Sensation and perception Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sensation and perception - Research Paper Example Sensation is passive whereas perception is an active phenomenon in that one does not consciously make an effort to sense the things while it is not possible to perceive things unconsciously. (AlleyDog.com, 2010). Since both are abstract terms, many people can not interpret the difference between the two as they know into words, despite being educated on the clear definition of both terms. Our way of life is based upon the way we perceive the world in which we live making use of the senses we are naturally blessed with. Sensation and perception have their own respective roles in composing our reactions to what we see and hear. One factor that particularly distinguishes sensation from perception is that sensation is common for everybody apart from those with disability, while perception varies from individual to individual. This is because sensation is an output of the natural senses that are invested in a human by nature. A person with a perfect body is naturally equipped with all the organs mentioned before that function rightly to produce their respective share of the sensations. Occasionally, people lack one or more of these organs or the organs’ ability to produce their sensation even if the body consists of them. This results in a temporary or permanent lack of sensation. However, the way a mind interprets the messages received from body organs has much to do with the many other personality traits that are not common among all people. Also, there is a big role of genes in the perception of sensation. Psychologists make use of the way an individual perceives a particular situation to tell wheth er the individual usually adopts an optimistic, pessimistic or neutral approach towards the matters of everyday life. Attainment of this information is fundamental to devising the most appropriate solution to a patient suffering from psychological disorders. Two children brought up in identical conditions sharing the same