Cognitive Essay. Study of Perception as Viewed by William James.
Study of Perception as viewed by William James.
Whilst part of what we perceive comes through our senses from the object before us, another part (and it may be the larger part) always comes out of our own mind.” (James, 1890). With regard to your coverage of perception in this module, outline the ideas and thinking behind this statement.
In most dictionaries perception is more or less described as “the process by which an organism detects and interprets information from the external world by means of the sensory receptors” (Collins English Dictionary, 2012). However in psychology, we appreciate that perception also employs previous knowledge to interpret each of the stimuli registered by the senses: We see perception as being the inner process which allows us to experience the world around us and make sense of it. In this essay I will outline some of the theories behind our understanding of perception today; their differences and shortcomings and the role prior experience and learning plays in our interaction with our environment.
Over the last forty years, our understanding of sensation and perception has made huge strides with the advent of the computer age, which has given researchers a relevant analogy and vocabulary to describe the internal processes for the first time; also with the development of brain-scanning techniques, we can use fMRI and Pet scans to help us confirm what once was only supposition. But it is thanks to theories put forward by earlier psychologists, such as Helmholtz (Richards, Joan, L., 1977) and the Gestaltists (Banerjee, J. C., 1994, p 107-108) that neuropsychologists can narrow their research to focus on the areas identified by their predecessors - as being most relevant - to understanding perception, cognition and behaviour.
William James held a world view in line with pragmatism, declaring in Principles of Psychology (1890) that the value of any truth was utterly dependent upon its use to the person who held it. His
Whilst part of what we perceive comes through our senses from the object before us, another part (and it may be the larger part) always comes out of our own mind.” (James, 1890). With regard to your coverage of perception in this module, outline the ideas and thinking behind this statement.
In most dictionaries perception is more or less described as “the process by which an organism detects and interprets information from the external world by means of the sensory receptors” (Collins English Dictionary, 2012). However in psychology, we appreciate that perception also employs previous knowledge to interpret each of the stimuli registered by the senses: We see perception as being the inner process which allows us to experience the world around us and make sense of it. In this essay I will outline some of the theories behind our understanding of perception today; their differences and shortcomings and the role prior experience and learning plays in our interaction with our environment.
Over the last forty years, our understanding of sensation and perception has made huge strides with the advent of the computer age, which has given researchers a relevant analogy and vocabulary to describe the internal processes for the first time; also with the development of brain-scanning techniques, we can use fMRI and Pet scans to help us confirm what once was only supposition. But it is thanks to theories put forward by earlier psychologists, such as Helmholtz (Richards, Joan, L., 1977) and the Gestaltists (Banerjee, J. C., 1994, p 107-108) that neuropsychologists can narrow their research to focus on the areas identified by their predecessors - as being most relevant - to understanding perception, cognition and behaviour.
William James held a world view in line with pragmatism, declaring in Principles of Psychology (1890) that the value of any truth was utterly dependent upon its use to the person who held it. His
References: Bach-y-Rita, Paul et al. (1998) "Form perception with a 49-point electrotactile stimulus array on the tongue: A technical note." Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Berekley, George (1710) “a treatise concerning the principles of human knowledge” Cited by: The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease (1936) Vol 84, P468 Gibson, James J. (2002): "A Theory of Direct Visual Perception" In Noë, A., and Thompson, E., (Eds.), Vision and Mind Gregory, R. L. (1980) Perceptions as hypotheses: Published online July 8, 1980 doi: 10.1098/rstb.1980.0090 ; Phil 1980 vol. 290 no. 1038 181 Hergenhahn, B.R University of Notre Dame Pess. Original work published 1892 Kant, Immanuel (1785) Entry in Ted Honderich 's The Oxford Companion to Philosophy (1995) Locke, John (1689) Essay concerning human understanding Slater, A. M. and Morison, V., (1985). Shape constancy and slant perception at birth. Ch. 14, pp. 337-344 Turnbull Colin (The Forest People, 1961) Abstract by Grinker, Roy R. In the Arms of Africa: The Life of Colin M. Turnbull, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2001. Retrieved from: www.colinturnbull.com William James, (1890) The Principles of Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/986795-the-principles-of-psychology