Table Of ContentTHE ECOLOGICAL APPROACH
TO VISUAL PERCEPTION
This book, fi rst published in 1979, is about how we see: the envir onm ent
around us (its surfaces, their layout, and their colors and textures); where we are
in the enviro nm ent; whether or not we are moving and, if we are, where we
are going; what things are good for; how to do things (to thread a needle or
drive an auto mobile); or why things look as they do.
The basic assumpt ion is that vision depends on the eye which is connec ted to
the brain. The author suggests that natural vision depends on the eyes in the head
on a body suppor ted by the ground, the brain being only the central organ of a
complete visual system. When no constraints are put on the visual system, people
look around, walk up to some thing intere sti ng and move around it so as to see it
from all sides, and go from one vista to another. That is natural vision — and
what this book is about.
James J. Gibson (1904–1979) is one of the most important psychologists of the
20th Century, best known for his work on visual perception. He received his
Ph.D. from Princeton University and his fi rst major work was The Perception of
the Visual World (1950) in which he rejected behaviorism for a view based on his
own experimental work.
In his later works, including T he Ecological Approach to Visual Perception
(1979), Gibson became more philosophical and criticized cognitivism in the
same way he had attacked behaviorism before, arguing strongly in favor of
direct perception and direct realism, as opposed to cognitivist indirect realism.
He termed his new approach “ecological psychology”.
Gibson’s legacy is increasingly infl uential on many contemporary movements
in psychology, particularly those considered to be post-cognitivist.
Psychology Press Classic Editions
The P sychology Press Classic Editions series celeb rates a commit ment to excel lence in
schol ar ship, teach ing, and learni ng within the fi eld of Psychology. The books in
this series are widely recog nized as time less class ics, of continu ing import ance for
both students and research ers. Each title contains a completely new intro duct ion
which explores what has changed since the books were fi rst published, where the
fi eld might go from here and why these books are as relev ant now as ever. Written
by recog nized experts, and cover ing core areas of the subject, the Psychology Press
Classic Editions series presents funda mental ideas to a new gener a tion.
The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception (Classic Edition)
By James J. Gibson
Essentials of Human Memory (Classic Edition)
By Alan Baddeley
Uncommon Understanding (Classic Edition): Development and
Disorders of Language Comprehension in Children
By D.V.M. Bishop
Essential Cognitive Psychology (Classic Edition)
By Alan J. Parkin
Human Cognitive Neuropsychology (Classic Edition)
By Andrew W. Ellis and Andrew W. Young
Lev Vygotsky (Classic Edition): Revolutionary Scientist
By Fred Newman and Lois Holzman
The New Psychology of Language (Classic Edition): Cognitive and
Functional Approaches To Language Structure, Volume I
Edited by Michael Tomasello
The New Psychology of Language (Classic Edition): Cognitive and
Functional Approaches To Language Structure, Volume II
Edited by Michael Tomasello
Principles of Learning and Memory (Classic Edition)
By Robert G. Crowder
Psychologists on Psychology (Classic Edition)
By David Cohen
Attention and Emotion (Classic Edition)
By Adrian Wells and Gerald Matthews
Cross-Cultural Roots of Minority Child Development (Classic
Edition)
Edited by Patricia M. Greenfi eld and Rodney R. Cocking
Mind and Media: The Effects of Television, Video Games, and
Computers (Classic Edition)
Patricia M. Greenfi eld
This page intentionally left blank
THE ECOLOGICAL
APPROACH TO VISUAL
PERCEPTION
Classic Edition
James J. Gibson
Classic Edition published 2015
by Psychology Press
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
and by Psychology Press
27 Church Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 2FA
Psychology Press is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa busi ness
© 2015 Taylor & Francis
The right of Psychology Press to be iden tifi ed as Publisher of this work has been assert ed in
accord ance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprin ted or repro duced or util ised in any form
or by any elec tronic, mech an ical, or other means, now known or here after inven ted, includ ing
photo copy ing and record ing, or in any inform at ion storage or retrieval system, without
permis sion in writing from the publish ers.
Trademark notice : Product or corpor ate names may be trade marks or registered trade marks, and
are used only for iden tifi ca t ion and explana t ion without intent to infringe.
First published by Taylor & Francis Group, 1986
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
A catalog record for this book has been requested
ISBN: 978-1-84872-577-5 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-84872-578-2 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-74021-8 (ebk)
Typeset in Bembo
by Refi neCatch Limited, Bungay, Suffolk, UK
To my son and daugh ter
with pride
and to Eli, Michael, and Elizabeth
with love
This page intentionally left blank
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface xi
Introduction xiii
Introduction to the Classic Edition xvii
PART I
The Environment to be Perceived 1
1 The Animal and the Environment 3
2 Medium, Substances, Surfaces 12
3 The Meaningful Environment 28
PART II
The Information for Visual Perception 39
4 The Relationship Between Stimulation and
Stimulus Information 41
5 The Ambient Optic Array 58
6 Events and the Information for Perceiving Events 85
Description:This book, first published in 1979, is about how we see: the environment around us (its surfaces, their layout, and their colors and textures); where we are in the environment; whether or not we are moving and, if we are, where we are going; what things are good for; how to do things (to thread a n
