The Five Stages of Perception - Essay Example

The Five Stages of Perception

Perception is termed as one's level of awareness of elements in the environment. It is developed in five distinct stages. Those studying the whole concept of perception are more concerned with wanting to understand how they related to whatever is happening in their surrounding environments. However, it is necessary to understand the levels of demand that can be placed on one's perception without necessarily compromising the sense of security and sanity. If well done, the study of perception could help anyone correct the threats that make someone uncomfortable with the external environment.

Definition

Perception is the process that defines one's experience of the universe through the continuous processing of information received through the senses. It is for this reason that perception is closely related to sensation it is almost impossible to separate the two. In other words, it is through a perception that sensory stimulation is processed before further being translated into human experience.

There are numerous elements within nature and the universe as a whole that trigger human perceptions. It is for this reason that individuals can see, taste, or even smell something while, at the same time, organizing their perception of these things in an organized manner (Devito, 2009). Such experience is common in all activities involving people. So the human brain is naturally formed in a way that allows it to organize or process whatever is perceived in a manner that makes sense. In simple words, perception adds face as well as illusions and melodies to an element or event as is guided by the senses.

The Stages of Perception

1. Stimulation – First stage

It is the first of the five stages of perception. It is when your senses perceive any stimuli around. Interestingly, the attention of an individual can be attracted by thousands of stimuli. Being stimulated means that something has come to your attention - this happens through any of the five human senses.

These include a sense of touch, smell, hearing, sight, and taste. The eye is regarded as one of the primary receptors of stimuli. However, this depends on the element or item, resulting in the stimulation. For instance, a sense of smell does not necessarily need the stimulation of the eye to know that there is a foul or beautiful smell coming from somewhere.

However, even in such situations, the eye might be necessary if the source of that smell is to be located and appropriate action taken. So it is not more important than the other ones – the tongue, ear, or nose. Stimulation is mainly formed through selective attention as well as exposure. Selective attention is witnessed in a situation where individuals are selective in the way they react to certain stimuli, especially when such stimuli are experienced simultaneously (Devito, 2009; Rooks & Willson, 2000).

An excellent example is when the mind is switched off from whatever is being said in class because one thinks of some activities planned for the weekend. In such a case, a student or students won't hear anything being said unless their attention is drawn back to the teacher. Selective exposure, on the other hand, happens when people only expose themselves to stimuli that confirm or justify their existing beliefs.

A good example is when ladies buy beautiful dresses and choose to ask for opinions on the dress from people who they know would affirm their decisions. It means that they avoid any chance of them being told that the dresses are not as beautiful as they think.

2. Organization – Second Stage

Perception is enhanced when individuals identify and recognize different objects. Without this, then it would be hard for individuals to use any of their five senses appropriately. Perception can be organized in three distinct ways. These include scripts, rules, and schemata. A situation where rules are used to organize perceptions means that individuals can perceive elements that are physically close in characteristics as falling in the same category.

Schemata is developed from people's actual experiences linked to daily activities. It can also be developed from hearsays, readings, and what is watched from the television (Devito, 2009). Individuals can also exhibit some familiarities recognized in the form of a schema. Through such, individuals can categorize their perceptions into different groups. Scripts can also be categorized as some forms of schema that specifically focus on procedure, action, or event.

3. Interpretation-Evaluation – Third stage

The body has a way of recognizing features and events. When this happens, people tend to apply own biases and experiences. For instance, they evaluate their own experiences and relate them to past beliefs and values. It is what determines one's reaction to a situation being experienced. Basically, the interpretation of information gives meaning to that specific information.

It is not uncommon for someone's perception to be misguided while the brain organizes the data being received. It mostly happens when there are stereotypes. It is also worth noting that interpretation varies from one individual to another individual. It means that individuals have different ways of interpreting situations. It is why it is widely believed that individuals follow different scripts in their evaluation of stimuli (Devito, 2009). Especially when it comes to the most complex ones such as the ones that require a lot of focus for accurate interpretation.

4. Memory – Fourth Stage

Memory is formed when events and moments are stored in the brain. People begin building a connection between such memories and their personal beliefs. In other words, they give meaning to them. It is worth noting that human experiences can either be good or bad. Surprisingly, human beings are never aware that some of these memories are stored within their minds until they are triggered by something that suddenly happens to them.

The mind is so powerful that it not only keeps the stimuli experienced by an individual but goes a step further to keep memories of how one felt (Russell, 1976). Positive memories include those happy moments spent with loved ones such as a family member or a best friend. Negative ones are those that one wouldn't want to recall, such as being involved in a road accident or losing loved ones.

5. Recall – The fifth Stage

It is not unusual to desire to recall some of the memory stored in the brain. The process of recollection requires an individual to reconstruct what was experienced in a way that gives it meaning. There are moments when an individual finds it easy to accurately recall information stored from the past (Devito,2009).

However, there are times when recalling this information becomes difficult, especially if this hasn't happened for a long time. So, it is not unusual for an individual to distort this information during the recollection process. The difference that exists in people also means that some will easily recall good times while others, bad ones. It all depends on the ones that left a lasting mark in their minds.

Avoiding Uncertainty in Perception

Perfect perception can only be achieved when there is a reduction of uncertainties. There are many ways to do this. The most effortless process is for people to be informal in their interactions. Being informal, rather than formal allows them to be aware of their actions and the formal activities taking place. It is better than formal activities which makes people lose touch with reality as they to maintain specific high standards of acting (Devito,2009; Gudykunst, 1994)

Conclusion

People are different in many ways. They hold different beliefs and have different knowledge, cultures, and experiences. Naturally, people are selective in their analysis of events. It means that they sometimes will form biases while there are those other times when they will be accurate in their perceptions. It is why it is crucial to collect and analyze information about people to have a better understanding of these differences. Judging them on a surface value might only be futile to the relationships built with them.