Define sensation and perception. What is the difference between them? Provide an example.

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I. Sensation is awareness of stimulus (stimuli) -- energy changes that cause a response.

II. Perception involves sensation plus interpretation of that sensation. Although sensation doesn't necessarily involve perception, perception always involves sensation.

Knowing that you have been touched involves sensation, but identifying what touched you would involve perception.

You should be able to provide examples for our other senses.

Sensation and perception are two closely related processes that allow us to experience and understand the world around us.

Sensation refers to the process of detecting and encoding sensory information from the environment through our senses. It involves the initial gathering of raw sensory data through our sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. For example, when you see a red apple, your eyes detect the wavelength of light that corresponds to the color red and transmit that information to your brain.

Perception, on the other hand, refers to the way our brain organizes, interprets, and gives meaning to the sensory information received from our senses. It involves higher-level cognitive processes that enable us to make sense of what we perceive. Using the previous example, perception comes into play when your brain identifies the red color, recognizes it as an apple, and assigns meaning to it, such as associating it with sweetness.

In summary, sensation is the process of detecting and encoding sensory information, while perception is the process of organizing, interpreting, and giving meaning to that sensory information.

Example: Imagine you are walking in a garden. As you walk, you see colorful flowers, hear birds chirping, smell the scent of blooming plants, feel the gentle breeze, and taste the refreshing coolness of a watermelon. In this scenario, the sensation occurs when your sensory organs detect the visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile, and gustatory stimuli. Perception then takes place when your brain processes and integrates these sensory inputs, allowing you to recognize the flowers, identify the sound as bird chirping, associate the scent with blooming plants, feel the sensation of the breeze, and taste the watermelon.