Laws and mysteries of visual perception. Selectivity of perception See what "Selectivity of perception" is in other dictionaries

Selectivity ChoiceChoice… It is always difficult to do it. We understand that we will have to bear responsibility for it. The consequences of the wrong choice are not serious, but there are also very sad ones, depending on what is at stake. If a person chooses bad

Selectivity of perception (or perceptual selectivity; eng. perceptual selectivity)- a property of perception, consisting in the selection of the sensory field of c.-l. objects (or parts thereof) and features. The selectivity of perception is carried out through the mechanisms of attention - involuntary and voluntary. The selected and therefore more clearly perceived object acts as a "figure", the other objects - as its "background".

In its involuntary form, selectivity of perception is determined by the ratio of the physical properties of the stimuli acting on the analyzer. First of all, stimuli are distinguished that have the greatest intensity, a sharp difference from others in one way or another (for example, color - in vision, texture - in touch, timbre - in hearing, etc.). However, in the conditions of real activity, the decisive role in I. century. plays the task performed by a person, installation, readiness to perceive certain objects in a certain way. The selectivity of perception is especially clearly manifested in such specific conditions as the perception of dual (and polysemantic) images, the so-called. speech cocktail (mixing several speech streams), objects merging with the background, etc. Cm . dichotic hearing , Visual disguise , Information selection , Stroop effect .

Psychological dictionary. A.V. Petrovsky M.G. Yaroshevsky

Dictionary of psychiatric terms. V.M. Bleikher, I.V. Crook

there is no meaning and interpretation of the word

Neurology. Complete explanatory dictionary. Nikiforov A.S.

(or selectivity of perception; English perceptual selectivity) - a property of perception, consisting in the selection from the sensory field of c.-l. objects (or parts thereof) and features. I. in. carried out through the mechanisms of attention - involuntary and arbitrary. The selected and therefore more clearly perceived object acts as a "figure", the other objects - as its "background".

In its involuntary form I. century. is determined by the ratio of the physical properties of stimuli affecting the analyzer. First of all, stimuli are distinguished that have the greatest intensity, a sharp difference from others in one way or another (for example, color - in vision, texture - in touch, timbre - in hearing, etc.). However, in the conditions of real activity, the decisive role in I. century. plays the task performed by a person, installation, readiness to perceive certain objects in a certain way. I. in. especially clearly manifested in such specific conditions as the perception of dual (and polysemantic) images, the so-called. speech cocktail (mixing of several speech streams), objects merging with the background, etc. See Dichotic listening, Visual masking, Information selection, Strupp effect.

SELECTIVE PERCEPTION

selectivity) - the separation of any objects (or parts thereof) located in the sensory field - the field of perception. I. in. shows up in attention. The selected and therefore more clearly reflected object acts as a “figure”, the rest of the objects - as its “background”. It has been established that the selection of certain objects is determined by the ratios of the processes of analysis and synthesis occurring in the analyzer. Under other conditions, I. century. is determined by the ratio of the physical properties of stimuli acting on the analyzer p. First of all, stimuli are distinguished that have the greatest intensity, a sharp difference from others in one way or another (for example, color - in vision, texture - in touch, timbre - in hearing, etc.). However, in the conditions of real activity, the decisive role in I.v. play the task performed by a person, installation, readiness to perceive certain objects in a certain way. I. in. especially clearly manifested in such specific conditions as the perception of dual or polysemantic images, the so-called. speech cocktail (mixing several speech streams), objects merging with the background, etc.

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Selectivity is an acquired or developed ability of a person to directed perception. This quality implies control of one's own thinking, attention, perception and consciousness in general, thanks to which the psyche is able to single out a certain object or event from a number of ongoing external changes.

Selectivity is a property of perception that allows you to highlight the main thing, and leave secondary points on the periphery in a blurred background. This is an important personality trait for maintaining mental balance and overall success in activity, since the psyche is depleted quite quickly when it processes a lot of material at the same time, it becomes necessary to concentrate on the main thing and move away from less pressing details. It is selectivity that allows a person to make a choice regarding his location and group of people for communication, food consumed and the direction of his life path - categories that are completely different in nature and scale of influence on the further course of events, but they are all carried out using choice.

What it is

The quality of personality selectivity appeared in the course of evolution and initially concerned basic vital moments - a person chose what to eat so as not to get poisoned, where to sleep so as not to be in danger, where to move in order to improve his living. The physiological data still remained as an example of selective behavior, but rational control of the mind over what was happening was added to this. So selectivity in terms of nutrition now comes down not only to the instinctive choice of food without poisons, but also to control the number of calories in it or the method of preparation and its harmfulness.

Selectivity concerns the choice of place of work and residence, as well as the model of building relationships with others.

A person cannot physically be present everywhere and pay equal attention to all external stimuli, which is why there is a need to choose the direction of his attention and the main vector of energy. Only in this way can any tangible results be obtained, and not rush between the most striking stimuli.

The spontaneous construction of one's activities and the making of elections based on the first internal impulses is a sign of a lack of selectivity. Such behavior can lead to rather deplorable consequences, despite the fact that in the process of such following events, quite vivid feelings are experienced, often characterized as a feeling of fullness of life and maximum emotions. However, succumbing to an impulse, a person is able to suffer a material collapse, miss a serious and trusting relationship, waste his life energy in vain.

It is this quality that helps to go to your goals in the shortest way, it is the basis for planning your future, where things that require special attention are laid in advance.

Selectivity paints our days for the sake of the set priorities, automatically leaving areas without energy that drain energy or interfere with implementation. But it helps not only to go to something in the future, but also saves the existing life choices. So a person who quit drinking will not arrange his party in a bar, a girl who decides to preserve her virginity will not settle in a brothel, and a person with arachnophobia will not go to work in an entomology museum. All this speaks of our choices to maintain that picture of the world that is most pleasant and inspiring for us, but if such choices are violated, a complete distortion of life values ​​and the loss of our inner uniqueness are possible.

Selectivity is always a little more complex in its mechanism than simple decision-making based on desires or needs. This quality allows you to calculate the possible consequences of a choice a few steps ahead, so that desires and needs can change places. This is how not the most pleasant activity is chosen, which can lead to the fulfillment of a larger desire than receiving pleasure in the present. In the same way, the choice can be made in favor of the current moment, when the assessment of internal resources will show almost complete depletion and the need for immediate replenishment until a depressive disorder develops. That is, selectivity helps to choose the good in the long run and the integrity of the body and psyche.

This concept is closely related to freedom and the manifestation of internal responsibility, since it represents a moment of choice. Any turn on the path of life implies certain consequences that follow this, and then the readiness of a person to accept these changes, to be responsible for his actions and choices, comes to the fore. Freedom has the character of an internal meaning, because even an understanding of how to act does not always lead to actions. Internal paralysis, orientation to the opinions of others takes away from a person his personal free manifestations of his choices, leaving selectivity as an exclusively theoretical quality.

Thanks to the quality of selectivity, one can judge a person's taste in relation to any moment - from food to art, communication preferences or pastime. This is a kind of marker of the development of the personality and its needs, a reflection of the possibilities and internal readiness to realize these possibilities. Every time people interact, selectivity allows you to assess how close a person is and how close they are in the same circle without asking too many questions. In the effective space of choices, a person demonstrates to the maximum what he is oriented towards - to develop or maintain stability, to luxury and self-indulgence or asceticism for the sake of knowledge.

selectivity in relationships

Selectivity in people is the key to building successful and happy relationships at any level. With regard to intimate relationships, selectivity implies a preference for one particular person over the rest of the same sex. In many ways, this type of selectivity is due to the biological laws of regulating the choice of a partner for further reproduction of offspring. Accordingly, the role of somatic reactions and subconscious choices in this context is much greater than when choosing a job or place of residence. The mind can control certain manifestations, the strategy of courting or ignoring, but the first impetus for paying attention is always biology.

The categories that affect selectivity in relationships include specific and individual. The first suggest traditions inherent in each representative of a particular ethnic group or group of people. There may be certain external and behavioral parameters that are considered favorable. A greater variety of options already gives an individual level of choice, including the characteristics of the partner's characterological manifestations, his external data, age and social characteristics.

Previously, selectivity in relations by social status was more categorical than in the modern world, but there are rules that cannot be circumvented.

No one will now forbid marriage between workers and intellectuals, but the crack will appear itself soon enough when people are faced with the difference in their life philosophies and preferences, cultural base and education.

The complexity of the selectivity of relationships lies in the frequent contradiction between biological and social factors, between what the body wants and what the mind understands. These may be options when a bright passion flares up between people, but they have nothing to talk about, their countries howl and all the acquaintances, and they themselves, having thought logically, will condemn this connection. It is also not uncommon for everything to converge at the level of reason - both age and career success, people from the same society, have many common themes, but are completely opposite to each other within the framework of physical perception.

But there are relationships, in addition to intimate ones, where the moment of selectivity is also extremely important. This means not only who to consider as a friend and how many such people can be, but also the regulation of the degree of closeness, the format of interaction, the level of trust. Relationships are built in all spheres of human existence, and it can be impossible to remain friends with everyone, not only because of personal hostility, but also from the perspective of competition or learn the complexities of interaction between other people.

Those who are able to clearly filter their social circle can build a favorable emotional background, enlist support and reliability. People who do not know how to keep their distance, who let anyone who knocks into their home or psychological space, end up in a bad state of mind, and often also accused of problems. Excessive naivety and a small number of acquaintances significantly reduce selectivity in relationships; as the number of friends increases, the question of choice automatically arises.

The world is huge and it is impossible to devote the same time to everything and everyone who is present in it, and this is not required, because many characters and events simply do not deserve attention and, at best, simply do not affect life in any way. It makes sense to make a choice and go to those and where there is pleasure and self-development, leaving everything else without. This may seem like a betrayal at some points, especially if they are trying to manipulate a person’s opinion, but in this case, betrayal occurs even in a store when you take pears instead of apples.

Speaker of the Medical and Psychological Center "PsychoMed"

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Properties of perception: objectivity, integrity, constancy, structure, meaningfulness, selectivity.

Speaking about the properties of perception, it is necessary to distinguish two groups among them: properties that characterize the productivity of perception as a mental cognitive process, and properties that are inherent to one degree or another in all cognitive processes and characterize the essence of the process of perception. The first group includes indicators of performance, quality and reliability of the perceptual system:

Scope of perception- the number of objects that a person can perceive during one fixation.

Perceptual accuracy- the correspondence of the resulting image to the features of the perceived object.

Completeness of perception- the degree of correspondence of the resulting image to the features of the perceived object.

Speed ​​of perception- the time required for an adequate perception of an object or phenomenon.

Among the main "essential" properties of perception are:

Constancy of perception- the ability to perceive objects and see them relatively constant in size, shape and color in changing physical conditions of perception.

Meaningfulness of perception- the property of human perception to attribute a certain meaning to a perceived object or phenomenon, designate it with a word, refer to a certain language category in accordance with the knowledge of the subject and his past experience.

Structural perception- the property of human perception to combine influencing stimuli into integral and relatively simple structures.

Integrity of perception- sensory, mental completion of the totality of some perceived elements of the object to its integral image.

Objectivity of perception- the relation of a visual image of perception to certain objects of the external world.

Generalization of perception- reflection of single objects as a special manifestation of the general, representing a certain class of objects that are homogeneous with the data in some way.

Selectivity of perception- preferential selection of some objects in comparison with others, revealing the activity of human perception.

Let us dwell in more detail on some of the basic properties of perception.

OBJECTIVENESS OF PERCEPTION. It is expressed in the so-called act of objectification. Objectification- the process and result of localization of images of perception in the external world - where the source of perceived information is located, i.e. attributing information received from the outside world to this world. Without such a reference, perception cannot fulfill its orienting and regulating function in the practical activity of a person. The objectivity of perception is not an innate quality: there is a certain system of actions that provides the subject with the discovery of the objectivity of the world. Touch and movement play a decisive role here. I. M. Sechenov emphasized that objectivity is formed on the basis of processes, ultimately, always outwardly moving, providing contact with the object itself. Without the participation of movement, our perceptions would not have the quality of objectivity, that is, they would not be related to objects in the external world.

Objectivity as a quality of perception plays a special role in the regulation of behavior. We usually define objects not by their appearance, but by how we use them in practice or by their basic properties. And this helps the objectivity of perception. Thus, a brick and block of explosives may look and feel very similar, but they will "behave" in very different ways.

Objectivity also plays an important role in the further formation of the perceptual processes themselves, i.e., the processes of perception. When there is a discrepancy between the external world and its reflection, the subject is forced to look for new ways of perception that provide a more correct reflection.

INTEGRITY OF PERCEPTION. Another feature of perception is its integrity. Unlike sensation, which reflects the individual properties of an object that affects the sense organ, perception is a holistic image of the object. Of course, this holistic image is formed on the basis of generalization of knowledge about the individual properties and qualities of the object, obtained in the form of various sensations.

When analyzing the integrity of perception, one can distinguish two related aspects:

The tendency to fill in gaps and combine different elements into a whole;

The independence of the educated integrity (within certain limits, of course) from the quality of the elements. At the same time, the perception of the whole affects the perception of the parts.

These tendencies, characterizing the patterns of perception, were at one time most fully described by representatives of Gestalt psychology. Among the main regularities, they singled out, in particular:

1. The law of figure and ground- the law of Gestalt psychology, the essence of which is that a person perceives a figure as a closed whole, located in front of the background, while the background seems to continuously extend behind the figure.

2. Law of transposition- the law of Gestalt psychology, the essence of which is that the psyche does not react to individual stimuli, but to their ratio.

3. Law of constancy(from lat. constants- constant) is one of the laws of Gestalt psychology, the essence of which is that the image of a thing tends to constancy, invariance even when the conditions of perception change.

4. Law of Proximity- one of the laws of Gestalt psychology, the essence of which is the tendency to combine into a holistic image of elements adjacent in time and space.

5. Law of closure- one of the laws of Gestalt psychology, the essence of which is the tendency to fill in the gaps in the perceived figure.

Gap filling principle manifests itself in the fact that our brain is always trying to reduce a fragmented image into a figure with a simple and complete outline. Therefore, when an object, image, melody, word or phrase is presented as only disparate elements, the brain will systematically try to put them together and add the missing parts. On fig. 1 (A) you see not a group of individual lines, but the contours of the face. And when a famous song or an advertisement heard a thousand times is suddenly interrupted on the radio, our brain automatically restores the missing one.

Combining (grouping) elements is another aspect of the organization of perception. Elements can be combined according to various criteria, such as proximity, similarity (similarity), continuity (imaginary), or symmetry.

Yes, by closeness principle our brain combines close or adjacent elements into a single form. In any field containing several objects, those that are closest to each other can be visually perceived as a whole, as one object. On fig. 1 (B) it is easier to perceive three groups of squares than nine squares that are not connected to each other.

Similarity principle is that it is easier for us to combine similar elements. As grouping properties, similarity in size, shape, and arrangement of parts can act. Elements with a so-called good form are also combined into a single integral structure, i.e. symmetrical or periodic. In figure 1 (B), the numbers appear before us in the form of columns rather than in the form of rows. As for the continuation of the conversation in the general noise of voices, it is possible only due to the fact that we hear words pronounced in the same voice and tone.

Elements will also organize into a single shape if they keep the same direction. This continuity principle. In Figure 1(D), on the left, we perceive a flat element that intersects a rectangle, not three unconnected elements like those shown side by side.

Rice. one

The independence of the whole from the quality of its constituent elements is manifested in the dominance of the unity of the structure over its constituents. There are three forms of such dominance. The first one is expressed in the fact that the same element, being included in different integral structures, is perceived differently. The second one is manifested in the fact that when replacing individual elements, but maintaining the ratio between them, the overall structure remains unchanged. As you know, you can depict a profile with strokes, dotted lines, and with the help of other elements, while maintaining a portrait likeness. And, finally, the third form is expressed in the well-known facts of the preservation of the perception of the structure as a whole when its individual parts fall out. So, for a holistic perception of a human face (Fig. 1, A), only a few elements of its contour are sufficient. In this sense, integrity is the indifference of the image in relation to the replacement of its constituent elements, that is, it can be considered as structural constancy.

Its STRUCTURE is connected with the integrity of perception. Perception to a large extent does not correspond to our instantaneous sensations and is not a simple sum of them. We perceive a generalized structure actually abstracted from these sensations, which is formed over a period of time. If a person listens to some melody, then the previously heard notes continue to sound in his mind when a new note arrives. Usually the listener understands a piece of music, that is, perceives its structure as a whole. Obviously, the very last note heard in isolation cannot be the basis for such an understanding: in the mind of the listener, the whole structure of the melody continues to sound with various interconnections of its elements.

A similar process is observed in the perception of rhythm. At each moment, you can hear only one beat, however, the rhythm is not single beats, but the continuous sound of the whole system of beats, and the beats are in a certain relationship with each other, and this relationship determines the perception of the rhythm.

The sources of integrity and structure of perception lie in the features of the reflected objects themselves, on the one hand, and in the objective activity of a person, on the other. THEM. Sechenov emphasized that the integrity and structure of perception are the result of the reflex activity of analyzers.

CONSTANTITY OF PERCEPTION. The signals coming from the objects around us are constantly changing. At the same time, perceptual processes also change accordingly. However, due to the property of constancy, which consists in the ability of the perceptual system to compensate for these changes, we perceive the surrounding objects as relatively constant in shape, size, color, etc. perceptual system- a set of analyzers that provide this act of perception.

The value of constancy is very high. If it were not for this property, with every movement we make, with every change in the distance to an object, with the slightest turn of the head or a change in lighting, all the main signs by which a person recognizes the world would change almost continuously. The world would cease to be a world of stable things, and perception could not serve as a means of knowing objective reality.

Let us explain this property of perception by the example of the constancy of a quantity. It is known that the image of an object (including its image on the retina) increases when the distance to it decreases, and vice versa. However, although the size of the image of an object on the retina changes with a change in the viewing distance, its perceived size remains almost unchanged. Look at the audience in the theater: all the faces seem to us almost the same size, despite the fact that the images of faces that are far away are much smaller than those close to us. If, for example, we look at our hands, with the left one 20 cm from the face, and the right one stretched far forward, then it still seems to us that their brushes are the same size. At the same time, the image of the fingers of the far hand on the retina of the eye will be only half the size of the image of the fingers of the near hand.

What is the origin of the constancy of perception? Is this mechanism innate? For verification, a study was conducted on the perception of people permanently living in a dense forest. The perception of these people is of interest because they have not previously seen objects at a great distance. When these people were shown objects at a great distance from them, they perceived these objects not as distant, but as small. Similar disturbances in the perceptual constancy are observed in the inhabitants of the plains when they look down from a height. From the window of the top floor of a high-rise building, objects (people, cars) also seem too small to us. At the same time, scaffolding workers report that they can see objects below without distorting their size.

Finally, another example that testifies against the thesis about the innate mechanism of perception constancy is the observation of a person blind in childhood, whose vision was restored by surgery in adulthood. Shortly after the operation, the patient thought that he could jump out of the hospital window onto the ground without harming himself, although the window was 10 to 12 meters above the ground. Obviously, the objects below were perceived by him not as remote, but as small, which caused an error in estimating the height.

The real source of constancy of perception is the active actions of the perceptual system. From the diverse and changeable stream of movements of the receptor apparatuses and response sensations, the subject singles out a relatively constant, invariant structure of the perceived object. Multiple perception of the same objects under different conditions ensures the invariance of the perceptual image with respect to these changing conditions, as well as the movements of the receptor apparatus itself, therefore, gives rise to the constancy of this image. In this case, the variations caused by a change in the conditions of perception and the active movements of the sense organs of the observer are not perceptible in any way; only something relatively invariant is perceived, for example, the shape of an object, its dimensions, etc.

The ability of our perceptual system to correct (correct) the inevitable errors caused by the infinite variety of conditions for the existence of the surrounding world of things, and to create adequate images of perception is well illustrated by experiments with glasses that distort visual perception by flipping images, curving straight lines, etc. When a person puts on glasses that distort objects and enters an unfamiliar room, he gradually learns to correct the distortions caused by the glasses, and, finally, ceases to notice these distortions, although they are reflected on the retina.

Thus, the property of constancy is explained by the fact that perception is a kind of self-regulating action that has a feedback mechanism and adjusts to the characteristics of the perceived object and the conditions of its existence. The constancy of perception formed in the process of objective activity is a necessary condition for human life and activity. Without this, a person would not be able to navigate in an infinitely diverse and changeable world. The property of constancy ensures the relative stability of the surrounding world, reflecting the unity of the object and the conditions of its existence.

INTELLIGENCE OF PERCEPTION. Although perception arises as a result of the direct action of the stimulus on the receptors, perceptual images always have a certain semantic meaning. A person's perception is closely connected with thinking, with understanding the essence of an object. To consciously perceive an object means to mentally name it, i.e. to attribute the perceived object to a certain group, class of objects, to generalize it in a word.

Even when we see an unfamiliar object, we try to catch in it a resemblance to objects familiar to us, to attribute it to a certain category. Perception is not determined simply by a set of stimuli affecting the senses, but is a dynamic search for the best interpretation, explanation of the available data. Indicative from this point of view are the so-called ambiguous drawings, in which either the figure or the background are alternately perceived (see Fig. 2). In this figure, the selection of the object of perception is associated with its comprehension and naming (two profiles and a vase). The background can be either black or white. It depends on what a person perceives - a vase or two profiles. The figure and the background are interchangeable: the figure can turn into a background, and the background into a figure.

Any image or object is perceived as a figure that stands out against some background. The alternation of figure and ground indicates that perception (visual) is not derived simply from patterns of arousal on

Rice. 2. Interchangeability of figure and background (Rubin's vase)

retina. Some more subtle process of processing (interpretation) is needed, even at such an elementary level. The phenomenon of alternation is associated with the name of the Danish psychologist Edgar Rubin. He developed simple but witty line drawings depicting a pair of shapes delimited by the same line. Thus there is a rivalry of these forms. Each of them alternately “leaves” into the background, ceases to be perceived.

What a person perceives at the moment depends on what is brought into this process by past experience, as well as on what he wants at the moment. This pattern is especially noticeable in the process of perceiving a human face. . A huge role is played by the internal template, as well as the emotional attitude to the perceived: the closer the observed person is emotionally, the greater the distortions in his appearance are corrected by the perceiver.

Our brains do have a (apparently innate) tendency to structure signals in such a way that anything smaller or more properly configured, and most importantly anything that makes sense to us, is perceived as a shape; it appears against a certain background, and the background itself is perceived as much less structured.

This applies primarily to vision, but also to other senses. The same is the case when, in the general noise of the meeting, someone pronounces our surname. She immediately appears as a “figure” in the sound background. We observe the same phenomenon when we catch the smell of a rose in the midst of a group of smokers, or the smell of a cigarette in a rose bed.

However, the whole picture of perception is rebuilt as soon as another element of the background becomes significant in turn. Then what a second before was seen as a figure loses its clarity and mixes with the general background.

GENERALIZATION OF PERCEPTION is closely related to a person's personal experience. As the personal experience of perception expands, the image, while retaining its individuality and relation to the subject object, is assigned to an ever larger set of objects of a certain category, that is, it is more and more reliably classified. This requires a generalization, an appeal to a class of similar objects stored in memory, which means a transition from an existing situation to another; to the comprehension of reality through the prism of an individually fixed image of the world, a personally generalized scheme of reality.

Perception is at the same time a simplification of the perceived reality, fixing the observed features in terms of their significance for a person, reducing these features into stable complexes and classifying various objects of the surrounding world on their basis. Generalization and classification ensure the reliability of the correct recognition of an object, regardless of its individual characteristics and distortions that do not take the object out of the class. The value of generalization is manifested in the reliability of recognition, for example, in the ability of a person to freely read a text, regardless of the font or handwriting in which it is written. It should be noted that the generalization of perception makes it possible not only to classify and recognize objects and phenomena, but also to predict some properties that are not directly perceived.

In this sense, this example is interesting. One of Plato's critics once remarked: "I see horses, not horseness." To which Plato replied: “It is because you have eyes but no mind.” The question arises: what kind of “horseness” are we talking about, and who is right? Of course, it seemed obvious to Plato that if many objects have the same property - like all people "humanity" or all white stones "whiteness", then this property is not limited to a particular phenomenon in the world of matter, space and time. It is non-material, does not lend itself to spatio-temporal restrictions and is transcendent in relation to the multitude of its individual manifestations. Only this or that thing can cease to exist, but not this universal property that this thing embodies. For Plato, the archetypal horse, which gives form to all horses, is a reality more fundamental than the reality of specific horses, which are nothing more than particular manifestations. ideas“horseness”, specific embodiments of its forms.

Summarizing the preliminary results, we can conclude that perception is an active process during which a person performs many perceptual actions in order to form an adequate image of an object. The activity of perception consists, first of all, in the participation of the effector (motor) components of the analyzers in the process of perception (hand movements during touch, eye movements in visual perception, etc.). In addition, activity at the macro level is also necessary, i.e., the ability to actively move one's body in the process of perception.

Perception is considered as a process associated with an active search for signs that are necessary and sufficient for the formation of an image and decision-making. The sequence of acts included in this process can be imagined as follows:

1) the primary selection of a complex of stimuli from the flow of information and the decision that they refer to the same specific object;

2) search in memory of a complex of signs similar or similar in composition of sensations, comparison with which the perceived allows us to judge what kind of object it is;

3) assigning the perceived object to a certain category with the subsequent search for additional features that confirm or refute the correctness of the hypothetical decision made;

4) the final conclusion about what kind of object it is, with attributing to it properties that have not yet been perceived, characteristic of objects of the same class with it.

There is some functional similarity between all the listed characteristics of perception. And constancy, and objectivity, and integrity, and meaningfulness, and generalization give the image an important feature - independence (within certain limits) from the conditions of perception and distortion. In this sense, constancy is independence from the physical conditions of perception, objectivity and meaningfulness - from the background against which the object is perceived, integrity - the independence of the whole from the distortion and replacement of the components that make up this whole, generalization - this is the independence of perception from such distortions and changes, which do not take the object out of class boundaries.