A Dynamic Perspective on Visual Perception in Social Cognition and Action

Abstract

Abstract Although people believe they see the world as it really is, perceptual experience contradicts this conception. This chapter discusses the conditions of the visual system and psychological process by which visual representations fail to correspond to reality. It argues that perception is not simply a product of the qualities of the actual object present but also a result of characteristics of the perceiver. Because the visual input the sensory system receives is imprecise and because attentional resources are relatively limited, an ambiguity arises that is resolved by social context, past experience, and directed and selective visual attention. This chapter proposes the dynamic integration of multiple sources of information that collectively work to shape visual experience and comments on the distinction between visual experience and cognitive judgment. Finally, it discusses the social psychological implications of such a dynamic visual system for regulating action in a social world, including for legal decisions, intergroup relations, discrimination, health, relationships, and culture.