Perception and Sensation

Perception function

Function

perception, generation of a mental model or image

Perception is a function that endows a person with the capacity to mentally represent internal and external stimuli detected by sensory organs. The realization of this function is the mental representation of the detected stimulus, and the phenomenological experience that the stimulus is objectively present as perceived. The inputs to the perception function are typically the outputs of a sensory process. However, perception sometimes occurs in the absence of any sensory stimulus, for example, in hallucination.

  What is known about inputs to the perception function? Does the signal always originate somewhere in structures of the sensory function (whether or not the stimulus is present) OR can the perceptual function be instantiated by signals from other functions? 

The perception function endows a person with the capacity to create a mental representation of a stimulus (an object or energy) based on signals transmitted to the brain from the sensory system (i.e., the universe of  outputs/signals generated by the universe of processes made possible and instantiated by the sensory function).

Processes realized by the perception function include a) identifying specific stimulus properties, b) generating a gestalt mental model of the stimulus and/or about the environment from the stimulus, c) retrieving information from memory, d) generating a phenomenological experience, e) generating thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, emotional/motivational responses, etc.

Inputs to the perception function are (output) signals from the entire sensory function.

Outputs of the perception function are mental representations of the perceived object or environment and the phenomenological experience of the object or environment. 

Perceptual process

Process

perceiving

The perception process is the process by which sensory outputs (signal generated by a real or imagined sensory stimulus) are transformed to produce both a mental representation and phenomenological experience of the stimulus.  At the physical level, the perception process is instantiated by the perception function - the set of anatomic structures, physiological processes, and rules governing physiological processes that initiate, perform, sustain, and terminate the conversion of sensory outputs to a perceptual experience (i.e., the perception function).  

 Does it make sense to distinguish between a perceptual function and a perceptual process?

Perceptual experience

State

a perception, a sensation, a sight, a sound, a smell, a taste, a touch (sensation)

A perceptual experience (or perception) is a mental representation of some (real or imagined) internal or external stimulus and the associated phenomenological experience that the stimulus is objectively present. The inputs to the perception function are typically signals generated as an output of the sensory function (i.e., signals transmitted to the brain following transduction of the stimulus into neural signal). In some cases, such as hallucination, perception occurs in the absence of a stimulus corresponding to the perception.

Sensory function

Function

sensation, sensory transduction

The sensory function endows a person with the capacity to transmit specific types of information about specific classes of objects and energy to the brain. 

The realizations of the this function include a) the transduction of specific features of objects and energy in the environment into neural signals, b) the transmission of these signals to the brain, and c) processing of signals along the entire pathway from sensory receptor to brain. 

Inputs to the sensory function are specific classes of objects and energy capable of interacting with sensory organs and receptors.

This function inheres in physiological functions carried out in the entire sensory system.

The sensory function defines:

• the entire set of entities (e.g., sensory stimuli, anatomic structures, physiologic entities) that may participate in sensory processes

• the entire set of allowable interactions that may occur in sensory processes (e.g., rules governing interactions) 

Sensory process

Process

sensory transduction process

A sensory process is any process instantiated by the universe of entities ("continuants") and interactions between entities ("occurrences") that comprise the sensory function.  

Sensory experience = perceptual experience

State

a sensation, a sensory experience

brainstorm 1: (updated Feb 3, 2021 ) In everyday usage, a sensation, or sensory experience, is used to describe phenomenological experience of the sensory stimulus. It may occur in the absence of any objectively identifiable stimulus. This term is a synonym for the concept 'perceptual experience' 

Sensory perception function

Function

Sensory perception is a function that endows a person with the capacity to detect internal and external stimuli via sensory transducer structures in the body and transmit this information to the brain (sensory function), then cognitively represent, organize, and interpret this information (perception function). The realization of the sensory perception function is the acquisition of information from stimuli both within the body and the external environment.

Sensory perceptual process

Process

Sensory perceptual experience 

State

Sensation

APA Dictionary of Psychology 

Accessed Jan 22, 2021 

sensation

n.

1. the process or experience of perceiving through the senses. See sensory system.

2. an irreducible unit of experience produced by stimulation of a sensory receptor and the resultant activation of a specific brain center, producing basic awareness of a sound, odor, color, shape, or taste or of temperature, pressure, pain, muscular tension, position of the body, or change in the internal organs associated with such processes as hunger, thirst, nausea, and sexual excitement. Also called sense datum; sense impression; sensum.

Perception

APA Dictionary of Psychology 

Accessed Jan 22, 2021 

perception

n. the process or result of becoming aware of objects, relationships, and events by means of the senses, which includes such activities as recognizing, observing, and discriminating. These activities enable organisms to organize and interpret the stimuli received into meaningful knowledge and to act in a coordinated manner.

Perception

NIMH RDoC Classification

Accessed Jan 31, 2021 

Perception refers to the process(es) that perform computations on sensory data to construct and transform representations of the external environment, acquire information from, and make predictions about, the external world, and guide action.

American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)

Professional Society

Vision, Eyes

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European Federation of Audiology Societies (efas)

Federation of Professional Societies

Audition, Ears

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American Academy of Otolaryngology (AAOA)

Professional Society

Ear, Nose, Throat; Head & Neck

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American Academy of Neurology

Professional Society

Neurology

DSM-I, DSM-II, DSM-III, DSM-III-R, DSM-IV, DSM-IV-R

Nosology

Previous editions of the the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

Useful for understanding the evolution concepts and specific terms used at different points in time

DSM-5, SCID-5

Nosology

Current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

Useful for understanding terms and concepts as they are currently designed to be used by clinicians

ICD-10, ICD-10-CM

Nosology

Preview editions of the the International Classification of Disorders (ICD)

Useful for understanding the evolution concepts and specific terms used at different points in time

ICD-11

Nosology

Current edition of the the International Classification of Disorders (ICD)

Useful for understanding terms and concepts as they are currently designed to be used by clinicians

UMLS

Meta-Terminology

Unified Medical Language System (UMLS)

NIMH Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) 

Framework

A framework for defining and organizing mental and behavioral constructs and the levels of abstraction (i.e., molecular to cellular to physiological system to observable behavior) at which they can be known 

Perception

Publisher: Sage Journals

5-Year Impact Factor: 1.303

"Perception is a traditional print journal covering all areas of the perceptual sciences, but with a strong historical emphasis on perceptual illusions. Perception is a subscription journal, free for authors to publish their research as a Standard Article, Short Report or Short & Sweet. The journal also publishes Editorials and Book Reviews". (Sage Journals, https://journals.sagepub.com/home/pec, accessed Feb 3, 2021 )

Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance^®

Publisher: American Psychological Association

Editor: Isabel Gauthier
ISSN: 0096-1523
5-Year Impact Factor: 2.671

"The Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance^® publishes studies on perception, control of action, perceptual aspects of language processing, and related cognitive processes. All sensory modalities and motor systems are within its purview.

The journal also encourages studies with a neuroscientific perspective that contribute to the functional understanding of perception and performance. Authors are encouraged to consider and discuss the relevance and implications of their work for other areas of psychology, including those that are not typically featured in the journal." (APA, https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/xhp, accessed Feb 3, 2021 )

The journal Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics 

Publisher: Psychonomic Society

5-Year Impact Factor: 1.967

The journal Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics is an official journal of the Psychonomic Society. It spans all areas of research in sensory processes, perception, attention, and psychophysics. Most articles published are reports of experimental work; the journal also presents theoretical, integrative, and evaluative reviews. Founded in 1966 as Perception & Psychophysics, the journal assumed its present name in 2009.

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