Sensation v. perception

Sensation and Perception

Perception and sensation are terms that have respective meanings in the realm of vocabulary , and they are sometimes mistaken as synonymous to each other . In the field of psychology , we often come across these concepts , and they tend to overlap each other in terms of usage Consequently , we tend to interchangeably use them . The similarity of the two terms is that they are characterized by cognitive processes of the objective world . They also need the stimulation of the nerves as they occur in the human body (James , 1950 p

Perception always involves sensation , and in turn sensation never takes place without perception . The two processes differ in their functions An object that is near can be described with their qualities , such as hot , cold , red , blue , noisy , and painful , which are perceived by the senses . Through the experiences of the senses , the mind experiences pure sensation . The more we inspect the object , the more we categorize it in terms of measurement and how it compares with other objects . Therefore in classifying the object , the mind experiences perception (James 1950

Sensation involves taking an analytical point of view . Its function is mere contact of the fact . It involves appearances that are unintentional . For example , when a person has a sensation of blue , it does not mean that he has any knowledge about blue . It means that the person senses blue but does not possess any knowledge about the object sensed . Perception , on the other hand , is having the knowledge about the object , its characteristics and aspects (Dreyfus , 1997

The different kinds of sensation are pain , numbness , temperature sensitivity , hearing impairment , tingling , burning or other types ( Symptom : Sensation ' 2008 , n .p . It can be triggered by various events depending on how our body will react to the different situations For instance , pain , as a sensation , can be caused by sickness or ailments . Meanwhile , contact with hot and cold is an example of the stimuli which the body automatically reacts to

References

Dreyfus , G .B .J (1997 . Recognizing Reality . Albany , New York : State University of New York Press

James , W (1950 . The Principles of Psychology . Mineola , N .Y : Dover Publications , Inc

Symptom : Sensation (2008 , August 4 . WrongDiagnosis .com . Adviware Pty Ltd . Retrieved August 26 , 2008 from http /www .wrongdiagnosis .com /sym /sensations .htm

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