Sensation vs. Perception: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Published on January 5, 2024
Sensation is the raw data received through sensory organs, while perception is the interpretation and understanding of these sensory inputs.
Key Differences
Sensation is the process where sensory receptors receive stimuli from the environment, such as light, sound, or heat. Perception, on the other hand, involves the brain's interpretation of these sensory signals, forming an understanding of what is being sensed.
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Jan 05, 2024
While sensation is a physical process occurring in sensory organs like eyes or ears, perception is a psychological process involving the brain's analysis and integration of sensory information.
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Jan 05, 2024
Sensations are objective and universal, as they do not change based on individual experiences or knowledge. In contrast, perceptions are subjective and can vary greatly between individuals, influenced by memories, emotions, and other cognitive factors.
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Jan 05, 2024
Sensation acts as the first step in the pathway of understanding the environment, being a necessary precursor to perception. Perception follows sensation and is crucial in making sense of the world, allowing us to interpret and react to different stimuli.
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Jan 05, 2024
An example of the difference is in seeing a color (sensation) and identifying it as 'red' and associating it with warmth or danger (perception), showing how perception adds meaning and context to basic sensory information.
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Jan 05, 2024
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Comparison Chart
Influence
Not influenced by past experiences
Influenced by experiences, emotions
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Jan 05, 2024
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Sensation and Perception Definitions
Sensation
It refers to the physical process of sensing environmental stimuli.
The sensation of brightness when walking into sunlight is striking.
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Perception
Perception involves assigning meaning to sensory stimuli.
His perception of the speech's tone affected his reaction.
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Sensation
Sensation involves simple awareness of various stimuli.
The sensation of grass underfoot is a common outdoor experience.
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Perception
It is influenced by past experiences, memories, and expectations.
Due to past experiences, her perception of darkness is uneasy.
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Sensation
Sensation is the immediate and basic experience of a stimulus by sensory organs.
The sensation of cold water on skin is refreshing.
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Perception
Perception allows us to construct a subjective understanding of the world.
The perception of risk in the sport varies among individuals.
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Sensation
A perception associated with stimulation of a sense organ or with a specific body condition
The sensation of heat.
A visual sensation.
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Perception
The process of perceiving something with the senses
The perception of a faint sound.
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Sensation
The faculty to feel or perceive; physical sensibility
The patient has very little sensation left in the right leg.
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Perception
The process or state of being aware of something
The perception of time.
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Sensation
A state of heightened interest or emotion
"The anticipation produced in me a sensation somewhat between bliss and fear" (James Weldon Johnson).
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Perception
Insight or knowledge gained by thinking
The perception that inheritance must be coded in DNA.
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Sensation
A state of intense public interest and excitement
"The purser made a sensation as sailors like to do, by predicting a storm" (Evelyn Waugh).
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Perception
The capacity for such insight or knowledge
Theories of how to enhance human perception.
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Sensation
A cause of such interest and excitement
The band's new singer is a sensation.
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Perception
An insight or point of knowledge
The article is full of astute perceptions.
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Sensation
A physical feeling or perception from something that comes into contact with the body; something sensed.
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Dec 13, 2023
Perception
An interpretation or impression; an opinion or belief
Doctors working to change the public perception of certain diseases.
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Perception
The organisation, identification and interpretation of sensory information.
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Sensation
An impression, or the consciousness of an impression, made upon the central nervous organ, through the medium of a sensory or afferent nerve or one of the organs of sense; a feeling, or state of consciousness, whether agreeable or disagreeable, produced either by an external object (stimulus), or by some change in the internal state of the body.
Perception is only a special kind of knowledge, and sensation a special kind of feeling. . . . Knowledge and feeling, perception and sensation, though always coexistent, are always in the inverse ratio of each other.
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Sensation
A purely spiritual or psychical affection; agreeable or disagreeable feelings occasioned by objects that are not corporeal or material.
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Sensation
A state of excited interest or feeling, or that which causes it.
The sensation caused by the appearance of that work is still remembered by many.
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Perception
(cognition) That which is detected by the five senses; not necessarily understood (imagine looking through fog, trying to understand if you see a small dog or a cat); also that which is detected within consciousness as a thought, intuition, deduction, etc.
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Sensation
An unelaborated elementary awareness of stimulation;
A sensation of touch
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Perception
The act of perceiving; cognizance by the senses or intellect; apperhension by the bodily organs, or by the mind, of what is presented to them; discernment; apperhension; cognition.
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Perception
The faculty of perceiving; the faculty, or peculiar part, of man's constitution by which he has knowledge through the medium or instrumentality of the bodily organs; the act of apperhending material objects or qualities through the senses; - distinguished from conception.
Matter hath no life nor perception, and is not conscious of its own existence.
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Sensation
A general feeling of excitement and heightened interest;
Anticipation produced in me a sensation somewhere between hope and fear
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Perception
The quality, state, or capability, of being affected by something external; sensation; sensibility.
This experiment discovereth perception in plants.
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Sensation
A state of widespread public excitement and interest;
The news caused a sensation
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Sensation
The faculty through which the external world is apprehended;
In the dark he had to depend on touch and on his senses of smell and hearing
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Perception
The representation of what is perceived; basic component in the formation of a concept
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Sensation
Sensation is the detection of physical energy by sensory cells.
The sensation of sound is caused by vibrations in the air.
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Perception
A way of conceiving something;
Luther had a new perception of the Bible
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Sensation
It is the first stage in the processing of sensory information.
The sensation of a gentle touch alerts the body.
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Perception
Knowledge gained by perceiving;
A man admired for the depth of his perception
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Perception
Perception is the interpretation and organization of sensory information.
Her perception of the painting changed after learning its history.
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Perception
It refers to how we recognize, interpret, and make sense of sensations.
The perception of a melody involves recognizing the tune and rhythm.
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Dec 16, 2023
Repeatedly Asked Queries
What is perception?
Perception is how we interpret and understand sensory information.
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Jan 05, 2024
Is sensation a conscious process?
Not always, as some sensations can occur without conscious awareness.
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Jan 05, 2024
How does perception use sensations?
Perception uses sensations to form meaningful interpretations of the world.
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Jan 05, 2024
Can perceptions change over time?
Yes, perceptions can evolve with new experiences and information.
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Jan 05, 2024
Do sensations change with age?
Yes, sensitivity to sensations can decrease with age.
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Can perception influence our actions?
Yes, perceptions can guide our decisions and behaviors.
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What is sensation?
Sensation is the process of detecting physical stimuli from the environment.
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Jan 05, 2024
Are sensations the same for everyone?
Yes, sensations are generally consistent across individuals.
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Jan 05, 2024
Can two people perceive the same thing differently?
Yes, perception is subjective and can vary based on personal experiences.
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Jan 05, 2024
Can perceptions be inaccurate?
Yes, perceptions can be influenced by biases and misconceptions.
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Jan 05, 2024
Is perception a learned process?
It is influenced by learning, culture, and individual experiences.
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Jan 05, 2024
Are sensations necessary for perception?
Generally, yes, as perceptions are based on sensory inputs.
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Jan 05, 2024
How do emotions affect perception?
Emotions can color and influence how we interpret sensory information.
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Jan 05, 2024
Can the same sensation lead to different perceptions?
Yes, depending on individual interpretation and context.
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Jan 05, 2024
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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