Perception and Factors Affecting It

Perception of our surroundings is something we take for granted. It simply happens. We spot things, grab them, and walk around them before driving past them. In general, our perceptual systems work so effectively that we are utterly ignorant of the complex cognitive and sensory mechanisms at the heart of their operation – until something goes wrong.

It seems straightforward until you try to figure out how perception works. There are a number of perception theories that appear to be highly different and, at times, even conflicting. There’s a probability that certain theories are correct while all others are misleading. However, the hypotheses are most likely looking at a complex process from different angles.

Consider trying to come up with a theory on how a cycle operates. One idea may be focused on which pedals must be pressed in order for the cycle to move, while another could provide the internal combustion engine explanation. Both hypotheses would provide useful information about how the cycle operates, but they appear to be very different.

Visual Perception

The ability to notice, organize, and analyze environmental events is known as visual perception. When visual information is misread or processed incorrectly, it cannot be “matched” or integrated into the other senses. It might distract and interfere with our learning instead of boosting it.

Reading music, for example, is an outstanding example of visual-auditory integration. Visual-motor integration is seen when learning to dance by observing the trainer.

When the eye focuses light onto its retina, this is the physiological basis for visual perception. Photoreceptor (light-receiving) cells are found in the retina and are responsible for converting light into electrical impulses that are transmitted to the brain. The cerebral cortex is responsible for visual perception. The electrical signals are delivered into the thalamus via the optic nerve.

Many daily functions, including writing, reading, completing puzzles, cutting and sketching, solving mathematical problems, dressing up, and finding your socks on the floor in your bedroom, are dependent on visual perceptual abilities. Children’s self-esteem is harmed and their academic and athletic performance can be impeded if they are unable to complete daily duties.

Auditory Perception

Auditory perception is the capacity to process information into a form that reaches the ears via audible frequency signals sent through the air or other methods. There are several procedures to follow to hear the sounds that surround us:

• Receive Information If an object vibrates (which is what happens to humans’ voices (vocal chords vibrate) the sound waves created by this process are carried by air or by other methods. When these waves arrive at the inner ear, some cells become activated.
• Information Transmission Cells produce signals that travel through multiple nuclei before it reaches the medial geniculate nucleus inside the thalamus.
• Information manipulation Ultimately, the auditory information obtained by the ear is transmitted to the temporal lobes’ auditory cortex. To enable you to interact with the information, it is altered and transferred to the rest of the brain.

Haptic Perception

One of the most essential ways of interacting with the outside environment is through haptic perception. A haptic perception is a contact-based approach to object recognition. It combines somatosensory detection of the skin’s surface (such as edges, curves, and textures) with awareness of hand position and conformation.

Haptic perception relies on the forces experienced during touch. This study enables the development of “virtual,” illusory haptic shapes with various perceived properties, which has obvious implications for haptic technology.

Loss of touch is a devastating loss that can make it difficult to walk and perform other skilled acts like handling objects or using the equipment.

Perceptual Process

Selection

It is the first step of perception, and it necessitates making a decision about what information to focus on. This could be a little numb at times, but it could also be deliberate. Everything around us may give an endless supply of stimuli, yet our brain is able to selectively pay attention to inputs based on contextual or individual circumstances.

When we pay attention to an object in a selective manner it is regarded as a stimulus that we have attended to. Various factors influence the selection process, including urges and impulses, motivations, and incentives to act in a certain way.

Organization

When we choose to pay attention to something in the environment, we start off with a sequence of brain-related events. The sensory receptors are activated to start the neurological process.

Organizing is the second stage of the perceiving process, in which we organize and categorize the information we receive using our learned cognition patterns. Similarity, proximity, and differences are three strategies for organizing items into patterns.

Interpretation

After the stimulus is selectively focused on and the information is organized by the brain, the information is interpreted to provide meaning to the stimuli to which we are exposed.

To acquire a thorough grasp of the stimuli and make better decisions based on them, we usually categorize them. Interpretation is subjective because different people will interpret the same stimuli differently depending on their past experiences, attitudes, and values.

Factors Affecting Perception

Individual Difference

There are differences in perceiving capacities between people. The same stimuli may be seen differently by two people.

Previous Experiences

Our prior experiences shape us into the individuals we are now. We are unable to separate ourselves from them. Our perception is also influenced by our past experiences. They have an impact on our views and personal prejudices, as well as our expectations of others and ourselves.

It’s essential to be willing to adjust our minds when circumstances change. For example, the Earth was not previously thought to be round.

Perceptual Learning

We make decisions based on our prior experiences and any specific instructions we receive. Everyone acquires the ability to focus on specific sensory cues while ignoring other sensory signals.

Someone who has received instruction in a specialized profession, such as artwork or other skilled occupations, is more likely to succeed than someone who has not. For these skills, the most effective teacher is experience. Blind persons, for example, know people they meet by their speech or the noises made by their footsteps.

Mental Mood

The term “set” refers to a person’s readiness to receive sensory input. The anticipation of getting sensory input keeps one focused and well-prepared. For example, if we expect to hear a train approaching, we listen for its horn or hear it even if there is a lot of noise.

Motivation and Need

If you intend to work for a few years before enrolling in a business school to obtain an MBA. Your motivations can influence how you approach your work. You’re more likely to put up the work required to perform well, receive positive feedback, and reach your objectives.

Our motivations have an impact on how we respond to a problem. When it comes to teamwork, each team member’s motivations may be different. To achieve the group’s objectives, however, management must bring everyone on the same level and share their expectations.

Cognitive Styles

There is a view that people see information differently. Each person will have his or her own unique perspective on the topic. Individuals that are flexible are believed to be more attentive and less driven by external stimuli as well as internal needs and goals. This is in contrast to those who have a limited perspective.