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Perception refers to our sensory experience of the world. It is the process of using our senses to become aware of objects, relationships, and events. It is through this experience that we gain information about the environment around us.
Perception relies on the cognitive functions we use to process information, such as utilizing memory to recognize the face of a friend or detect a familiar scent. Through the perception process, we are able to both identify and respond to environmental stimuli.
Perception includes the five senses: touch, sight, sound, smell, and taste. It also includes what is known as proprioception, which is a set of senses that enable us to detect changes in body position and movement.
Many stimuli surround us at any given moment. Perception acts as a filter that allows us to exist within and interpret the world without becoming overwhelmed by this abundance of stimuli.
The different senses often separate the types of perception. These include visual, scent, touch, sound, and taste perception. We perceive our environment using each of these, often simultaneously.
There are also different types of perception in psychology, including:
Another type of perception is selective perception. This involves paying attention to some parts of our environment while ignoring others.
The different types of perception allow us to experience our environment and interact with it in ways that are both appropriate and meaningful.
Through perception, we become more aware of (and can respond to) our environment. We use perception in communication to identify how our loved ones may feel. We use perception in behavior to decide what we think about individuals and groups.
We perceive things continuously, even though we don't typically spend a great deal of time thinking about them. For example, the light that falls on our eye's retinas transforms into a visual image unconsciously and automatically. Subtle changes in pressure against our skin, allowing us to feel objects, also occur without a single thought.
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To better understand how we become aware of and respond to stimuli in the world around us, it can be helpful to look at the perception process. This varies somewhat for every sense.
In regard to our sense of sight, the perception process looks like this:
Think of all the things you perceive on a daily basis. At any given moment, you might see familiar objects, feel a person's touch against your skin, smell the aroma of a home-cooked meal, or hear the sound of music playing in your neighbor's apartment. All of these help make up your conscious experience and allow you to interact with the people and objects around you.
What makes perception somewhat complex is that we don't all perceive things the same way. One person may perceive a dog jumping on them as a threat, while another person may perceive this action as the pup just being excited to see them.
Our perceptions of people and things are shaped by our prior experiences, our interests, and how carefully we process information. This can cause one person to perceive the exact same person or situation differently than someone else.
Perception can also be affected by our personality. For instance, research has found that four of the Big 5 personality traits—openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and neuroticism—can impact our perception of organizational justice.
Conversely, our perceptions can also affect our personality. If you perceive that your boss is treating you unfairly, for example, you may show traits related to anger or frustration. If you perceive your spouse to be loving and caring, you may show similar traits in return.
While they are similar, perception and attitude are two different things. Perception is how we interpret the world around us, while our attitudes (our emotions, beliefs, and behaviors) can impact these perceptions.
If you want to improve your perception skills, there are some things that you can do. Actions you can take that may help you perceive more in the world around you—or at least focus on the things that are important—include:
The perception process does not always go smoothly, and there are a number of things that may interfere with our ability to interpret and respond to our environment. One is having a disorder that impacts perception.
Perceptual disorders are cognitive conditions marked by an impaired ability to perceive objects or concepts. Some disorders that may affect perception include:
Some of these conditions may be influenced by genetics, while others result from stroke or brain injury.
Certain factors can also negatively affect perception. For instance, one study found that when people viewed images of others, they perceived individuals with nasal deformities as having less satisfactory personality traits. So, factors such as this can potentially affect personality perception in others.
Interest in perception dates back to ancient Greek philosophers who were interested in how people know the world and gain understanding. As psychology emerged as a science separate from philosophy, researchers became interested in understanding how different aspects of perception worked—particularly the perception of color.
In addition to understanding basic physiological processes, psychologists were also interested in understanding how the mind interprets and organizes these perceptions.
Gestalt psychologists proposed a holistic approach, suggesting that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Cognitive psychologists have also worked to understand how motivations and expectations can play a role in the process of perception.
As time progresses, researchers continue to investigate perception on the neural level. They also look at how injury, conditions, and substances might affect perception.
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By Kendra Cherry, MSEd
Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."
