Sensation Vs Perception

Sensation vs. Perception

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Sensation vs. Perception

Did you know that the most sensitive cells present at the rear of an eye can detect the flame of a candle far from thirty miles ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"hKdNyzaj","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Okawa & Sampath, 2007)","plainCitation":"(Okawa & Sampath, 2007)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":364,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/CKNkWnK9/items/N282NK3U"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/CKNkWnK9/items/N282NK3U"],"itemData":{"id":364,"type":"article-journal","title":"Optimization of single-photon response transmission at the rod-to-rod bipolar synapse","container-title":"Physiology (Bethesda, Md.)","page":"279-286","volume":"22","source":"PubMed","abstract":"Our ability to see in dim light is limited by the statistics of light absorption in rod photoreceptors and the faithful transmission of the light-evoked signals through the retina. This article reviews the physiological mechanisms at the synapse between rods and rod bipolar cells, the first relay in a pathway that mediates vision near absolute threshold.","DOI":"10.1152/physiol.00007.2007","ISSN":"1548-9213","note":"PMID: 17699881","journalAbbreviation":"Physiology (Bethesda)","language":"eng","author":[{"family":"Okawa","given":"Haruhisa"},{"family":"Sampath","given":"Alapakkam P."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2007",8]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Okawa & Sampath, 2007) and in a quiet place, the sensory receptors of the hair cells can perceive the impulse of a clock from twenty feet apart ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"ZsM0bRnk","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Marks & Stevens, 1968)","plainCitation":"(Marks & Stevens, 1968)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":369,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/CKNkWnK9/items/7HWXKLXV"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/CKNkWnK9/items/7HWXKLXV"],"itemData":{"id":369,"type":"article-journal","title":"The form of the psychophysical function near threshold","container-title":"Perception & Psychophysics","page":"315-318","volume":"4","issue":"5","source":"Springer Link","abstract":"Psychophysical functions typically depart from a simple power law in the vicinity of the absolute threshold. Five versions of the psychophysical power law have been proposed to describe the function near threshold. An account is given of some of the difficulties encountered in attempts to decide among the various versions by means of empirical tests.","DOI":"10.3758/BF03210523","ISSN":"1532-5962","journalAbbreviation":"Perception & Psychophysics","language":"en","author":[{"family":"Marks","given":"Lawrence E."},{"family":"Stevens","given":"Joseph C."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["1968",9,1]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Marks & Stevens, 1968). This is due to the extraordinary ability of sensory receptors to receive stimulus which is interpreted in the higher centers of the brain where they are perceived. It is quite evident that sensation and perception are related to each other, however, both of them play distinct characters in our interpretation of the world. The process of recognizing our surroundings via various stimuli such as touch, sight, sound, smell, and the taste is termed as sensation. Perception plays its part when these stimuli go to the higher centers in a brain where they are interpreted. Our interpretation of these signals is mainly termed as perception according to which we make sense of everything in our surroundings.

One way of looking at this paradigm is that Sensation is a physical process while perception is recognized as a psychological process. For instance, when you walk down to the kitchen and smell the odor of brownies baking in the oven, you might think "whoa! The smell seems similar to the brownies mama used to make on the day of Christmas". This is recognized as perception while the receptors in nose detecting the scent of brownies are termed as sensation.

Another factor affecting sensation and perception is attention. In assessing what has been sensed vs. what has been perceived, attention plays a crucial role. Assume that you are at a party filled with gossip and Joy. You are engaged with a companion in an interesting debate and you ignore all the ambient noise. You will not be able to answer the question if someone asks you about the music that we're playing earlier.

References

ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"uncited":[],"omitted":[],"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY Marks, L. E., & Stevens, J. C. (1968). The form of the psychophysical function near threshold. Perception & Psychophysics, 4(5), 315–318. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03210523

Okawa, H., & Sampath, A. P. (2007). Optimization of single-photon response transmission at the rod-to-rod bipolar synapse. Physiology (Bethesda, Md.), 22, 279–286. https://doi.org/10.1152/physiol.00007.2007