Before you can understand the psychology of perception, a basic knowledge of eye anatomy is necessary.

• Cornea – Protective membrane on the outside of the eye. If you have an astigmatism, the cornea isn’t as smooth as it should be.
• Iris – Colored muscle, changes the size of the pupil.
• Pupil – Black spot that is the hole through which light enters the eyeball.
• Lens – Focuses light onto receptors.
• Cilliary Muscles – Pull tight to help us focus.
• Retina – Layers of different kinds of cells.
• Fovea – Central point of focus within retina, cleanest, crispest, sharpest point of focus.

Psychology & the Eye

This book from Oliver Sacks a physician, best-selling author, and professor of neurology and psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center, talks about many of eye-related disorders. If you’re familiar with “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat,” you’ll also like this book. In particular, there is a great story on binocular disparity.