HUMAN SENSES

 
 
 
 
HUMAN SENSES: THE PROCESSES OF STIMULATION, SENSATION AND PERCEPTION

When someone smells coffee, is he or she having a sensation or a perception? In every day language these two terms are used interchangeably; however, in technical terms sensation and perception are very distinct complementary processes associated with the human senses. According to Goldstein (2003), the term "sensation' refers to a passive process in which information from the outside world is brought inward to the body and the brain; while "perception" refers to an active mental process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting the information that has been brought to the brain via the senses.

Regarding the process of sensation and perception, Schiffman (2001) points out that while they are different processes, they nonetheless work together. Specifically, sensory organs associated with the senses absorb energy from a physical stimulus in the environment (sensation) and sensory receptors then convert this energy into neural impulses and send them to the brain. The brain then organizes the information and translates it into


     
 
 
 
    

 

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