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 the process whereby sensory
stimulation is translated into
organized or meaningful experience. The perceptual
process is not directly
observable, but relations can be found between the
various types of
stimulation and their associated experiences or percepts.
Empirical
demonstration of the difference between sensation and perception
has been a
classical problem, largely because of a lack of agreement about
the definition
of the two terms. A common distinction is that sensations
are simple sensory
experiences while percepts are complex constructions
of simple elements that
have been joined through association. Another distinction
is that perceiving
is subject to the influence of learning.
Percepts also
have been characterized as relating to external objects while
sensations
are more subjective and are internally localized experiences. An
anatomical
distinction identifies sensation with neural events occurring near
the sense
organ, while percepts happen at the level of the brain.
Perceptual functioning
varies among cultures, among individuals, and even within
the same individual.
Perceptions may be influenced by expectancies, needs,
unconscious ideas,
values, and conflicts; people have a tendency to impose
order and meaning
upon their experiences. |