Gregory's constructivist theory of perception

• Gregory stated that we perceive based on our past experiences.
• Nature


  We are born with our thoughts, feelings and behaviours. We perceive from what we are born with.
• Nurture


  The environment shapes our thoughts, feelings etc. We perceive based on what we experience.
• Interference.


  • A lot of what we perceive is incomplete
  • Our brain will 'fill in the gaps' through interference.
  • Uses information to make a guess about what we are seeing
• Visual cues


  • This helps the brain to make interferences.
  • Sometimes, the way we interpret things turns out wrong.
  • e.g, visual illusions
• Evaluation point 1

  • Strength- There is research to support Gregory.
  • Seagall found that people in non-western cultures don't fall for the muller-lyer illusion.
  • This shows our perception must be influenced by our experiences
• Evaluation point 2

  • Weakness- There is research which contradicts it.
  • Visual cliff experiment, babies did not crawl off.
  • This shows that elements of our perception must be innate.
  • Gregory believes we learn perception, which is proven wrong.
• Gregory sees sensation and perception as seperate processes.