Social Psychology of Visual Perception

This volume challenges the view that we see our surroundings accurately when our visual perception is in fact intricately linked with social psychology. Our understanding of the world is highly subjective and the authors argue that what we think we see is a misrepresentation of reality. Technically, this means that our perceptual experiences depend on the interaction between properties of visual information and our psychological and physical states: 'perceivers simply do not realise that they are seeing the world that is to a large extent unique to them.' One might nevertheless question the assumption of an objective reality - a form of naïve realism - as a reference point, especially in view of the findings of this volume. Nevertheless there is much food for thought when one realises the influences of culture, psychology and gender.