Ecological approaches to perceptual learning: learning to perceive and perceiving as learning

Abstract

In this theoretical review article, our primary goal is to contribute to the post-cognitivist understanding of learning to perceive and perceiving as learning, by discussing a framework for perception and perceptual learning initiated by James J Gibson, and extended by Eleanor J Gibson and others. This Ecological Psychology has a coherent set of assumptions based on the concept of mutualism between the perceiving organism and its surroundings, and the idea of affordances as action possibilities of the surround that are perceptible by the organism. At the same time, Ecological Psychology, broadly construed, consists of different perspectives that take different routes to address questions related to the core concepts of perceptual learning. In this article, we focus on three theoretical stances within Ecological Psychology on the issue of perceptual learning: that of Eleanor J Gibson, the current theory of direct learning by Jacobs and Michaels, and the “organicist” approach based on ideas of organicist biology and developments in evolutionary biology. We consider perceptual learning as embedded in development and evolution, and we explore perceptual learning in more depth in the context of tool use and language development. We also discuss the relation between Ecological Psychology and Enactivism on the nature of perception. In conclusion, we summarize the benefits of Ecological Psychology, as a robust but still developing post-cognitivist framework, for the study of perceptual learning and cognitive science in general.

Bringing Forth Within: Enhabiting at the Intersection Between Enaction and Ecological Psychology

“…Both reject explanatory strategies understanding cognition as consisting in the manipulation of content-involving representations. Both emphasize contextuality over reductionism, foreground particularity and process, and stress the constitutive role of body–environment relationships in the development of cognition ( Szokolszky et al, 2019 ). Given such convergences, some suggest that they are ripe for integration (e.g., Kiverstein and Rietveld, 2018 ).…”

Ecological Psychology and Enactivism: Perceptually-Guided Action vs. Sensation-Based Enaction1

“…However, Gibson specifically refers to invariances that exist because of the animal's locomotion, grasping, looking, tool use, and so forth; and these types of activity are what is meant by “perceptually-guided action” (not the picking up of invariants) (cf. Szokolszky et al, 2019 ). Of course, invariants of motion in the surround also exist (see material on events above).…”

“…On the direct perception ecological approach perceiving is always occurring, always open and developing/differentiating/integrating, and always a direct “knowing” of the surround through acting in/on it. Direct perception leaves open the relation of perceiving and other types of knowing, and these topics are active areas of research in current ecological psychology research (e.g., McCabe et al, 1986 ; Dent-Read, 1997 ; Rader and Vaughn, 2000 ; Szokolszky, 2006 , 2019 ; Araujo and Davids, 2009 ; Rader and Zukow-Goldring, 2012 , 2015 ; Read and Szokolszky, 2016 ; Szokolszky et al, 2019 ). The living systems approach, in contrast, begins by defining cognition, and the definition of perception follows from that initial definition/assumption.…”

“…Earlier we briefly discussed the Enactivism-Ecological Psychology relationship (cf. Szokolszky et al, 2019 ). We highlighted basic strategic and conceptual differences in their ways of explaining animal—environment mutuality; however, we concluded that a dialogue benefits both parties.…”

“…Along with others committed to Ecological Psychology we claim that this is a fundamental point of difference that needs to be squarely addressed (cf. Szokolszky et al, 2019 ). We agree with Michaels and Palatinus ( 2014 , p.19) that Ecological Psychology comes “as a package deal”: the major principles of Ecological Psychology are “deeply connected and intertwined.…”