People and animals typically behave effectively with respect to the world. What are the mechanisms that allow us to gain and make use of information about our surroundings and about objects at a distance? The course will focus on the physiological processes underlying sensation (sight, hearing, and touch), the qualitative aspects of human perceptual experience, and on how perception and action are interconnected. The theoretical focus will be on whether perception is an indirect and passive inferential process or a direct and dynamic information-seeking process. Format: lecture/discussion. Requirements: short papers, a written report of research project, and class participation. Prerequisites: Psychology 201 or permission of instructor. No enrollment limit (expected: 15). Empirical Project

Hour: SHOCKLEY