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Foundations of Perception

• By George Mather

• Price: $55.00 $49.50
• Binding: Paperback (also available in Hardback)
• Pages: 408
• Published by: Psychology Press
• Publication Date: 19th January 2006
• Illustrations: 199
• ISBN: 978-0-86377-835-3

About the Book

This clear and balanced introduction to perception examines all the major and minor senses, including vision, hearing, touch, balance, taste and smell. It provides the reader with a thorough analysis of our perceptual experience, how it relates to the physical properties of the world and how it is linked to the biological properties of the brain. Coverage of the senses begins with the minor senses and ends with vision: fundamental principles are easier to grasp when first encountered in relation to relatively simple sensory systems.

Unique features of this text include:

* An introductory chapter on general physiological, perceptual and theoretical principles giving the reader the conceptual tools to build a clear understanding of how we perceive the world.

* Each chapter includes a 'Tutorials' section. This provides an opportunity for more advanced students to explore supplementary information on recent or controversial developments in subjects such as the physics and biology of audition; shape and object perception; and mathematics and computational modelling in modern perceptual research.

* Individual differences are also considered, as are potential sources of difference such as age, sex, expertise and culture.

* Substantial coverage and a tutorial on the sense of balance.

* Student and Instructor multimedia resources, more extensive than those offered with other sensation and perception textbooks, free of charge to adopters.

* The best value for money: half the price of major competitors.

This book will be an invaluable resource for those studying psychology and neuroscience, enabling the reader to achieve a firm grasp of current knowledge concerning the complex processes that underlie our perception of the world.

Student Resources: Perception Student Learning Program

The student website includes our Perception Student Learning Program (Perception SLP) which offers a unique and innovative approach to study. The Perception SLP is available free of charge to departments adopting Foundations of Perception by George Mather.

Each chapter from Foundations of Perception is condensed into a concise summary version, providing an effective set of revision notes. These notes also expand on and elucidate the book's content, and cite page number references to the textbook. 'Must know' information is presented in clear, accessible style, along with sections to stretch more advanced students. The notes also provide an integrative framework for a range of interactive multimedia materials and features, including:

* Animations and simulations of key perceptual phenomena

* Fill-in-the-blank questions

* Multiple-choice questions

* Key-term definitions

* Research studies

* Short-essay questions

* Links to related websites.

Several demo chapters from the Perception Student Learning Program are available to view.

Instructor Resources

We offer web-based, password-protected resources free of charge to instructors who recommend Foundations of Perception by George Mather. These resources include:

* A comprehensive chapter-by-chapter slideshow lecture course

* A set of short-answer questions per chapter to stimulate discussion.

Reviews

‘In short, students who master the material presented in this book will have an excellent grasp of sensation and perception. … In addition to a thorough presentation of the topics of interest, Mather has included some excellent pedagogical features that … put this book in a class by itself. … Each chapter features excellent and well-labeled figures, tables, or photographs. … Although it is not part of the book per se, the Perception Student Learning Program (PSLP) also deserves mention. … Would I use it for my S&P course? The answer is a resounding yes. I heartily recommend it to all faculty and students.’ – Stephen F. Davis, in PsycCRITIQUES, July 2006, apa.org/psyccritiques

'George Mather's Foundations of Perception is the best text on perception in a long time. It presents the basics in an accessible and engaging manner. All the most recent advances in research are here as well, covered as thoroughly as in any reference text, but much more readable in the broad context of the book. Foundations of Perception is an excellent fit for an introductory course on sensation and perception, outshining others in its range, depth, and clarity. It would be equally at home in an upper level course as a complement to a series of original articles.' - Professor Patrick Cavanagh, Vision Sciences Laboratory, Harvard University

'I found George Mather's book Foundations of Perception to be very comprehensive: it covers everything one expects in a textbook on perception and then some. I especially liked the chapters on parts of the perceptual system that are sometimes neglected by other texts. The overview at the beginning is excellent, preparing the student for the diverse methodologies that are then explained in greater detail in the main body of the text. The tutorials will be useful to students wishing to use the book as a serious study aid.' - Professor Laurence Harris, York University, Canada

'How the mind works cannot be studied without knowing what our senses actually tell our brain, what they don't tell it, and what our brain can actually do with that information. In this long awaited book, George Mather has made sense of the senses. The book will prove to be most helpful for students, academics and professionals in many disciplines, as well as everyone who wants to know all about how we perceive the world.' - Frans A. J. Verstraten, Professor of Cognitive Psychology, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: General Principles. Introduction. Classification of the Senses. Methods Used to Study Perception. General Principles of Sensation and Perception. Chapter Summary. Tutorials. Chapter 2: The Chemical Senses. Introduction. Smell. Taste. Flavour. Chapter Summary. Tutorials. Chapter 3: The Body Senses. Introduction. The Somatosensory System. The Vestibular System. Chapter Summary. Tutorials. Chapter 4: The Physics and Biology of Audition. Introduction. Sound as a Physical Stimulus. The Physiology of the Auditory System. Chapter Summary. Tutorials. Chapter 5: Perception of Sound. Introduction. Loudness Perception. Pitch Perception. Auditory Localisation. Speech Perception. Auditory Scene Analysis. Hearing Dysfunction. Chapter Summary. Tutorials. Chapter 6: The Physics of Vision – Light and the Eye. Introduction. What is Light? Some Important Properties of Light. The Eye. Chapter Summary. Tutorials. Chapter 7: Visual Physiology. Introduction. The Retina. The Visual Pathway. The Visual Cortex. Chapter Summary. Tutorials. Chapter 8: Spatial Vision. Introduction. Fundamental Functions. Representaion at Multiple Spatial Scales. Uses of Spatial Filters. Chapter Summary. Tutorials. Chapter 9: Shape and Object Perception. Introduction: the Three Stage Model. Shape Representation. Object Representation. Chapter Summary. Tutorials. Chapter 10: Depth Perception. Introduction. The Multiplicity of Depth Cues. Cue Combination. Chapter Summary. Tutorials. Chapter 11: Visual Motion Perception. Introduction. Detecting Movement. The Integration of Motion Detector Responses. Multiple Processes in Motion Perception. Chapter Summary. Tutorials. Chapter 12: Colour Vision. Introduction. Colour Space. Colour Mixture. Dual-process Theory. Colour Interactions. Colour Deficiency. Chapter Summary. Tutorials. Chapter 13: Individual Differences in Perception. Introduction. Age. Sex. Culture. Expertise. Idiosyncratic Individual Differences. Chapter Summary. Tutorials.

About the Author(s)

George Mather is Professor of Experimental Psychology at the University of Sussex.