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Perceptual narrowing involves refining sensory experiences based on individual beliefs, expectations, and cultural context, affecting the way we process and interpret sensory information. Examples of perceptual narrowing include the Müller-Lyer illusion, bias in identification of weapons associated with racial bias, and the perception of characters in media and art forms.
Perceptual narrowing refers to the process where our sensory experiences refine themselves over time to become more selective, based on our beliefs, expectations, cultural context, and life experiences, often excluding information from other cultures or perspectives. It is a part of our perceptual set, forming our interpretation of sensory information.
One example of perceptual narrowing is the Müller-Lyer illusion, which demonstrates how individuals from Western cultures, owing to their 'carpentered world' of straight lines and angles, are more likely to perceive parallel lines of equal length as unequal if they are bracketed by angled lines. This is not experienced by individuals from certain non-Western cultures, such as the Zulu of South Africa, due to their 'uncarpentered' world of circular huts and absence of right angles.
Another example is how implicit racial bias can affect perception, as studies have shown that non-Black individuals are quicker to identify weapons and more likely to misidentify non-weapons as weapons when coupled with images of Black individuals. This is a grave manifestation of perceptual narrowing on societal and cultural levels, showcasing how prejudices and cultural bias can alter perception.
Perceptual narrowing also extends to perception of media and art forms, like time, place, and cultural context of female leads in romantic comedies or depiction of characters in films.
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