{"id":52,"date":"2016-02-04T15:59:46","date_gmt":"2016-02-04T20:59:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/purpleperils\/?page_id=52"},"modified":"2016-02-04T16:07:13","modified_gmt":"2016-02-04T21:07:13","slug":"theoretical-issues-and-controversies-in-the-field-of-perception","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/purpleperils\/1962-1964\/theoretical-issues-and-controversies-in-the-field-of-perception\/","title":{"rendered":"Theoretical Issues and Controversies in the Field of Perception"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>January 1962<\/p>\n<h3>Theoretical Issues and Controversies in the Field of Perception<\/h3>\n<p>J. J. Gibson, Cornell University<\/p>\n<h5>The World Wide Web distribution of James Gibson&#8217;s &#8220;Purple Perils&#8221; is for scholarly use with the understanding that Gibson did not intend them for publication. References to these essays must cite them explicitly as unpublished manuscripts. Copies may be circulated if this statement is included on each copy.<\/h5>\n<p><strong>Space and Form Perception<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1. Is the third dimension <strong>lost<\/strong> in optical stimulation (Berkeley, Helmholtz, Brunswik) or is it <strong>specified<\/strong> therein (multiple gradient theory)?<br \/>\n2. Are the distal stimuli of the world to be taken for granted in theories of perception (realism) or are they to be <strong>explained<\/strong> by theories of perception (Cantril, Ittelson)? Can objects, in fact, be specified by their stimuli or not (Ames demonstrations)?<br \/>\n3. Are perspective impressions <strong>relevant<\/strong> to a theory of space perception or irrelevant? (Boring-Gibson controversy, <i>Psych. Rev., 59<\/i>, 1952). Also, what is &#8220;invariant&#8221; in perception?<br \/>\n4. What <strong>is<\/strong> the stimulus for an optical system? Ray-optics (textbooks) vs. ecological optics (paper in <i>Vision Research, 1<\/i>, 1961).<br \/>\n5. What is fundamental for the &#8220;organization&#8221; of visual perception? Figure &#8211; ground hypothesis (Koffa, <i>Principles<\/i>) vs. the structure &#8211; of &#8211; light hypothesis (Gibson, What is a form?, <i>Psych. Rev., 58<\/i>, 1951, and other references).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Physiological Basis for Perception<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>6. Field &#8211; theory (K\u00f6hler) <strong>vs<\/strong>. neuron theory (various references, including Hebb).<br \/>\n7. Are visual aftereffects always <strong>figural<\/strong> (K\u00f6hler and Wallach) or are they often <strong>negative<\/strong> (Ivo Kohler, Gibson)?<br \/>\n8. Is sense &#8211; perception an active process of <strong>search<\/strong> or a passive process of <strong>registration<\/strong>? (references to be supplied). What is <strong>active<\/strong> and what is <strong>passive<\/strong>? What are the &#8220;potential stimuli&#8221; for the senses?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Perception and Learning<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>9. Does association play an <strong>essential<\/strong> or a <strong>secondary<\/strong> role in perception? Enrichment <strong>vs<\/strong>. differentiation (Postman-Gibson controversy, <i>Psych. Rev., 62<\/i>, 1955).<br \/>\n10. Is perception based on sensation? if so, what is the process? If not, what is the use of sensation? (For the resolution of this dilemma, consider whether there exist sensationless perceptions. Also, whether perception can occur without sensory excitation.)<br \/>\n11. Does perception develop by the <strong>intellectualization<\/strong> of original experience (Piaget) or by the evolution of primitive differences into <strong>elaborate<\/strong> and <strong>subtle<\/strong> differences? (Various theorists).<br \/>\n12. If perception depends on the traces of past experience, where is the dividing line between perceiving and remembering? (Wallach <strong>vs<\/strong>. Gibson on motion perception. Trace memory <strong>vs<\/strong>. transformation theory. Cf. also Wm. James on perception and memory).<\/p>\n<p><strong>General Issues<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>13. Do optical illusions <strong>embody<\/strong> laws of perception, or result merely from conflicting stimulus information? (Wertheimer, K\u00f6hler, Koffka <strong>vs<\/strong>. theory of &#8220;informative&#8221; stimuli).<br \/>\n14. Is meaning <strong>acquired<\/strong> or <strong>registered<\/strong>? Theories of association, memory, attitude or conditioning (Hume, Pavlov, Osgood, etc.) <strong>vs<\/strong>. a theory of direct apprehension (Michotte, Gibson, and others). Cf. the concept of &#8220;raw stimuli&#8221; in Woodworth, <i>Dynamics<\/i>).<br \/>\n15. If the senses convey information do they carry it directly or only in &#8220;coded&#8221; form? (Application of the mathematical theory of communication to the senses).<br \/>\n16. Continuity <strong>vs<\/strong>. discontinuity theory of discrimination. Insight theory vs. association theory of problem-solving.<br \/>\n17. Do animals respond to <strong>relative<\/strong> or to <strong>absolute<\/strong> stimuli? The &#8220;transposition&#8221; controversy. Are stimuli punctate <strong>entities<\/strong> (Spence) or <strong>relations<\/strong>? May one infer perception of a <strong>difference<\/strong> without evidence that the animal can respond separately to the objects that differ?<br \/>\n18. The Gottschaldt controversy. Sensory organization vs. past experience as the explanation of perception.<br \/>\n19. The &#8220;nativism&#8221; controversy. Do &#8220;releasers&#8221; or &#8220;innate perception inlets&#8221; exist with infants or animals?<br \/>\n20. How can perceptual learning involve at once a <strong>reduction<\/strong> of stimulation &#8211; generalization, and an <strong>increase<\/strong> in the &#8220;generalization&#8221; of stimulus? Do <strong>particularization<\/strong> and <strong>abstraction<\/strong> go together in development; if so how?<br \/>\n21. Do we learn by adjusting to probabilities or uncertain contingencies (Skinner, et al.) or by insight for the laws of the natural environment, and the &#8220;ecological validity&#8221; of cues?<br \/>\n22. Graham <strong>vs<\/strong>. Garner. Is perception merely a special form of behavior, or not? Also, does perception necessarily <strong>mediate<\/strong> behavior or not?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>January 1962 Theoretical Issues and Controversies in the Field of Perception J. J. Gibson, Cornell University The World Wide Web distribution of James Gibson&#8217;s &#8220;Purple Perils&#8221; is for scholarly use with the understanding that Gibson did not intend them for publication. References to these essays must cite them explicitly as unpublished manuscripts. Copies may be &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/purpleperils\/1962-1964\/theoretical-issues-and-controversies-in-the-field-of-perception\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Theoretical Issues and Controversies in the Field of Perception&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1001,"featured_media":0,"parent":16,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/purpleperils\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/52"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/purpleperils\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/purpleperils\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/purpleperils\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1001"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/purpleperils\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/purpleperils\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/52\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59,"href":"http:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/purpleperils\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/52\/revisions\/59"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/purpleperils\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/purpleperils\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}