The Psychology of Learning and Its Perception - Essay Example

The social and cultural factors in terms of a gap in perception are one that I can relate to my example of the difference in the context of a culture that acts as a barrier to perceiving another person's point of view.

Assignment # 3

Write a brief explanation of the extent to which you think perception involves learning.

After reading up on Sternberg’s (2009) literature on perception we can conclude that learning and perception are intertwined. Just look at what we mean when we use the term learning, it is a moderately permanent modification in one’s behavior resulting due to some experience or practice. This change encompasses concepts such as classical and operant conditioning as well as perceptual learning. Now let’s look at what we mean when we use the term perception. It usually relates to one’s awareness of things, experiences, or events that stimulate one's senses.

So we can rightfully say that when one perceives something through the environment, he is learning from it and then putting it into practice (Hulse, Deese & Egeth, 1975). Look at the visual aspect of learning which is highly dependent on the brain's tendency to organize various stimuli into objects which are seen as figures. The basic development of an individual is greatly impacted by the things he perceives which he does by learning. Most of everything that we learn in our daily lives takes root from learning resulting from new perceptions; with our present perception being impacted by our prior learning, especially when there is an emotional meaning attached (Hochberg, 1964). This can be best explained by the aid of an example. A gun might be perceived a lot differently by a woman who has seen someone being shot as compared to the innocent way a child might look at it.

The child would view it as a toy and associate it with fun and play whereas the woman will perceive it as a deadly weapon associated with feelings of fear and danger. Another relevant example can be that of an infant learning how to walk. Initially, he will fall as he tries to balance walking. He experiences a fall while he is at it however he still practices to learn how to walk. So in this way, he is learning from his mistakes. Look at a blind man trying to learn how to walk. His learning to walk around on his lies greatly on his perception of spaces and figures hence without one he cannot achieve the other. That is how greatly the two concepts are connected. Read More