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EnglandPsychology

3.2 Perception

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do we perceive depth and distance using visual cues?

Depth cues in perception: monocular cues (height in plane, relative size, occlusion, linear perspective) and binocular cues (retinal disparity, convergence).
A focused answer to AQA GCSE Psychology 3.2, covering depth cues in perception, the monocular cues (height in plane, relative size, occlusion and linear perspective) and the binocular cues (retinal disparity and convergence).
8 min answer →

How do Gibson's and Gregory's theories explain perception differently?

Theories of perception: Gibson's direct (bottom-up) theory and Gregory's constructivist (top-down) theory, including the role of inference, expectation and the environment.
A focused answer to AQA GCSE Psychology 3.2, comparing Gibson's direct (bottom-up) theory of perception with Gregory's constructivist (top-down) theory, including the role of inference, expectation and the environment.
9 min answer →

What is the difference between sensation and perception?

The difference between sensation and perception: sensation as raw data from the senses and perception as the brain's interpretation of that data.
A focused answer to AQA GCSE Psychology 3.2, explaining the difference between sensation (the raw data picked up by the senses) and perception (the brain's organisation and interpretation of that data).
7 min answer →

Why do visual illusions trick the brain into seeing things wrongly?

Visual illusions and their explanations: ambiguity, misinterpreted depth cues, fiction and size constancy, using examples such as the Muller-Lyer, the Ponzo, the Ames room and the rotating snakes.
A focused answer to AQA GCSE Psychology 3.2, covering visual illusions and their explanations (ambiguity, misinterpreted depth cues, fiction and size constancy) using examples such as the Muller-Lyer, the Ponzo, the Ames room and the rotating snakes.
8 min answer →