Perception involves the interpretation of sensory stimuli received through the sense organs. Sensation is the initial response to a stimulus, while perception provides meaning to sensations. There are several principles that govern perceptual organization, including figure-ground relationship, closure, grouping, simplicity, contour, context, and contrast. Perception can be influenced by factors like sense organs, brain, memory, interests, needs, and culture. Errors in perception such as illusions and hallucinations can also occur under certain conditions like defective senses, inadequate stimuli, excessive stimuli, poor health, limited attention, or lack of guidance.

1. Perception
Mrs Agnes Mahima David
Associate Prof

2. OWhen our sense organs come in contact with
the world and are stimulated by external
stimuli and receive sensations, it results in
perception. Sensation precedes perception.
Sensation is the initial response of an
individual to a stimulus. Perception is the
interpretation of sensory stimuli, which
reaches the sense organs and the brain.
Interpretation gives meaning to sensation and
we become aware of objects.

3. Definitions
O Perception is the experience of objects,
events or relationships obtained by extracting
information from and interpreting sensations.
(JH Jackson, O Desiderato and DB
Howieson—1976)
O Perception is an individual’s awareness
aspect of behavior, for it is the way each
person processes the raw data he receives
from the environment, into meaningful
patterns.
(RE Silverman—1976)

4. Principles of Perception (Perceptual
Organization
OIndividuals tend to organize
environmental stimuli into some
meaningful patterns or whole
according to certain principles.
Some of the important
principles are:

5. O Principle of Figure-Ground
Relationship
According to principle of figure-ground
relationship, a figure is perceived in
relationship to its background. The
perception of the object or figure in terms of
color, size, shape and intensity, etc.
depends upon the figure-ground relationship

7. O Principle of Closure
According to principle of closure, while
confronting an incomplete pattern one tends to
complete or close the pattern or fill in sensory
gaps and perceive it as a meaningful whole.
This type of organization is extremely helpful in
making valuable interpretation of various
incomplete objects, patterns or stimuli present in
our environment. For example, the lines in the
figure may be well perceived as letters W, M
and D

9. O Principle of Grouping
Principle of grouping refers to
a tendency to perceive
stimuli in some organized
meaningful patterns by
grouping them on some solid
basis like similarity, proximity
and continuity.

11. O Principle of Simplicity
We perceive the simplest
possible pattern because they
enable the perceiver to perceive
the whole from some of its parts.

13. O Principle of Contour
A contour is said to be a boundary
between a figure and its ground. The
degree of the quality of this contour
separating the figure from the ground
is responsible for enabling us to
organize stimuli or objects into
meaningful patterns

15. O Principle of Context
Perceptual organization is also
governed by the principle of
context, i.e. an examiner may
award higher marks to the same
answer book in a pleasant
context than in an unpleasant
one.

16. Principle of Contrast
Perceptual organization is very much
affected through contrast effects as the
stimuli that are in sharp contrast to nearby
stimuli may draw our maximum attention
and carry different perceptual affects.

17. Principle of Adaptability
OThe perceptual organization for
some stimuli depends upon the
adaptability of the perceiver to
perceive similar stimuli. An
individual who adapts himself to
work before an intense bright light
will perceive normal sunlight as
quite dim.

18. Factors Affecting Perception
O Sense Organs
Perception depends upon the sense organs
or
receptors, on which the stimuli act and
sensory neurons, which transmit the nerve
current from the receptors to the sensory
area of the brain.

19. O Brain
Perception depends upon the functioning capacity of
sensory area and the association areas of the brain.
Memory Images of the Past Experience
Memory images help us in the comprehension of the
object or stimulus before us. Generally, perception
involves the integration of sensory experience in the
light of past experience and present psychological
conditions

20. O Personal Interests and Mind Set
We perceive those things quickly and clearly, which
are concerned with our interests and mind set.
O Acquired Interests
Our acquired interests also determine the object or
objects, which we perceive. A person, who has a
hobby of collecting stamps will quickly notice any
new stamp on a letter.

21. O Needs and Desires
Our needs or desires also modify our
perceptions. Besides these, our
beliefs, opinions and cultural ideals
also modify our perception of things,
situations and objects.

22. Errors in Perception
O Perceptual processes enable an individual
to perceive things accurately and facilitate
smooth functioning. However, some errors
creep into this process under certain
circumstances leading to impaired
perceptions, these are: illusions and
hallucination

23. O Illusion
Illusion is a misinterpretation of actual
perception. When the interpretation of a
particular stimulus goes wrong, it gives rise
to a wrong perception or illusion. For
example, a rope in the dark is perceived as
a snake

24. O Hallucination
Hallucination is identified as one
of the major errors of perception.
These are sensory perceptions,
in the absence of any
corresponding external sensory
stimuli

25. Causes for Inaccurate Perception
O Defective functioning of sense organs: For
example, myopia, deafness, anesthesia or other
sensory defects can cause inaccurate perception.
O Inadequate stimulus: Our receptors may not be
stimulated adequately, if stimuli were not strong
enough, vague or indefinite. A very weak light or
soft sound will make it difficult to perceive correctly.
O Too many stimuli at one time: When too many
stimuli are present at one given time, perceiving
one stimulus correctly is difficult.

26. O Poor health: Sense organs cannot function
adequately and correctly as a result of illness. For
this reason, the perceptions of patients may be
inaccurate.
O Limited attention: If we try to apprehend more
things than we can at a time, we are liable to have an
inaccurate perception

27. O Figure merges in the ground:
Sometimes objects are perceived with
difficulty because they resemble their
surroundings. For example, a white patch
is difficult to detect on a white wall. The
nurse learns to perceive sign of illness or
wellness in patients only, when she learns
what these signs are.
O Guidance: Perception is inaccurate,
when we do not know what should be
perceived.