Gregory

• Theory

  We use past experiences to make sense of the world around us
• Perception is a construction

  The brain uses incoming sensory information plus information that we already know about the world 
• Inference

  The brain uses sensory information that is available then files in the gaps

  Past experience means we infer what should be there and draw a conclusion
• Visual cues

  When making inferences, features of the environment (visual cues) give the brain information about depth, distance, etc

  Visual illusions occur because the brain had drawn the wrong conclusion from these cues
• Past experiences

  Perception depends on experience

  For example, learning ti see a chair as a chair
• Evaluation

  Supporting research- other research shows that there are differences in the way things are perceived in different cultures, suggesting it is learnt

  Visual illusions- Uses illusions to support his theory, they are deliberately designed to trick us, not applicable to real world

  Cannot explain how perception gets started- Babies have some oerceptual abilities at birth, not all a result of experience