Selectivity+of+perception



=What we notice depends on a number of factors. We tend to //notice and group information based on what we are interested// in or //what is important// and push everything else to the background. Our emotions can also "color" what we perceive or direct our attentions. Our culture, personal and professional knowledge and beliefs can also determine what we see and what we don't see. (see Van de Lagemaat p.p. 91-92)=

=__Exercise__= ==We are all very familiar with a one Lira coin and also with a one Euro coin. Without looking at an example, quickly draw both sides of a one Turkish Lira coin and one side of a Euro coin (the one that is the same everywhere or include a variant). Click on the chart to check your drawing. Where were you accurate? What did you include? What did you leave out? Why might your memory and perception be selective?== media type="file" key="selective mem coin.mov" width="420" height="420" align="center"

==We see these coins in our daily lives but do we really notice all the details or just what is most important? Examples of people misinterpreting, failing to notice, or misremembering what they believe they perceive, abound.== = = =__Change Blindness__=

==This is not so surprising when we look at the extent to which people miss change that occurs. The video below dramatically illustrates [|change blindness].== media type="youtube" key="38XO7ac9eSs" height="315" width="420"

The video below demonstrates how people sometimes notice very few details that we would expect to be easy to recall.
media type="youtube" key="7JlzeUh5rts" height="315" width="560"

==Do you think that you would do better? Perhaps if you were consciously trying to be attentive you would do better. Consider the implications of people's generally poor ability to accurately recall details, to the high regard courts of law hold eye-witness testimony: [|Can you spot the murderer?]==

=__Influence of emotion?__=

The article I discuss: [|Music affects the perception of wine]
= Appearance or Reality? =

Reasons for caution are:
= Three Confirmation Tests = Source: Richard van de Lagemaat text p. 96
 * ==misinterpretation==
 * ==failure to notice something==
 * ==misremembering==
 * ==selective Interpretation==
 * ==knowledge our senses have limits==
 * ==Confirmation by another sense-touching is believing==
 * ==coherence-something fits in with our overall experience==
 * ==Independent testimony-other witnesses see the same thing==

= Discussion Posting =
 * 1) Write a thoughtful response (around 250-300 words) to one of the prompts below in your class discussion page in the toolbar on the left.
 * 2) Comment on at least two other responses. One of your comments must be to a response without any comments. Make this something more substantial than, "Great Response!"


 * To what extent do you think that culture you come from affects the way you see the world?
 * In what emotional state do you think we see the world with the greatest clarity and objectivity?

Homework reading: van de Lagemaat p.p. 91-96