Abstract: The primary purpose of this activity was to investigate immediate past experiences and how they play a part in visual perception. The basic method involved participants being divided into three pairs to be tested under three different conditions. Condition one involved being presented with images of animals before being presented with the ambiguous image and condition two where presented with images of faces before being shown the ambiguous image. Group three, the control group, were shown nothing before being asked what they see in the ambiguous image. The raw data was presented in a series of charts which allowed a much easier analysis of the results. The conclusions obtained from this investigation were that although the original hypothesis was not completely supported, immediate past experiences may potentially influence one's visual past experiences.
Introduction: Numerous studies have done in relevance to past experiences and the role it plays on visual perception, but the studies mainly do not focus on long term past experiences as apposed to immediate past experiences.
Among this research was that of Postman Et Al, 1948. His pioneering study revealed that after being exposed to a range of words, participants were more likely to perceive those words that held meaning for them based on their own life experiences than words that held little personal experience for them.
Also worthy of mention is the important research conducted by Hans Toch and Richard Schulte in 1961, who hypothesized that past experience influenced which illustration would be perceived more readily when two illustrations where briefly presented to participants.
There are no ethical problems with