Grounding Naïve Physics and Optics in Perception

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Many adults hold mistaken beliefs concerning the behavior ofmechanicalmotion and reflections. In the field of psy- chology this has been investigated in the areas of naïve physics and naïve optics. The interesting question regards where these false beliefs come from. Particularly thought-provoking is the case of errors which are at odds not only with (presumably or even ac- tually) known physical/optical concepts, but also with what peo- ple would actually perceive. Some errors are in fact consistent with what people see in ecological conditions while others ap- parently are not. This has led to the former being referred to as perceptual errors and the latter as conceptual errors (Lawson & Bertamini 2006). We propose that many of these ‘conceptual er- rors’ are generalizations of what can be actually perceived under some conditions that are then incorrectly applied under others. In this sense, they can be thought of as a second way in which perception shapes naïve beliefs.