Is there a difference between sensation and perception? It is a somewhat complicated matter, because the distinction between sensation and perception is not so immediate, to the point that some authors have come to consider them as part of a single complex psychic function that they called sense-perception, as if it were a kind of continuum that goes from simple sensory perception to the assumption of meanings.
Although these concepts are often used interchangeably, however, they are substantially different, and with this Psychology-Online article we will see together what are the differences between sensation and perception, with some examples.
The sensation is the subjective experience associated with a physical stimulus and involves the recording and encoding of information contained in the stimulus by parts of the sense organs and neural pathways. This information, encoded in nervous messages, is sent to the brain that decodes it and analyzes it until a meaningful interpretation: perception refers to these processes and can be considered the ultimate end of the sensation.
The sensation corresponds to the simple awareness of the stimulation of a sense organ, and all the senses depend on the transduction process that occurs when the sensors Body signals convert chemical signals into neural signals that will be sent to the nervous system central. We can thus summarize the process that gives rise to the sensation:
- Physical stimulus: matter or form of energy that affects the sense organs (ex. light).
- Physiological response: complex of electrical activities at the level of the sense organs, the nerves and the brain triggered by the stimulus.
- Sensory experience: subjective and individual psychological experience (ex. sound, taste, smell, etc.).
But sensations differ qualitatively and quantitatively: qualitatively we distinguish sensations in relation to with the different sense organs and we talk about visual, acoustic, gustatory, olfactory, tactile sensations, pains, etc. Each sense organ, when stimulated, to a particular type of sensation that does not vary also varying the physical quality of the stimulus. Therefore, we have different types of sensations.
- For example, the retina produces visual sensations both when it is stimulated by the stimulus (light waves), and when it is stimulated electrically or by pressure stimuli. From the quantitative point of view, instead, the sensations differ in intensity. In this article you can see the color perception.
According to common sense, perception it is a faithful sensorial register and the sense organs provide objective information about reality ("naive realism"). In contrast, in scientific psychology, perception is a complex interpretation of reality, a process of construction of meaning that consists of relating isolated stimuli and attributing meaning through processes of elaboration of the sensory cues, of classification, of "adjustment" with respect to the image of the objects provided by the senses.
By perception, then, is understood what the individual experiences as reality, or, in other words, the brain-processed interpretations of raw sensory information; Such interpretations are determined by the interaction of three factors: past experience, current knowledge, and innate processes.
The study of this psychological function has always played a leading role in psychology, precisely because the performance of the perceptual apparatus of an individual determines the image of the world that is constructed and, at the same time, the immediate limits of its knowledge. Since ancient times the problem of how the mind knows, perceives and processes the world has been widely discussed, giving life to reflection on the relationship between perception and perceived reality, that is, between what can be defined as objective or subjective.
We can group the studies on perception into three great orientations: the science of vision, cognitive approaches and studies on the very genesis of perception.
Once we have seen the definition of sensation and the explanation of perception, we are going to compare both concepts. We found 4 main differences between sensation and perception.
- Sensation is a reaction and perception an elaboration. Sensory experience (visual, auditory, etc.) is the reaction to internal and external stimuli (physical and biological) captured by the sense organs; perceptual experience is the subjective elaboration (based on interests, habits, etc.) of the data offered by the sense organs, and such elaboration acquires its objective validity if it finds confirmation in the tests scientific. The sensations to be transformed into perceptions, must be completed with mnemonic data of past experiences, on the basis of prevailing interests, with a view to action to perform.
- Sensation is receiving and perception is grasping. While the sensation consists of receiving stimuli such as sounds, images, etc., the perception resides in capturing the relationships between them or between the characteristics of each one, giving it a meaning.
- The sensation is more basic and the perception more complex. The term "sensation" expresses an elemental psychic phenomenon caused by external stimuli that act on the receptor organs; "perception", on the other hand, defines a rather complex phenomenon that also considers the processing of sensory data and psychic integration. The concept of perception expresses, then, the mind-sense relationship and, despite the different nuances that the study of perception assumes in different orientations, it is agreed to recognize aspects of the perceptual psychic function that are considerably more complex than the simple sensation.
- The sensation is more immediate and the perception is not. The characteristics of the sensation are that they arise immediately from the stimulation of a sensory receptor, from to be present to consciousness more or less clearly, to be raised passively without being sought or desired. Perception, on the other hand, is a sensation enriched by "asensory" elements (of reflection, memory, etc.), which force us to add an interpretation to the sensory data, and it is sought and loved with interest active.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
