Sensation and Perception
The issue of being able to trust one's senses has been the topic of many philosophical debates and whole books have been written on this debate. There are convincing arguments made for both sides of the issue. Nonetheless, anyone who ambulates, operates a motor vehicle, eats, interacts with others, etc. trusts the information that their senses give them (Christian, 2011). Sensory information is the result of physical stimuli collected by sense organs and transferred and processed in the brain, whereas perception is the interpretation of these stimuli that occurs at the higher levels of the brain (Hatfield, 2013). Sensory information in the absence of frank brain damage is an actual reflection of the physical stimulation that is delivered to the various processing areas of the brain (Hatfield, 2013). One's perception of the world is open to subjective interpretation (Hatfield, 2013). The big question regarding whether one can trust their senses should not be a yes or no question nor should it be an absolute question. So, if the question is "Should you always trust your senses (perceptions)?" The answer is no; however, if the question is "Should you generally trust your senses (perceptions)?" The answer is yes. The dilemma occurs when deciding when to put faith in one's senses/perceptions and when to question and rationally inspect them.
For instance, let's suppose you are driving down the freeway. Should you trust your sensory information? Well, any person that is going to get in a car...
Sensory Perceptions Three Reasons for Believing in the Accuracy or Inaccuracy of Sensory Information Sensory perception can be defined as the process of receipt of stimuli and then their organization and interpretation by using the five senses for making the meaning of one's surrounding environment. In other words, it is the process by which a person acquires an understanding of his/her environment (Kemp, Hollywood & Hort 2009). Thus, by employing sensory perceptions,
Sensory Perceptions" Can trust senses interpretation sensory data give accurate view Sensory data is a valuable means of obtaining knowledge and information about one's surroundings. However, sensory data is extremely prone to bias due to an assortment of different factors. These factors include the unreliability of memory, the degree to which senses can be influenced by other cognitive and emotional responses, and the fact that sense are essentially subjective, and
Fallibility of Reliance Upon Sensory Data Accounting Author's institution affiliation The Necessity & Fallibility of Reliance upon Sensory Data Without sensory data, most humans would likely die after very short lives. Sensory data on a very basic level allows beings to navigate and interact with their environments and world. Without sensory information, the simplest tasks could not be accomplished and it would be exceptionally difficult to maintain general safety. Without sensory data, society
Properties of Sensory Perception Within the realm of Gestalt theory, the concept of attention is differentiated from that of perception. Attention is the cognitive ability of the human brain to simultaneously focus on a variety of subjects, while continually adjusting the intensity of that focus in response to external factors. A total of four techniques have been identified by Gestalt theory to exert an impact on one's attention: intensity, novelty, incongruity,
ESP The term ESP (Extra Sensory Perception) was coined by J.B. Rhine in the 1920s (Blackmore, 2001). Rhine investigated paranormal phenomena while at Duke University. ESP refers to a number of psychic abilities such as telepathy, precognition, clairvoyance (remote viewing), or clairaudience (hearing voices or thoughts psychically). One of the more popular methods to demonstrate that someone has ESP called the Ganzfeld procedure (Bem & Honorton, 1994; Blackmore, 2001). In the Ganzfeld
Perceptions at a Party Different sensations from the environment are processed through sensory receptors, such as the eyes, ears, nose, skin and mouth, which are then perceived and processed in the brain to be organized and interpreted (Huffman, 2007). For the party example, several sensations are being processed through our sensory receptors. When we arrive to the party, it is already dark outside, so when we enter the hosts' house, the
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