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The Skill of Pictorial Perception: An Interpretation of Cross-Cultural Evidence

1980; Wiley; Volume: 15; Issue: 1-4 Linguagem: Francês

10.1080/00207598008246989

1464-066X

Robert Serpell, Jan B. Deręgowski,

Visual and Cognitive Learning Processes

International Journal of PsychologyVolume 15, Issue 1-4 p. 145-180 Article THE SKILL OF PICTORIAL PERCEPTION: AN INTERPRETATION OF CROSS-CULTURAL EVIDENCE* Robert Serpell, Corresponding Author Robert Serpell University of Zambia, Lusaka, ZambiaRequests for reprints should be sent either to Dr. Robert Serpell, Institute for African Studies, University of Zambia, P.O. Box 900, Lusaka, ZambiaDr. Jan Deregowski, Psychology Department, King's College, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB9 2UB, Scotland, UK.Search for more papers by this authorJan B. Deregowski, Corresponding Author Jan B. Deregowski University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB9 2UB, Scotland, UKRequests for reprints should be sent either to Dr. Robert Serpell, Institute for African Studies, University of Zambia, P.O. Box 900, Lusaka, ZambiaDr. Jan Deregowski, Psychology Department, King's College, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB9 2UB, Scotland, UK.Search for more papers by this author Robert Serpell, Corresponding Author Robert Serpell University of Zambia, Lusaka, ZambiaRequests for reprints should be sent either to Dr. Robert Serpell, Institute for African Studies, University of Zambia, P.O. Box 900, Lusaka, ZambiaDr. Jan Deregowski, Psychology Department, King's College, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB9 2UB, Scotland, UK.Search for more papers by this authorJan B. Deregowski, Corresponding Author Jan B. Deregowski University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB9 2UB, Scotland, UKRequests for reprints should be sent either to Dr. Robert Serpell, Institute for African Studies, University of Zambia, P.O. Box 900, Lusaka, ZambiaDr. Jan Deregowski, Psychology Department, King's College, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB9 2UB, Scotland, UK.Search for more papers by this author First published: February-December 1980 https://doi.org/10.1080/00207598008246989Citations: 51 * The authors are grateful to the Flying Doctor Service of East Africa, to Dr. W. Hudson and to the Witwatersrand University Press for permission to reproduce figs. 1, 2 and 3, respectively. AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Abstracten A theoretical framework is proposed for understanding perceptual skills in their functional context. Pictorial perception is construed as a functionally specialised skill whose pervasive importance in modern education derives from the proliferation of pictorial materials in Western culture. Drawing on cross-cultural research, the major components of the skill are identified as (1) detection of appropriate contexts for its application, (2) selection of a limiting frame of reference, (3) use of conventional criteria of fidelity to recognise depicted items, (4) sensitivity to impoverished depth cues, (5) an expectation of finding in the picture most of the information necessary for its disambiguation, and (6) various assumptions about the range of cognitive inferences that may legitimately be made 'beyond the information given'. Training studies are interpreted as suggesting that the skill can be enhanced through guided experience. Abstractfr Un modèle théorique est présenté afin de faciliter la compréhension des aptitudes perceptives dans leur contexte fonctionnel. La perception de l'image est expliquée en tant quéaptitude fonctionnellement spécialisée dont l'importance globale dans l'éducation moderne est dûe à la prolifération de représentations graphiques dans la culture occidentale. Se basant sur des recherches interculturelles, les auteurs proposent les principales composantes suivantes de cette aptitude: (1) l'identification correcte des situations appropriées à l'utilisation de l'aptitude, (2) le choix d'un cadre de référence limitatif, (3) l'utilisation de critères conventionnels de fidélité pour reconnaître les objets représentés, (4) une sensibilisations aux informations appauvries de profodeur du champ, (5) une attente à trouver dans l'image měme la plupart des informations nécessaires à son interprétation correcte, (6) différentes hypothèses quant à la variété d'inférences cognitives qui pourraient ětre faites au-delà des informations données. Les recherches faites sur l'importance de l'exercise laissent entrevoir que l'aptitude à percevoir graphiquement peut ětre développée par des expériences dirigées. References Allport, G.W. and Pettigiew, T.F. 1957. Cultural influence on perception of movement; the trapezoidal illusion among Zulus. 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