How do discovery theories explain perceptual learning?

In the study of perceptual learning, discovery theories—most notably associated with the work of Eleanor J. Gibson—propose that learning is a process of discovering how to transform previously overlooked potentials of sensory stimulation into effective information.1

Rather than adding external associations or interpretations to sensory input, discovery theories suggest that perceptual modification occurs as an individual learns to respond to new, specific aspects of sensory stimuli that were already present but previously ignored. This perspective contrasts with enrichment theories, which argue that learning involves enriching sensory experience with rules and associations derived from past experience to interpret the same stimuli differently.1

Ultimately, discovery theories emphasize the refinement of the perceiver's ability to extract information directly from the environment, suggesting that the development of perceptual skills is a matter of becoming more attuned to the inherent properties of sensory data.1