TWO PROCESSES OF PERCEPTION
There are numerous processes involved in perception, but two key processes are sensation and perception.
1. Sensation: Sensation refers to the process of detecting and encoding stimuli from the environment through our senses. It is the first step in perception and involves receiving sensory information through the five senses: sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. Sensation allows us to detect and gather raw data from the environment, such as seeing colors, hearing sounds, tasting flavors, smelling scents, and feeling textures. This raw sensory information is then transmitted to the brain for further processing in the perception process.
2. Perception: Perception is the process of organizing, interpreting, and making sense of the sensory information received through sensation. It involves higher-level cognitive processes that enable us to transform the sensory data into meaningful and understandable experiences. Perception is influenced by various factors, such as our past experiences, expectations, cultural background, and individual differences. It helps us recognize objects, identify patterns, understand spatial relationships, and make sense of our surroundings. Perception goes beyond mere sensation and involves mental processes to interpret and comprehend the sensory information received from the environment.
The two main processes of perception are sensation and interpretation. Here's a step-by-step explanation of each process:
1. Sensation: Sensation refers to the process of detecting external stimuli through our sensory organs (such as eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin). It involves the conversion of physical energy from the environment into electrochemical impulses that the brain can understand. Here are the steps involved in sensation:
a. Reception: Sensory receptors in our body detect and receive the external stimuli. For example, our eyes receive light waves, and our ears receive sound waves.
b. Transduction: The sensory receptors convert the physical energy (light, sound, pressure, etc.) into neural signals, which can be transmitted to the brain. This process occurs through specialized cells in each sensory organ.
c. Transmission: The neural signals are transmitted to the brain through the nervous system. They travel along specific pathways or neural circuits to reach the relevant areas of the brain for further processing.
2. Interpretation: Interpretation is the process of making meaning out of the sensory information received by the brain. It involves analyzing and organizing the sensory inputs to create a coherent perception of the world. Here are the steps involved in interpretation:
a. Attention: Attention refers to selectively focusing on specific stimuli while filtering out irrelevant information. The brain prioritizes certain stimuli for further processing based on their significance or relevance.
b. Perception: Perception is the result of the brain's interpretation of the sensory information. It involves identifying, organizing, and interpreting the sensory inputs based on our previous knowledge, experiences, and expectations. Perception allows us to recognize objects, understand their meanings, and form mental representations of the world around us.
c. Cognition and Memory: Cognitive processes, such as memory, play a crucial role in forming our interpretations. Our past experiences and knowledge influence how we interpret and make sense of current sensory inputs. Memory also helps us recognize familiar objects or situations.
Overall, these two processes work together to enable us to perceive and understand the world around us based on the sensory inputs we receive.