{"id":407,"date":"2023-03-02T20:16:37","date_gmt":"2023-03-02T20:16:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/chapter\/reading-what-is-perception\/"},"modified":"2025-11-11T19:45:49","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T19:45:49","slug":"reading-what-is-perception","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/chapter\/reading-what-is-perception\/","title":{"raw":"Sensation and Perception: Learn it 2\u2014What is Perception?","rendered":"Sensation and Perception: Learn it 2\u2014What is Perception?"},"content":{"raw":"<h2><b>Perception and Processing<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<p class=\"p3\">While our sensory receptors are constantly collecting information from the environment, it\u2019s <span class=\"s2\">how we interpret that information<\/span> that shapes the way we experience and interact with the world.<\/p>\r\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\">\r\n<h3>perception and processing<\/h3>\r\n<p><strong>Perception<\/strong> refers to the way sensory information is organized, interpreted, and consciously experienced. Perception involves both bottom-up and top-down processing (Egeth &amp; Yantis, 1997; Fine &amp; Minnery, 2009; Yantis &amp; Egeth, 1999):<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Bottom-up processing<\/strong> refers to sensory information coming in from a stimulus in the environment that then drives you to think about it and interpret it (senses, then thought).<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Top-down processing<\/strong> refers to knowledge and expectancy driving a process, meaning that you first think about and interpret a sensation (thought, then senses).<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<section class=\"textbox example\">\r\n<h4>Bottom-up versus top-down processing<\/h4>\r\n<p>Look at the shape in Figure 1 below. Seen alone, your brain engages in bottom-up processing. There are two thick vertical lines and three thin horizontal lines. There is no context to give it a specific meaning, so there is no top-down processing involved.<\/p>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_3516\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"136\"]<a href=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/855\/2017\/01\/26161444\/Screen-Shot-2017-01-26-at-10.13.34-AM.png\"><img class=\"wp-image-3516 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/855\/2017\/01\/26161444\/Screen-Shot-2017-01-26-at-10.13.34-AM.png\" alt=\"text or image of a thick vertical line and three thin horizontal lines, then another thick vertical line.\" width=\"136\" height=\"168\" \/><\/a> <strong>Figure 1<\/strong>.\u00a0What is this image? Without any context, you must use bottom-up processing.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<p>Now, look at the same shape in two different contexts. Surrounded by sequential letters, your brain expects the shape to be a letter and to complete the sequence. In that context, you perceive the lines to form the shape of the letter \u201cB.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_3517\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"219\"]<img class=\"wp-image-3517 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/855\/2017\/01\/26161456\/Screen-Shot-2017-01-26-at-10.13.51-AM.png\" alt=\"The letter A, then the same shape from before that now appears to be a B, then followed by the letter C.\" width=\"219\" height=\"113\" \/> <strong>Figure 2<\/strong>.\u00a0With top-down processing, you use context to give meaning to this image.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<p>Surrounded by numbers, the same shape now looks like the number \u201c13.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_3518\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"273\"]<img class=\"wp-image-3518 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/855\/2017\/01\/26161457\/Screen-Shot-2017-01-26-at-10.14.00-AM.png\" alt=\"The number 12, then the same shape from before that now appears to be a 13, then followed by the number 14.\" width=\"273\" height=\"120\" \/> <strong>Figure 3<\/strong>.\u00a0With top-down processing, you use context to give meaning to this image.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<p>When given a context, your perception is driven by your cognitive expectations. Now you are processing the shape in a top-down fashion.<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<section class=\"textbox proTip\">\r\n<h3><b>Sensation vs. Perception<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p class=\"p3\">A helpful way to distinguish between the two:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Sensation<\/b><\/span> is <span class=\"s1\"><b>physical<\/b><\/span>\u2014it\u2019s the raw detection of sensory input.<\/li>\r\n\t<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Perception<\/b><\/span> is <span class=\"s1\"><b>psychological<\/b><\/span>\u2014it\u2019s the interpretation and meaning we attach to those inputs.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\nFor example, upon walking into a kitchen and smelling the scent of baking cinnamon rolls, the <em data-effect=\"italics\">sensation<\/em> is the scent receptors detecting the odor of cinnamon, but the <em data-effect=\"italics\">perception<\/em> may be \u201cMmm, this smells like the bread Grandma used to bake when the family gathered for holidays.\u201d<\/section>\r\n<h3><b>When Sensation Fades: Sensory Adaptation<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p>Although our perceptions are built from sensations, not all sensations result in perception. For example, some sensations are not perceived due to sensory adaptation.<\/p>\r\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\">\r\n<h3>sensory adaptation<\/h3>\r\n<p><strong>Sensory adaptation<\/strong> is the loss of perception of stimuli that remain relatively constant over prolonged periods of time.<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<p class=\"p1\">Imagine checking into a hotel room where a <span class=\"s1\">construction sign flashes<\/span> outside your window. At first, the blinking light is impossible to ignore. But after a few minutes of watching TV, you barely notice it.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"p1\">The light still flashes, and your eyes still register it\u2014but your <span class=\"s1\">perception<\/span> of it fades. This demonstrates sensory adaptation: your brain tunes out constant or repetitive information to free up attention for new, important stimuli.<\/p>\r\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\">[ohm2_question height=\"300\"]3984[\/ohm2_question]<\/section>","rendered":"<h2><b>Perception and Processing<\/b><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p3\">While our sensory receptors are constantly collecting information from the environment, it\u2019s <span class=\"s2\">how we interpret that information<\/span> that shapes the way we experience and interact with the world.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\">\n<h3>perception and processing<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Perception<\/strong> refers to the way sensory information is organized, interpreted, and consciously experienced. Perception involves both bottom-up and top-down processing (Egeth &amp; Yantis, 1997; Fine &amp; Minnery, 2009; Yantis &amp; Egeth, 1999):<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Bottom-up processing<\/strong> refers to sensory information coming in from a stimulus in the environment that then drives you to think about it and interpret it (senses, then thought).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Top-down processing<\/strong> refers to knowledge and expectancy driving a process, meaning that you first think about and interpret a sensation (thought, then senses).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"textbox example\">\n<h4>Bottom-up versus top-down processing<\/h4>\n<p>Look at the shape in Figure 1 below. Seen alone, your brain engages in bottom-up processing. There are two thick vertical lines and three thin horizontal lines. There is no context to give it a specific meaning, so there is no top-down processing involved.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3516\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3516\" style=\"width: 136px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/855\/2017\/01\/26161444\/Screen-Shot-2017-01-26-at-10.13.34-AM.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3516 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/855\/2017\/01\/26161444\/Screen-Shot-2017-01-26-at-10.13.34-AM.png\" alt=\"text or image of a thick vertical line and three thin horizontal lines, then another thick vertical line.\" width=\"136\" height=\"168\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3516\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 1<\/strong>.\u00a0What is this image? Without any context, you must use bottom-up processing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Now, look at the same shape in two different contexts. Surrounded by sequential letters, your brain expects the shape to be a letter and to complete the sequence. In that context, you perceive the lines to form the shape of the letter \u201cB.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3517\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3517\" style=\"width: 219px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3517 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/855\/2017\/01\/26161456\/Screen-Shot-2017-01-26-at-10.13.51-AM.png\" alt=\"The letter A, then the same shape from before that now appears to be a B, then followed by the letter C.\" width=\"219\" height=\"113\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3517\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 2<\/strong>.\u00a0With top-down processing, you use context to give meaning to this image.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Surrounded by numbers, the same shape now looks like the number \u201c13.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3518\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3518\" style=\"width: 273px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3518 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/855\/2017\/01\/26161457\/Screen-Shot-2017-01-26-at-10.14.00-AM.png\" alt=\"The number 12, then the same shape from before that now appears to be a 13, then followed by the number 14.\" width=\"273\" height=\"120\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3518\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 3<\/strong>.\u00a0With top-down processing, you use context to give meaning to this image.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>When given a context, your perception is driven by your cognitive expectations. Now you are processing the shape in a top-down fashion.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"textbox proTip\">\n<h3><b>Sensation vs. Perception<\/b><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p3\">A helpful way to distinguish between the two:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Sensation<\/b><\/span> is <span class=\"s1\"><b>physical<\/b><\/span>\u2014it\u2019s the raw detection of sensory input.<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Perception<\/b><\/span> is <span class=\"s1\"><b>psychological<\/b><\/span>\u2014it\u2019s the interpretation and meaning we attach to those inputs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For example, upon walking into a kitchen and smelling the scent of baking cinnamon rolls, the <em data-effect=\"italics\">sensation<\/em> is the scent receptors detecting the odor of cinnamon, but the <em data-effect=\"italics\">perception<\/em> may be \u201cMmm, this smells like the bread Grandma used to bake when the family gathered for holidays.\u201d<\/section>\n<h3><b>When Sensation Fades: Sensory Adaptation<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Although our perceptions are built from sensations, not all sensations result in perception. For example, some sensations are not perceived due to sensory adaptation.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\">\n<h3>sensory adaptation<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Sensory adaptation<\/strong> is the loss of perception of stimuli that remain relatively constant over prolonged periods of time.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"p1\">Imagine checking into a hotel room where a <span class=\"s1\">construction sign flashes<\/span> outside your window. At first, the blinking light is impossible to ignore. But after a few minutes of watching TV, you barely notice it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The light still flashes, and your eyes still register it\u2014but your <span class=\"s1\">perception<\/span> of it fades. This demonstrates sensory adaptation: your brain tunes out constant or repetitive information to free up attention for new, important stimuli.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"ohm3984\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/ohm.one.lumenlearning.com\/multiembedq.php?id=3984&theme=lumen&iframe_resize_id=ohm3984&source=tnh&show_question_numbers\" width=\"100%\" height=\"300\"><\/iframe><\/section>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"menu_order":5,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Sensation and Perception\",\"author\":\"OpenStax College\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/5-1-sensation-versus-perception\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"Download for free at https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/1-introduction\"},{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"Modification, adaptation, and original content\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"Lumen Learning\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Section on bottom-up versus top-down processing\",\"author\":\"Dr. Scott Roberts, Dr. Ryan Curtis, Samantha Levy, and Dr. Dylan Selterman\",\"organization\":\"OpenPsyc\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/openpsyc.blogspot.com\/2014\/06\/bottom-up-vs-top-down-processing.html\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by-nc-sa\",\"license_terms\":\"\"}]","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"part":402,"module-header":"learn_it","content_attributions":[{"type":"cc","description":"Sensation and Perception","author":"OpenStax College","organization":"","url":"https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/5-1-sensation-versus-perception","project":"","license":"cc-by","license_terms":"Download for free at https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/1-introduction"},{"type":"original","description":"Modification, adaptation, and original content","author":"","organization":"Lumen Learning","url":"","project":"","license":"cc-by","license_terms":""},{"type":"cc","description":"Section on bottom-up versus top-down processing","author":"Dr. Scott Roberts, Dr. Ryan Curtis, Samantha Levy, and Dr. Dylan Selterman","organization":"OpenPsyc","url":"http:\/\/openpsyc.blogspot.com\/2014\/06\/bottom-up-vs-top-down-processing.html","project":"","license":"cc-by-nc-sa","license_terms":""}],"internal_book_links":[],"video_content":null,"cc_video_embed_content":{"cc_scripts":"","media_targets":[]},"try_it_collection":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/407"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/407\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7142,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/407\/revisions\/7142"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/402"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/407\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=407"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=407"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=407"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=407"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}