Perception - B.Ed Psychology

B.
Ed Psychology
Psychology for B.Ed. Scholars
Perception
Perception
Perception is the process by which we become aware of changes (objects, qualities or relations) by
sense organs. Mere sensation does not give us knowledge. They should be interpreted and defined.
When a sensation gets meaning it is called perception. Therefore,
Perception = Sensation + Meaning
Though perception depends on sensation, the accuracy of perception depends more on experience,
the memories and ideas we get from the past experiences. Perception is the way we perceive and
understand things, objects, persons and events. The behaviour of a person depends upon his perception.
For example, if a student perceives that he is studying well in his school days, it will give him a hope for
better future and he will involve himself completely in his / her school studies.
Charlie Chaplin Optic Illusion
Definition
According to S.S. Sargent, “in a psychological sense the word ‘Perception’ means both the physical act of
receiving sense impressions (seeing, hearing, smelling etc.) and interpreting these impressions’.
According to R.S. Woodworth and D.G. Marquis, Perception is the process of getting to know objects and
objective facts by the use of the senses”.
Advertisements
Characteristics
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
Close and accept

1. Perception
To find is meaningful
out more, including how to control cookies, see here:
Cookie Policy
REPORT THIS AD
2. Perception is selective
3. Our past experience determines the nature of perception.
4. It is a synthetic activity
5. There is analysis also in perception
6. Both the aspects of analysis and synthesis occur at the same time.
Factors Laws
Perception is sensation strengthened by ideas of various kinds. We derive the meaning from sensations
by combining them into longer wholes. We call this process as organization or synthesis. There are
external and internal factors that determine the organization of the field of perception.
Figure and Ground Relationship
Figure and ground relationship is an important factor of perceptual organization. This means that when
we perceive a certain thing we divide the perceptual field into (i) Figure which is primary and important
aspect, and (ii) Ground which is a secondary or unimportant aspect. In other words, we always perceive
a figure in its background. For example, we perceive words in a page, pictures in a wall and moon in the
sky. In these cases words, pictures and moon are figures and pages, wall and sky are grounds. Look at the
figure. What do you perceive? You may perceive two human faces. Look at the figure continuously for
sometime. Now what do you perceive? You may perceive a vase. When you perceive twins, the faces
become figure and the vase becomes the ground.
REPORT THIS AD
External Factors
Proximity 2) Similarity 3) Continuity 4) Closure

Proximity :
Proximity means nearness. Objects that lie closer form a whole.
A B C D E F G H
Lines A & B form one group C & D another group and so on. Here the factor isnearness. We do not see B
& C or D, A & E forming a group.
2 Similarity : Elements that are similar in structure or appearance form a group. In the above
figures, there are two types of dots. Because of similarity in figure A we see them as vertical and in figure
B we see them as horizontal.
Advertisements
3.Continuity : When dots lie along a straight lie or curve, they are seen together. We
Close and accept

ignore the
To find out gaps.
more, Here,
including how tothe principle
control cookies, see involved is continuity.
here:
Cookie Policy
REPORT THIS AD
4. Closure :
Though the figure seems like 3 lines it resembles a triangle. Actually it is an incomplete triangle.
Similarly minor errors are not corrected while in proof reading also.
Internal Factors :
1. Past Experience
The experiences we have acquired plays an important role while we organize the field of
perception into meaningful wholes. The world will be nothing but a confusion if we fail to reckon the
past experiences. Past experience is retained in the form of images, concepts and ideas of various kinds.
They are all chiefly the internal condition of the perceiving mind. If we fail to take the lessons from past
experiences, the world will be a mass of confusion. A foreign language is a mere jumble of sound and
noises, when we hear it for the first time. But if we listen repeatedly, we can make sense out ot them.
Experience and ideas make us familiar with the object. So, familiarity is an important factor that helps us
to organize the field of perception. When we look at the clouds on the sky we can see illusions of
Elephants and Human faces. We accept these figures sine we are familiar with them.
2. Attitude or Mental Set
Another important mental condition that determines our perception is attitude or mental set. A thirsty
man sees at a distance a vague figure as a pot of water.
Errors in Perception
Perception may not be always correct and it may go wrong when a stimulus is interpreted correctly it is
called perception and if it is wrongly interpreted it is called misperception or error in perception. If we
look at a rope as necklace, we misunderstand a stimulus. This wrong perception is called illusion. Errors
in perception occur due to internal or external, known or unknown reasons.
There are two types of errors in perception namely (i) illusion and (ii) Hallucination
3. Illusion
Illusion means “that which does not really exist”. Hence illusion is a wrong perception. Optical illusion
can be quoted as an example.
Seeing a rope as a snake is visual illusion. But if one hears the voice of a person without seeing him and
comes to a conclusion that the voice is a friend’s voice. It is auditory illusion.

Advertisements
Adver t i s em en t s
Close and accept

To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here:
Cookie Policy
REPORT THIS AD
B.Ed Psychology
Blog at WordPress.com.
Advertisements
Close and accept

To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here:
Cookie Policy
REPORT THIS AD

Perception - B.Ed Psychology

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Perception - B.Ed Psychology

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Perception - B.Ed Psychology

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

B.

Perception = Sensation + Meaning

Charlie Chaplin Optic Illusion

Close and accept

Figure and Ground Relationship

Proximity 2) Similarity 3) Continuity 4) Closure

Proximity means nearness. Objects that lie closer form a whole.

A B C D E F G H

Close and accept

2. Attitude or Mental Set

Close and accept

Close and accept

You might also like