You Don't See OBJECTS, You See Opportunities: The Theory of AFFORDANCES

Look at the chair you are sitting on. Do you see "legs and a seat," or do you see "a place to sit"? In this video, we explore one of the most fascinating concepts in cognitive science: Affordances. Originally introduced by psychologist James J. Gibson and later popularized in design by Don Norman, "Affordance Theory" challenges everything we know about how we see the world. We don't just passively look at objects; we perceive the action possibilities they offer us based on our own physical abilities. From an ant looking at honey to the famous "Stair Climbing Experiment", we’ll dive deep into: Why a cat sees an apple differently than you do. The difference between Gibson’s "Direct Perception" and Norman’s "Mental Models". How we perceive "Social Affordances" in other people. By the end of this video, you’ll never look at a door handle—or the world—the same way again. --- 📚 SOURCE: This video is based on the "Affordances" entry from the MIT Press Open Encyclopedia of Cognitive Science. Authors: Anthony Chemero (University of Cincinnati). --- #Affordance #psychology #cognitivescience #designtheory #DonNorman #JamesGibson #perception #uxdesign