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Sensation vs. Perception

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Sensation and Perception The human brain is much more complex than any other organism because humans have the ability to perceive information. Any organism can experience sensation, or a response caused by the presence of a stimulus (Baar and Warden, 1928). Because humans have such complex cerebral cortexes, they can interpret the sensations caused by stimuli and decide what to do with the information. This interpretation is called perception and it gives meaning to sensations (Harrison and Geller, 2014). The difference between sensation and perception is that a sensation is just the experience of a stimulus, while perception is the interpretation of the sensation. A sensation can happen at any time and can be caused by all types of stimuli. Sensations can be cause by all the five senses that are sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste. Sensations are also a “native” (Baar and Warden, 1928) response, meaning they just occur and need no prior learning for translation. Perception on the other hand can only happen when there is a sensation. Without a sensation, there would be nothing to perceive, therefore there would be no information to be put together. Perception must be “acquired by experience” (Baar and Warden, 1928), meaning they require prior learning in order to interpret and understand sensations. For example, when an adult witnesses someone being hit, they will think something is wrong, because, as a child, they were taught that hitting was bad. Although perception needs prior experience or teaching, it does not take time or effort for the brain to react to a sensation (Harrison and Geller, 2014). Sensation and perception are correlated because sensation must occur in order for perception to take place; however, sensation can still occur without perception. Perception requires sensation in order for its definition to remain true. Without sensation there can be no perception. Harrison and Geller state that the primary function of the sensory areas of the brain is to relay information take in from a person’s surroundings and to interpret it so that a person can decide how to react (2014). Sensation and Perception are both active function of the brain at any given moment. People are always taking in information about their surroundings through sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell and then interpreting what it means to them. A person can experience a sensation without perception, but without sensation there can be no perception.

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