Perception Theory

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how the issue of perception in various fields, including philosophy and psychology has been debated with vigor over the last fifty years. In order to consider the theory of perception , it evaluates Gibson's ecological approach which believes there is no mediation from the mind between the object of perception and the perception event itself. The function of perception is thus one of adaptation and therefore the purpose of perception is then to adapt the organism to its environment. In contrast it compares this theory to Marr's computational theory in which perception is seen from the neuropsychological level. Marr in fact compares the human visual system to a computer system. It analyzes how the computational theory appears to oppose the environmental theory in its paradigm that the mind mediates all that is perceived.

From the Paper:

"In contrast to Gibson, Marr studies the deep recesses of the body in order to come to a conclusion about perception. This is a very scientific approach, whereas Gibson relied on data gathered from observers and from himself in a more philosophical paradigm. For Marr then a thorough study going beyond the anatomy and physiology of the retinal ganglion cells and lateral geniculate neurons is essential in order to understand the reasons for their receptive fields. Furthermore the connections and interactions of these cells are useful in understanding their behavior. However in order to understand the reasons for the nature of the receptive fields, it is necessary to study the phenomena of differential operators, band-pass channels, and the mathematics of the uncertainty principle."

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