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THE STRUCTURE OF PERCEPTION: A FACTORIAL STUDY
Author(s) -
BEARD R. M.
Publication year - 1965
Publication title -
british journal of educational psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.557
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 2044-8279
pISSN - 0007-0998
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8279.1965.tb01805.x
Subject(s) - psychology , perception , recall , cognitive psychology , visual perception , developmental psychology , neuroscience
S ummary . A factorial study of twenty tests of visual and auditory perceptions and memories, and ratings in mathematics and English for boys and girls aged about 15, gave rise to seven factors: reasoning with verbal abilities, five perceptual factors and a factor contrasting an easy perceptual task with ratings in school subjects. The perceptual factors were (1) speed and strength of closure, (2) a spatial factor concerned with direction and orientation, (3) recognition and recall of Gestalten, (4) flexibility of closure, and (5) perceptual span. Almost identical factors appeared for both sexes and no perceptual differences were found for different kinds of school attainment, possibly owing to the general nature of the perceptual factors obtained. It is suggested that these factors have a general nature due to the way in which the brain functions, through the generalising power of language and, possibly, through kinaesthetic cues which link auditory and visual perceptions.