Spongebob Case Study
1) Distinguish between absolute and difference thresholds, and discuss whether we can sense and be affected by subliminal or unchanging stimuli.
Absolute threshold is minimum stimulation to detect a particular stimulus fifty percent of the time. Difference threshold is the minimum difference between two stimuli that a person can detect fifty percent of the time. It has been proven that people can be affected by subliminal or unchanging stimuli. The priming effect revealed that we can process information from stimuli that is too weak to recognize. Most of the information that we process happens unconsciously. Many subliminal messages can be found in children cartoons. For example, when watching Spongebob Squarepants there is an episode where
Spongebob is blowing up balloons in the Krusty Krab to make a sculpture of Squidward, but when blowing them up they appear to resemble condoms, most kids however do not pick up the message as most adults do.
2) Describe Gestalt psychology’s contribution to our understanding of perception, and identify principles of perceptual grouping in form perception.
Gestalt psychologists believe that things we interpret are perceived better as a whole rather than the sum of its parts. There are four types of principles: similarity, proximity, continuity, closure. Similarity is the grouping of things that are similar to each other. Proximity is grouping things that are close together. Continuity is the seeing of patterns in stimuli. Closure is the tendency to complete familiar objects that have gaps within them.
Works Cited
Heffner, B. D. (n.d.). Chapter 5: Section 3: Perception. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
Myers, D. G., & Straub, R. O. (2009). Study Guide for Psychology in Everyday Life. Retrieved
October 31, 2016.
Absolute threshold is minimum stimulation to detect a particular stimulus fifty percent of the time. Difference threshold is the minimum difference between two stimuli that a person can detect fifty percent of the time. It has been proven that people can be affected by subliminal or unchanging stimuli. The priming effect revealed that we can process information from stimuli that is too weak to recognize. Most of the information that we process happens unconsciously. Many subliminal messages can be found in children cartoons. For example, when watching Spongebob Squarepants there is an episode where
Spongebob is blowing up balloons in the Krusty Krab to make a sculpture of Squidward, but when blowing them up they appear to resemble condoms, most kids however do not pick up the message as most adults do.
2) Describe Gestalt psychology’s contribution to our understanding of perception, and identify principles of perceptual grouping in form perception.
Gestalt psychologists believe that things we interpret are perceived better as a whole rather than the sum of its parts. There are four types of principles: similarity, proximity, continuity, closure. Similarity is the grouping of things that are similar to each other. Proximity is grouping things that are close together. Continuity is the seeing of patterns in stimuli. Closure is the tendency to complete familiar objects that have gaps within them.
Works Cited
Heffner, B. D. (n.d.). Chapter 5: Section 3: Perception. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
Myers, D. G., & Straub, R. O. (2009). Study Guide for Psychology in Everyday Life. Retrieved
October 31, 2016.