Constructivist theories focus on the ways people create meaningful understandings of the world (Raskin, & Bridges, 2002) and not just the direct registration of physical energy into our senses. It is a top-down process, which means that previously acquired knowledge, beliefs and expectations influence the way you perceive things. According to Eysenck and Keane (1995), because perception is influenced by individual factors, errors are made which may lead to inaccurate perceptions.
As an example, take a look at this photo:
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It’s brown, creamy, and it’s spread on bread. What do you think it is?
If you guessed Nutella, Crumpy, or even Coconut Jam -- well, you’re absolutely... wrong. That right there is vegemite.
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Vegemite is an Australian-spread made of brewers’ yeast extract (by-product of beer production), wheat, vegetables, and spices. It tastes incredibly salty, and vaguely like beef.
Here in the Philippines, and Asia in general, Vegemite isn’t very popular -- when we see brown creamy palaman on toast, we think of sweet pastes like Nutella, Crumpy, and Coconut Jam, because that’s what our experience tells us. Top-down processing and the constructivist theory work in the same way: if you see something unfamiliar, your mind builds a taste, a picture, a scent -- from what is familiar, and assumes it even before you experience the sensation.
Ecological Theory
The Ecological Theory of Perception was proposed by a psychologist named James Gibson. It is based on four basic principles. The first one states that stimulus can be properly described in terms of the optic array. The second states that movement of observer creates the important information for perception. The other two principles are invariant information is the key element of the optic array and invariant information leads to direct perception of the stimulus, together with its meaning.
So what does this all mean? Gibson's theory or approach to perception states that light enters the visual system as an optic array that is rich in highly complex information (Hermes, n.d.). For example, you walk into a kitchen. By moving around the kitchen (the environment) the flow of information over the senses - the sight of apples in the pantry, the smell of cinnamon, etc - is the essential source of information. When you walk in the kitchen, you scan the environment in the course of perceiving. Gibson's Ecological Approach simply states that the observer (you) and the environment (the kitchen) are inseparable.
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Information Processing Theory
The Information Processing Theory is used to explain and describe mental processes, likening the brain to a computer.
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Like the computer receiving information from the keyboard, the brain receives information from the sensory register which is composed of the different sensory organs (i.e. eyes, nose, etc.). This information is then processed by the working memory a.k.a. short term memory where it could be used, discarded (or forgotten) or transferred to the long term memory where all the information not being used at the moment is held (which is the computer hard drive).
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Let’s say you’re craving cookies, and you’re too lazy to go out and buy. So you decide to bake a batch instead. You go through hundreds of recipes and have to decide on one. Your brain receives information from your eyes and your short term memory processes what you see so you can understand what you’re reading and help you choose which recipe you’re going to use. Once you’ve found it, you write it down, and through rehearsal (repeating the recipe in your head over and over again), this information will be transferred to your long term memory. Because this information is stored in your long term memory, this recipe will be available for retrieval even after days (or months) have passed since you last accessed it.
References:
Goldstein, E. B. (2010). Sensation and perception (8th ed). Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.
Hermes, D.J. (n.d.). Ecological psychology: General. Retrieved from http://home.tm.tue.nl/dhermes/lectures/SoundPerception/09EcologicalPsychology1.html
Raskin, J. D., & Bridges, S. K. (2002). Studies in meaning: Exploring constructivist psychology. Retrieved from http://www.constructivistpsych.org/sim1
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