Types of perception in psychology – Definition, classification and characteristics

People have the ability to smell, hear and see what is happening in their world. These senses are what help you form certain information about your reality. In this sense, studies carried out in the field of perception usually focus on how the human brain processes this information, since it is what is used to create experiences and perceive the environment.

In any case, perception is a vital process for survival. It is through the senses that we perceive information from the environment in which we operate to process it in our brain. Now, many people tend to think of perception as a unitary capacity, and the reality is that this process goes beyond simple sensations. In this Psychology-Online article you will know exactly what they are. types of perception in psychology so that you learn to recognize them easily.

What is perception

The perception It is a process that includes organizing, interpreting and identifying all sensory information that we receive to understand the data that is in the environment. Furthermore, all perception involves signals that pass through the nervous system, which in turn are the result of physical or chemical stimulation of the sense organs.

Phases of perception

Coupled with that, perception is a process that involves several stages. Specifically, they are the following:

  • Detection: at that moment, individuals perceive the stimuli through their senses. The greater the stimulus, the faster the information can be perceived. In fact, people respond to it with an immediate sensation and then focus on the perception of the environment.
  • Organization and attention: in this stage, the individual organizes the information according to proximity and, there is even a certain tendency to group similar stimuli.
  • Appreciation: at this moment people select and organize sensory responses, according to their individual reality.

Within psychology, perception is of vital importance since it supports the theory that people will perceive reality according to a certain structure. Therefore, each experience depends in part on each person’s culture and background.

If you want to know what types of perception exist according to psychology, then let’s look at the most common ones:

Olfactory perception

As its name indicates, it is a type of perception that is activated through smell, through aromatic stimuli or odors. Some of the characteristics of olfactory perception is that it allows us to obtain information from the environment to relate aromas with certain positive or negative memories.

Auditory perception

This perception happens because the changes in vibrations that occur in the environment are captured through the ears or the auditory system. Furthermore, it is important to recognize the presence of the elements what’s around us.

Spatial perception

This type of perception refers to the ability of the subject to capture visual signals from the world in its three dimensions. Among the characteristics of spatial perception is the possibility of judge distance, depth and height of the stimulus.

Tactile perception

Tactile perception occurs when stimuli are received through the skin, which happens mainly using the hands. In this type of perception, it may well arise rejection or a pleasant feelingaccording to each experience.

taste perception

It is a very sensitive type of perception since it occurs through the taste buds. Obviously, detection occurs through the mouth. Now, depending on the particular experience, this perception can trigger positive or rejection manifestationsamong one of the main characteristics of taste perception.

Visual perception

Within the types of perceptions in psychology, in this case, visual perception captures the colors, movements, shape and size of the elements external to be able to interpret the information.

Pain perception

Experts consider that this type of color perception is one of the most complex. In fact, they affirm that, for it to happen, many senses participate. For example, a person may experience a smell of blood and relate it to a memory from the past. Also when we receive a blow, the sense of touch is activated.

Extrasensory perception

Another example of perception is extrasensory. This is a very particular type of perception since it is related to little-known sensory processes. For example, it has to do with paranormal phenomenatelepathies, premonitions and other types of events that generally occur under conditions with controlled stimuli.

Motion perception

This process is essential for the survival of the species. Is related to the need for movement, orientation and hunting that animals and humans have for survival. In fact, if it were not for the perception of movement, species would reduce their number of individuals drastically.

Social perception

Also called social cognition. Among the types of perception examples, this type relates to the way people tend to visualize those around them. That is, it is the way we associate, remember and categorize those around us.

Musical perception

This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

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Bibliography

  • Galavotti, E. (2014). General Psychology. Homolaicus.com
  • Oviedo, G. (2004). The definition of the concept of perception in psychology based on Gestalt Theory. Rev.estud.soc. no.18 Bogotá-Colombia.
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