The Difference Between Sensation and Perception
In Psychology Tenth Edition in Module Sensation is defined as, " the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment." In simpler terms its our body's ability to feel stimulus. Perception is our interpretation of this stimulus.
These two very similar functions can sometimes be challenging to differentiate in our fast paced lives. It seems like sometimes we just see or feel something and react to it, and that's that. It seems almost as automatic as breathing, but it is slightly more complicated than that. As aforementioned when we feel a stimulus we are sensing it. This is fairly easy to understand for everyone. For example if I am stung by a bee I am feeling a stimulus, but how I perceive this stimulus is a whole other process. There is two ways us humans perceive stimuli. Bottom up processing and top down processing.
Bottom up processing begins with the stimulus and works its way up to higher order thinking. As an example we will go back to my bee scenario. If a bee stings you and then you register in your brain that it hurt and scream that is an example bottom up processing.
Top down processing happens when you hear a something that prods a memory of a recent experience. For example when I hear the slap of a snowboard against the snow I may recreate in my head the last big trick I threw down on the slopes.
Below I have posted a link to a youtube video explaining bottom up and top down processing in different and simpler terms. My second link is
an article I found on Wikipedia that I found very useful in explaining the difference in top down and bottom up processing if you did not find the video helpful.
Links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWWrlsfgM0A
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top-down_and_bottom-up_design
These two very similar functions can sometimes be challenging to differentiate in our fast paced lives. It seems like sometimes we just see or feel something and react to it, and that's that. It seems almost as automatic as breathing, but it is slightly more complicated than that. As aforementioned when we feel a stimulus we are sensing it. This is fairly easy to understand for everyone. For example if I am stung by a bee I am feeling a stimulus, but how I perceive this stimulus is a whole other process. There is two ways us humans perceive stimuli. Bottom up processing and top down processing.
Bottom up processing begins with the stimulus and works its way up to higher order thinking. As an example we will go back to my bee scenario. If a bee stings you and then you register in your brain that it hurt and scream that is an example bottom up processing.
Top down processing happens when you hear a something that prods a memory of a recent experience. For example when I hear the slap of a snowboard against the snow I may recreate in my head the last big trick I threw down on the slopes.
Below I have posted a link to a youtube video explaining bottom up and top down processing in different and simpler terms. My second link is
an article I found on Wikipedia that I found very useful in explaining the difference in top down and bottom up processing if you did not find the video helpful.
Links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWWrlsfgM0A
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top-down_and_bottom-up_design