Alva Noë: The Puzzle of Perception

TL;DR

Our perception goes beyond what is visible and can be influenced by our experiences and interpretations.

Transcript

Consider this. We are conscious of both more and less than affects our nervous system. Let me give you an example. I look at a tomato. It's sitting there on the counter in front of me. It's red and bulgy and three dimensional and I experience all that. I experience all that visually. I have a sense even visually of the back of the tomato, not that ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🫥 Our perception includes elements that are not directly visible, influenced by our experiences and interpretations.
• 💱 Change blindness demonstrates our limited ability to notice changes in our visual field.
• 💁 Detailed internal representations are not necessary for our perception, as we can gather information as needed by moving and redirecting our attention.

Questions & Answers

Q: How can our visual experience include details that are not directly visible?

Our visual experience is not solely determined by the stimulation of our nervous system. We can perceive the back of a tomato or offensive graffiti, even if they are not directly visible, as our perception is influenced by our experiences and interpretations.

Q: What is change blindness?

Change blindness refers to our inability to notice changes in our visual field, even when they occur right in front of us. Psychologists have conducted experiments that demonstrate our tendency to miss changes, highlighting the limitations of our perception.

Q: Can you give an example of change blindness?

Imagine you are looking at a plate of French fries, and someone distracts you for a moment. During this distraction, someone takes one of the fries from the plate. When you turn back, there's a good chance you won't notice that anything is missing. This example showcases how we lack a detailed internal representation and can fail to detect changes in our visual environment.

Q: What does this suggest about our perception?

These phenomena indicate that our perception is not solely determined by what is happening inside us. Instead, our ability to access and understand the information around us plays a significant role in shaping our perception of the world.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Our visual experience of objects can include details that are not directly visible, such as the back of a tomato or offensive graffiti.

• Psychologists have conducted experiments that show our tendency to miss changes in our visual field, known as change blindness.

• Our perception is not solely determined by what is happening inside us, but also by our ability to access and interpret the information around us.