James J. Gibson (perception theory)

James J. Gibson's perception theory, known as ecological psychology, suggests that perception is an active process where we directly gather information from our environment without needing internal mental processing or interpretation. He believed that the environment offers "affordances," which are the possible actions objects or surroundings provide, like a chair inviting sitting. Our senses pick up actual, real-time information—like light, sound, and texture—that allows us to understand and interact with the world naturally and efficiently. This view emphasizes perceiving the environment as it is, rather than constructing it mentally from sensory data.