotze’s Theory of Space Perception * Local sign: sensory address or location of stimulation on the body (tactile/touch sensation) * Movement (active touch) produces change in local sign * Idea of spatial location is thus derived * Empirical View, with a rationalist concept:
Haptic Theory of Space Perception
Helmholtz’s Theory of Perception * Fusion of Kant and Berkeley/Lotze’s ideas * Structure must be imposed on the meaningless sensations * Sensations are “raw elements” of conscious experience * Prior perceptual experience provides the structure * Helmholtz = strict empiricist * Unconscious Inference * Meaning of the current set of sensations is inferred based on prior experience * The linear image of the railroad track = we have a 3d perception of the depth * You may have 2d or 3d interpretation of the world * Past experience gives you this information says Helmholtz
Unconscious Inference 1. Railroad tracks to be perceived 2. Meaningless sensations = ambiguous uninterpreted retinal image 3. A) Recall prior experience with this “scene”
B) “Figure out” the current scene – unconsciously
4. Obtain a conscious perception of what you are looking at
Example – Muller-Lyer Illusion
Evidence for the role of experience * Rare cases of individual born with visual defect, and later corrected… * Kittens raised in controlled visual environments *
Kant’s Dualism * Noumenal World * Things as they are * We cannot experience this directly * Phenomenal World * Things as they are experience/perceived. * Mental representations of the noumenal world
Perceptual Theory 1. Objects in the world 2. Sensations (secondary qualities, simple ideas) 3. Structuring by the mind 4. Perception, and Knowledge of universals/abstracts
Space Perception * Kantian problem of Space Perception:
Lotze’s Theory of Space Perception * Local sign: sensory address or location of stimulation on the body (tactile/touch sensation) * Movement (active touch) produces change in local sign * Idea of spatial location is thus derived * Empirical View, with a rationalist concept:
Haptic Theory of Space Perception
Helmholtz’s Theory of Perception * Fusion of Kant and Berkeley/Lotze’s ideas * Structure must be imposed on the meaningless sensations * Sensations are “raw elements” of conscious experience * Prior perceptual experience provides the structure * Helmholtz = strict empiricist * Unconscious Inference * Meaning of the current set of sensations is inferred based on prior experience * The linear image of the railroad track = we have a 3d perception of the depth * You may have 2d or 3d interpretation of the world * Past experience gives you this information says Helmholtz
Unconscious Inference 1. Railroad tracks to be perceived 2. Meaningless sensations = ambiguous uninterpreted retinal image 3. A) Recall prior experience with this “scene”
B) “Figure out” the current scene – unconsciously
4. Obtain a conscious perception of what you are looking at
Example – Muller-Lyer Illusion
Evidence for the role of experience * Rare cases of individual born with visual defect, and later corrected… * Kittens raised in controlled visual environments *