Sensory Perceptions - Essay Example

Sensory Perceptions Sensory Perceptions The five senses exhibited by human beings enable them to perceive the world in any manner.This is the definition of sensory perceptions as these senses help in identifying various stimuli in the immediate environment. However, these five senses do not tell individuals of the entire reality of the environment they live in, which means that, they are limited. Individuals need to trust their senses, to some extent, for them to have a mental representation of the surroundings.

In order for this data to be interpreted and give an accurate view of the world, individuals must incorporate other senses. Senses play an intricate role in an individual’s thinking. It is, therefore, vital to understand some of the weaknesses they exhibit, and how these weaknesses affect an individual’s thinking. The need to process sensory information is crucial in the growth and development of individuals (Marie, 2010). This paper will examine why individuals need not entirely believe in the accuracy of sensory information, and how this might affect the decisions they make daily.

Reasons not to believe in the accuracy of sensory information There are reasons why sensory information cannot be relied on entirely by individuals. How people interpret sensory information, is dependent on their judgement. People often choose to look at things in their surrounding objectively, even though, they try not to believe they do this. These psychological biases and cognitive factors make everybody choose what to believe. What one might perceive in one way, another may choose to look at it differently (Barth & Giampieri-Deutsch, 2012).

This creates a rift in the perception by individuals about their present situations. Another reason why it is hard to place trust in sensory information provided by the senses includes past experiences. How people interpret the immediate situation may be based on past experiences that led one not to trust their instincts (Barth & Giampieri-Deutsch, 2012). This affects the decisions they might make regarding the given situation. Moreover, the environmental effects affect the interpretation of data.

Communication, for example, may be distorted before reaching the intended party. This may be because of noise. These environmental factors affect our perceptions, hence; would not be right to believe entirely in sensory information (Barth & Giampieri-Deutsch, 2012).Factors contributing to the accuracy of sensory data Repeatability is one factor that may contribute to an individual’s accuracy of sensory data. Senses being exposed to certain conditions on a regular basis may offer an individual accuracy during the interpretation of sensory information.

This enhances their ability to visualise and interpret information presented to them (Chaudhuri, 2011). Tools available allow for the testing of sensory information to prove its accuracy. Mathematical tools may prove the reliability and neutrality of information. Also, the scientific community may come up with tools that are accepted to assess the accuracy of sensory information (Chaudhuri, 2011).Roles of “nature” and “nurture” with regard to the interpretation and evaluation of sensory data Through nature, the in-built mechanisms enable individuals to judge their immediate environment, and make conclusions as required.

Through nurture, individuals have developed scientific methods that reflect on the realities present. Both these factors offer individuals a chance to view the world from their own perspective. Through nature, survival becomes the most crucial factor, rather than making accurate choices from sensory information (Barth & Giampieri-Deutsch, 2012). In conclusion, sensory perceptions enable people to look at the world from any angle they want. However, as seen, it is next to impossible to rely solely on information provided by senses to make daily decisions.

How the brain interprets sensory information needs time to provide an individual with adequate reason to make the choices they see fit (Chaudhuri, 2010). Through this, sensory information might, therefore, be relied upon to affect daily decisions.ReferencesBarth, G. F., & Giampieri-Deutsch, P. (2012). Sensory perception: Mind and matter. New York: Macmillan Publishers. Chaudhuri, A. (2011). Fundamentals of sensory perception. New York: Bantam Books.Marie, H. (2010). Making sense of sensory systems.

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