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Perceptual set
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Perceptual set is a readiness to perceive things in a certain way. It means two people can see the same thing differently. Four factors affect it.
Motivation and expectation
Motivation: our needs and wants affect what we notice. Gilchrist and Nesberg (1952) found that hungry participants rated pictures of food as brighter than people who had eaten.
Expectation: we see what we expect to see. In Bruner and Minturn (1955), an ambiguous figure was seen as the letter B when shown among letters and as the number 13 when shown among numbers. Context created the expectation.
Expectation: we see what we expect to see. In Bruner and Minturn (1955), an ambiguous figure was seen as the letter B when shown among letters and as the number 13 when shown among numbers. Context created the expectation.
Emotion and culture
Emotion: how we feel affects perception. McGinnies (1949) found people took longer to recognise rude or upsetting words than neutral ones, suggesting we may block threatening information (perceptual defence).
Culture: where we grow up affects how we perceive. Turnbull (1961) described a BaMbuti man who had lived in a dense forest and never seen far into the distance; on open plains he thought distant buffalo were insects, as he lacked size constancy for far-off objects. People from different cultures can also interpret depth cues in pictures differently.
Culture: where we grow up affects how we perceive. Turnbull (1961) described a BaMbuti man who had lived in a dense forest and never seen far into the distance; on open plains he thought distant buffalo were insects, as he lacked size constancy for far-off objects. People from different cultures can also interpret depth cues in pictures differently.
Linking to theory
Perceptual set supports Gregory's top-down theory: what we know, feel and expect shapes perception.
It challenges Gibson's direct theory, which cannot explain why the same input is seen differently.
Carmichael et al (1932) is another example: labels created an expectation that changed how people remembered shapes.
It challenges Gibson's direct theory, which cannot explain why the same input is seen differently.
Carmichael et al (1932) is another example: labels created an expectation that changed how people remembered shapes.
A football fan sees a tackle by their own team as fair, while a fan of the other team sees a foul. Which factor of perceptual set is most involved?
- Each fan wants their own team to win.
- Their desire (motivation) and feelings (emotion) affect how they perceive the same tackle.
Answer: Motivation (with emotion): their wishes shape what they perceive.
Perceptual set is a readiness to perceive in a particular way. It is affected by motivation (hungry people see food as brighter), expectation (B or 13), emotion (slower to see upsetting words) and culture (Turnbull's distant buffalo). It supports Gregory's top-down theory.
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