Publication in the Diário da República: Despacho nº 9182/2020 - 25/09/2020
5.5 ECTS; 1º Ano, 1º Semestre, 45,0 T + 15,0 TP + 4,0 O , Cód. 96443.
Lecturer
- Maria Verónica Conte de Morais Fernandes (1)(2)
(1) Lead Professor
(2) Teaching Professor
Prerequisites
Not applicable.
Objectives
1.Understand the fundamental processes involved in visual perception and the construction of visual experience.
2.Understand the principles of perceptual organisation and the factors influencing perception.
3.Understand the foundations of colour perception and the psychological, social and cultural dimensions of colour.
4.Acquire the tools needed to analyse, evaluate and communicate visually in an informed manner.
5.Develop skills in observation, analysis, interpretation and critical reflection on visual phenomena.
Program
1. Visual Perception: Sensation, Perception and Knowledge
Sensation, perception and cognition. Attention and motivation. Visual memory and visual thinking. Bottom-up and top-down processing. The influence of experience, knowledge, expectations and context on the interpretation of visual information.
2. How We See: From the Eye to the Brain
Light as a visual stimulus. Essential structures and functions of the visual system. Photoreception and retinal processing: rods, cones, bipolar cells and ganglion cells. Visual pathways and basic principles of cortical processing of visual information. Physiological foundations of colour vision: trichromatic and opponent-process theories. Colour vision deficiencies. Perceptual dimensions of colour: hue, lightness and saturation/chromaticity.
3. Organisation and Interpretation of Visual Experience
Principles of perceptual organisation and Gestalt psychology: figure-ground organisation and reversibility, proximity, similarity, symmetry, continuity, closure and Prägnanz (good form).
Subjective contours, visual ambiguities and illusions. Perceptual constancies. Perception of form, space and depth. Perception of light and shadow and the interpretation of concave and convex forms.
4. Light, Matter and Colour in Nature
Interactions between light, matter and organisms in the production of colour appearance. Diversity and functions of colour in nature. Observation, questioning and interpretation of natural colour phenomena.
5. Colour Perception and Visual Communication
Visual and chromatic adaptation. Afterimages. Simultaneous contrast and other phenomena of chromatic interaction. Colour constancy. Relativity of colour perception.
Colour relationships and contrasts. Colour and legibility.
6. Colour: History, Psychology and Society
Historical and cultural transformations in the uses and meanings of colour. Psychological and social dimensions of colour experience. Emotions, associations, symbolism and colour conventions. The influence of experience and historical, social and cultural contexts on the interpretation of colour.
Evaluation Methodology
1. Assessment during the Regular Assessment Period
Visual Journal From Wonder to Curiosity 15%
Continuous individual work involving observation, recording, questioning, reflection and exploration of the course content beyond the classroom.
Written Test 85%
Individual assessment of knowledge through a written test during the regular assessment period.
2. Assessment during the Examination and Resit Periods
Individual assessment of knowledge through a written examination, accounting for 85% of the final grade.
Students who have taken the written test during the regular assessment period and obtained a mark of 7 or below (out of 20) will not be admitted to the examination.
Bibliography
- ARNHEIM, R. (1998). Arte e percepção visual. São Paulo: Pioneira
- CORTESI, F. e BODDY, J. e HURLBERT, A. (2024). Color in Nature. Princeton: Princeton University Press
- GLEITMAN, H. (2014). Psicologia. Lisboa: Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian.
- HELLER, E. (2017). A Psicologia das Cores. Como as cores afetam a emoção e a razão. São Paulo: Editorial Gustavo Gili.
- ITTEN, J. (2018). Art de la couleur. Paris: Dessain e Tolra.
- PASTOUREAU, M. (1997). Dicionário das Cores do Nosso Tempo: Simbólica e Sociedade.. Lisboa: Editorial Estampa
Teaching Method
Sessions combine theory, multimedia resources, perceptual experiences and case studies with observation, research, experimentation and communication exercises. Continuous recording and reflection in a visual journal are encouraged.
Software used in class
Not applicable.
