The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception: Classic EditionThis book, first published in 1979, is about how we see: the environment around us (its surfaces, their layout, and their colors and textures); where we are in the environment; whether or not we are moving and, if we are, where we are going; what things are good for; how to do things (to thread a needle or drive an automobile); or why things look as they do. The basic assumption is that vision depends on the eye which is connected to the brain. The author suggests that natural vision depends on the eyes in the head on a body supported by the ground, the brain being only the central organ of a complete visual system. When no constraints are put on the visual system, people look around, walk up to something interesting and move around it so as to see it from all sides, and go from one vista to another. That is natural vision -- and what this book is about. |
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affords ambient ambient array ambient light animals approach assume awareness become begin behavior body called Chapter color comes concept considered consists continuous correspondence course depends depth described direction display distance distinguished drawing earth ecological environment example existence experimental experiments face fact field of view FIGURE flow geometry Gibson ground hand head hidden horizon human illumination implies invariants kind latter layout light limit locomotion looking means medium motion movement moving natural never Note object occluding edge occur optic array perceive perception persistence perspective physical picture point of observation possible present projected psychology reference reflectance relative retinal reversible screen seen sensations sense separate shape sight solid angle sort space specify stimulus structure substances suggest surface term terrestrial texture theory things tion transformation turning units vision visual