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Wheaton College     Norton, Massachusetts
Psychology > Put crumb here

Visual Perception Lab

The visual perception lab at Wheaton College is run by Professor Rolf Nelson and is located in Science Center 146.

Research

A number of research topics within visual perception are explored in the lab. One of the main areas of interest is that of perceptual organization, including Gestalt principles of grouping and figure-ground perception. In this research, we explore the way in which our minds are able to construct a world full of meaningful shapes, objects, and categories from the array of light that falls upon our eyes.

Another area of particular interest is that of visual selective attention. How is it that we manage to select the most relevant information from the barrage of data that is constantly flooding our senses? We as humans have some very sophisticated cognitive apparatus that manages to sort out what we need to perceive and remember, but this often comes at a cost of neglecting most of what goes on in the world.

These and other topics in perception are approached from a cognitive point of view and usually involve measuring responses from participants -- judgments and reaction times in carefully controlled perceptual tasks.

Equipment

Eye Tracker

One piece of equipment that is used in several experiments is an eye tracker. We use an Arrington ViewPoint® system to precisely measure where on the computer screen a participant is looking. This is useful for many kinds of research in visual perception.

SuperLab
The software used in the lab is an easy-to-learn program called Super Lab. This is the same software used in the Lab in Cognitive Psychology (Psyc 343), so some students will be familiar with it already. This software allows carefully timed presentation of visual stimuli and collection of perceptual judgments and reaction times.

Computer Facilities
There are 3 desktop and 5 laptop computers used to collect data both in and out of the laboratory; one of these is in a specially constructed testing booth to minimize distractions during experiments.

Volunteering in the Perception Lab
Typically one or two students are employed at a time through the WRP (Wheaton Research Program) and various grants during both the academic year and the summer. We always welcome volunteers who are interested in gaining experience in a research setting or who are just interested in perception! Contact Professor Rolf Nelson (rnelson@wheatonma.edu) if you would like to get involved.

 

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