Sensation and Perception

Paper Summary:

This paper describes the differences between the functions of sensation and perception as well as the very important role that both serve in our daily lives. The paper explains that without our organs of sensation we would be cut off from the outside world, but without perception, or our ability to make cognitive interpretations, we would also be continually vulnerable to threats to our safety and well-being.

From the Paper:

"Without our basic physical senses: sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste, we would be cut off from the outside world. Unable to see, we could no longer know the color of a rose; unable to smell we would have no knowledge of the rose's perfume. If we could not hear, we would be unable to listen to music and would need to use sign language gestures in order to communicate with others. Without the ability to touch, we would not know the difference between a hot potato and a cold one. If our taste failed, we could not tell the difference between chocolate and vanilla ice cream, save for their hue. The eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and skin are therefore the body's major organs of perception. Damage to or obstruction of one of the organs of perception would entail a loss of ability to acquire sensory input from that particular organ. Through the body's main organs of perception, a human being encounters data such in chemical, wave, or other forms. However, sensations only contribute part of the information our brain needs to formulate a view of reality. Perception, or the process by which our brain processes sensory data, is equally as important as sensation. To perceive something means to interpret it, and not simply to sense it; perception helps human beings make important judgments about the world around them."

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