PSY 460 - Vision and Design

2009-2010 Catalog Year

This course is an exploration of the visual and perceptual processes that underlie the perception of the visual arts. The starting point for this course is Gibson’s theory of direct perception, the human visual system has evolved to directly respond to visual stimulation. The information about surfaces, objects and motion resides within the optic array that strikes our retinas. Anything we perceive must be specified by invariant properties of the stimulus, directly detected. The course will take a more computational approach in exploring the higher level perceptual processes such as perceiving form and structure. The course will also focus on the design implications of those processes. In addition to an appreciation of the visual system, students will gain an understanding of how the perception of and the design of visual art are driven by those visual processes.

PREREQ: upper division psychology or art major or instructor permission.
OFFERED: Irregular
CREDIT: 3