Constancy in AP Psychology

Definition

Constancy refers to the tendency of our perception to remain unchanged even when the stimuli changes. Size constancy is perceiving objects as having a constant size, even while our distance from them varies. Shape constancy is understanding that an object's shape remains the same despite changes in its perceived shape due to rotation or other factors. Brightness constancy means we perceive an object as having a constant brightness even if its illumination changes.

Related terms

Perception:

The process by which sensory information is interpreted and consciously experienced.

Depth Perception:

The ability to perceive spatial relationships, especially distances between objects, in three dimensions.

Color Constancy:

Perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object.