| Functionalism | Functional dimensions of psychological processes as instrumental in adaptation to the environment. | W. James, J. Dewey, J. R. Angell used several methods: introspection, experimental method, comparative method, etc. | Motivational factors, personal interest in adaptation to the environment that affect perception. Perception plays an instrumental role in motivation and emotion. Subject as an active element. |
| Structuralism | Simple elements, attributes, their structures, and laws of combination, to analyze the complex elements. | W. Wundt, E. B. Titchener, G. E. Müller used lab analysis. | Perception is the result of elementary components (simple elements) perceived as a product of experience. Not innatism. |
| Behaviorism | Conduct systematic observation of only observable stimuli and responses. | J. B. Watson used observable and controllable stimuli and responses by the experimenter. | The study of perception occurred in a second plane. Abandonment of methods of structuralism and functionalism. |
| School of Gestalt | Holistic nature, unity, and global mental phenomena. Analysis of simple elements and their combination. | M. W. Wertheimer, W. Köhler, K. Koffka used introspection and observation. K. Lewin. | Perceive objects as complete structures, configurations, or “all organized,” rather than as isolated and separate parts. Reject the study of parts; perceive totalities. Perceptive laws. Innatism in our brain in perception. |
| Ecological Theory / Direct Perception | Study of stimuli in the environment that are responsible for perception. | J. Gibson used observation and experimentation. | The richness of perception is given by the richness of the environment, not in thought processes. Perceive the environment directly from the information processing of stimuli down-up. Importance of stimulus. Affordances: the objects that surround us have a certain number of potential uses that are perceived directly, without previous experience. |
| Information Processing | Identification and description of cognitive processes and connecting them through specific patterns of information flow. | Broadbent, Simon, Gardner, Neisser used flowcharts. | Information perception must be studied together with other mental processes as a single, integrated system. Perception is a system of limited capacity. All processes can be explained in terms of stages or phases. |
| Computational Theory | Study of human perceptual systems, especially the visual. | D. Marr used simulation of cognitive processes through the computer. | Human perceptual systems are based on mathematical models of information processing. Indirect perception. Perceptual processes as mathematical models. Analogy between the mind and the computer. Processing reaches down. |
| Constructivism | Study of perceptual processes. | H. Von Helmholtz, R. L. Gregory used experimental and objective techniques. Systematic observation. | The observer is who builds perceptions based on information from the environment. Active construction. Processing is coming down. Schema (Neisser). |
