Theories of Visual Perception - Hardcover

Gordon, Ian E.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0471921955 ISBN 13: 9780471921950

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, 1989

Synopsis

This study, which explains theorizing in perception, pays particular attention to vision. Describing three pieces of research work which have won the Nobel Prize, the text observes perception at work in daily life and explains how readers can be trained to increase their awareness. Subjects covered include the three-factor and opponent-process theories of colour and vision, neural processes in the retina, the Gestalt theory, ecological optics and the computational theory of vision. Although the text has been aimed primarily at undergraduate psychology students, it has been written in a straightforward manner which should also be of benefit to students in related disciplines, such as philosophy and physiology.

About this title

Review

'What to include in a review of theories of visual perception is always a challenging decision... Ian Gordon makes the wise and interesting decision to discuss a few prominent theories in depth, rather than going over a lot of diverse material in, perhaps, a more superficial manner. ... The book is highly readable with delightful new insights on many seemingly familiar topics to even a seasoned vision researcher. ... Gordon has a gift for using simple analogies to elucidate abstract and complex ideas, so fresh insights await the reader on almost every page. So anyone with an interest in visual perception, even the most experienced and knowledgeable in our field, is sure to find much that is enlightening in Gordon's book. ... Never before in any text that I can remember have I read as clear and elegant an exposition of the ceaselessly exciting theories of J. J. Gibson. In his description of the concepts of invariants, Gordon's examples and descriptions even surpass those of Gibson himself! ... The book then ends with a very useful summary of what has gone before.  ... This is an excellent volume with very well written and insightful discussion of many of the theories and approaches that have dominated our field. Theories of Visual Perception is, overall, highly recommended.' - Árni Kristjánsson, University of Iceland, Rekjavik. in Perception, vol. 35 no. 7, 2006

'There is no doubt in my mind that this is an outstanding book. It is extraordinarily readable, written in plain simple English, deeply scholarly in its critical appraisals and is marked throughout by enormous knowledge and authority.' - Ross Day, La Trobe University

From the Back Cover

This second edition of the successful textbook Theories of Visual Perception has been revised to include the most up–to–date developments in the study of visual perception. The introductory chapter explains why theories of perception are so different from one another, and then seven major theoretical approaches to the problem of explaining vision are examined in some detail. Relevant theories are each placed into historical context and evaluated. Major technical, experimental and neurophysiological developments are described and illustrated clearly, with an emphasis on visual research and theory.

Reviews of the first edition? ?Ian Gordon′s book is a lively and thoughtful introduction to the main theoretical issues that have divided students of perception over the past few hundred years. As such, it will make a useful companion to more experimentally orientated texts in introductory and second–level courses in perception ? The strength of this work is in its careful historical analysis, and in its very clear and accessible style.? The Times Higher Education Supplement ?I highly recommend this book, which provides the advanced undergraduate psychology student with a good overview of the major theories of visual perception. ? In general, Gordon has done an outstanding job in conveying the essence and scope of each theory of perception that he presents.? Contemporary Psychology The book has a wealth of illustrations, and the most abstract and technical developments in visual research are presented in an accessible form, resulting in a valuable text for undergraduates and graduate students in psychology, philosophy and computer science.

Edition details

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
• Publication date: 1989
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0471921955
• ISBN 13: 9780471921950
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 288