Nepal police hospital

School of health sciences

Maharajgunj, kathmandu

PCL Nursing 2nd year

Behavioral science
Unit :4 Sensation, Attention and
Perception

Define Sensation, Perception, and Attention(1hr)

Different between sensation and perception(1hr)
Factors affecting perception(2hrs)

Approved by: Prepared by: Neelam Joshi

BHNC, BNS 1st year

Sensation
Sensation is the mental process (as seeing, hearing or smelling) resulting from
the immediate external stimulation of a sense organ often as distinguished from a
conscious awareness of the sensory process.
Sensation is the function of the low level biochemical and neurological events
that begin with the impinging of a stimulus upon the receptor cells of a sensory
organ.
It is the detection of the elementary properties of a stimulus Vision, hearing,
taste, smell and touch are the so called five senses.
But the number of human senses is closer to ten than five.
In addition to touch, the skin contains separate warmth, cold and pain senses.
Furthermore, sense organ in the muscles, tendons, and joints tell us about the
position of our limbs, and the state of tension in our muscles.
They serve the sense called kinesthetic.
The vestibular sense informs us about the movement and stationary position of
the head; it is the key sense in maintaining
Sensation contain both a 'quantity' element balance (size, hardness, coldness),
and 'quality' element (attractive, bad or dangerous).
For example if you get burnt from a hot pressure cooker, you may think of all
pressure cookers as being dangerous equipment.
The physical property of heat may therefore, take on the psychological property
of dangerousness.
Thus the physical and physiological events are collectively called 'sensation'.
That is the way in which the body responds to energy impinging upon it from
the environment.

Attention
Introduction
The word Attention is very familiar in our-day to day conversation. Generally at
bus station, lectures hall and airport, which mean we come in contact with our
environment with our sense organs.
The environment around us sends innumerable stimuli to our organs calling for
attention, and attention is not just looking on, and it is an active process
involving mental activity.
At any one moment we are aware of a large number of objects around us but we
attend only to a few of them.
For example, sitting in the class room hearing of lecture explanation and
thinking of our family problem at a time is not possible.
Either we attend explanation or family problems. Such as reading and thinking,
talking and watching, etc.
Some time it is possible when one physical and one mental activity happened
at a time, for example, speaking in phone can write a note, driving a car can
speak in phone etc.
The selection of stimulus depends upon the nature of strength of it.
Attention is the focus of consciousness on a particular object or idea at a
particular time, to the exclusion of other objects or ideas. It does not mean
simple awareness or consciousness of the object, person or ides.
At certain time, we may be conscious of many things in our environment but we
may be attending to only one or two at one time.
Thus attention is the selective mental activity.

Definitions:
Attention is defined as a process, which compels the individual to select some
particular stimulus according to his interest and attitude out of the multiplicity of
stimuli present in the environment. (Sharma RN-1967)
Attention is the concentration of consciousness upon one object rather than upon
another. - (Dumville-1938)
The act of attention is a sort of response in which we have to adjust muscle and
sense organs so that they are concentrated on a limited portion of environment.
Sense organs should be more aware during attention. Concentration is a
simple, sustained and intense voluntary attention.

Types of Attention
1. Voluntary Attention
2. Involuntary Attention
3. Habitual Attention

1. Voluntary Attention:

A person is paying his total attention to a stimulus with his complete

willingness. Thus it has an act of attending intentionally, deliberately
and purposefully Much of our attention is voluntary because we have a
clear-cut goal before us and for its accomplishment, with all our efforts
make ourselves attention for example solving an assigned problem of
mathematics, time of preparing exams, seeing a movie, listening music,
listening lecture, reading a newspaper, writing exams and so on. Only
self-efforts will make the organism attend to the stimulus.

2. Involuntary Attention:

This type of attention is nothing but attending something with no intention

or desire to do so. It means attention is aroused without the play of will.
Here we attend to an object or an idea without making any consciousness
on our part, for example attending to sudden loud sound, bright color,
members of the opposite sex, an electric shock, etc. We attend to these
suddenly and unexpectedly, or involuntarily.

.3. Habitual Attention:

"This type of attention, in which some people attend to certain kinds of

stimuli because they have done so in the past, may develop into habits of
attending to them. It is because of our drive. needs, desires, attitudes,
and goals, etc. In fact, there is more or less a permanent set or readiness
with in us to attend to such things. For example, a businessman attending a
phone call, instructing a subordinate, and attending to a customer at a time.
Some students can watch a movie and write a note, listen to music and read
books, etc., are examples of habitual attention.

Perception:
Introduction

When our sense organs come into contact with the world and are stimulated
by external stimuli, we receive sensations, which result in perception.
Sensation precedes perception.
Sensation is the initial response of an individual to a stimulus.
Perception is the interpretation of the sensory stimuli that reach the sense
organs and the brain. Interpretation gives meaning to sensation, allowing
us to become aware of objects.
Perception refers to how the world looks, sounds, feels, tastes, or smells.
In other words, perception can be defined as whatever is
experienced by a person.
The word "perception" originates from the Latin words perceptio and
percipio, meaning "receiving, collecting, action of taking possession,
apprehension with the mind or senses.
" Perception is the process of organizing, identifying, and interpreting
sensory information to represent and understand the environment.
 It encompasses our sensory experience of the world around us, involving
both the recognition of environmental stimuli and the subsequent actions in
response to these stimuli.
Through the perceptual process, we gain essential information about the
properties and elements of our environment, which is critical for our
survival.
Perception not only creates our experience of the world around us but also
enables us to interact effectively within our environment.
The term perception is a cognitive process, which is very essential to
deal with the objective world around, more effectively and efficiently.
It plays a very significant role in learning memory. Thinking , reasoning
and emotions etc. Such an important concept is defined as "Perception to
the selection, organization, and interpretation of sensory input."
The role of sensation is very important to determine our perception, for
example, when we see a dog, our eyes make us aware of that and response
will correct to say as dog.
Both sensation and perception are necessary for transforming the
physical world into our psychological reality.

Definitions:
Perception is the experience of objects, events or relationships obtained by
extracting information from and interpreting sensations.

(JK Jacksons, O Desiderato and DB Howieson-1976) 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)

According to S. Feldman "The sorting out, interpretation, analysis, and

integration of stimuli involving our sense organs and brain."
According to Edmund Fantio & G.S. Renolds "Perception is the organizing
process by which we interpret our sensory input."
Other defined "Perception as the brain's attempt to describe objects and
events in the world, based on sensory input."

According to author "Perception is a process which recognizes or identifies

the objects or events in the environment as it is, through our sensory
process and past experience”.

Factors Affecting Perception (2hrs)

Perception is a process by which individuals organize and interpret the

sensory perceives in order to give meaning to their environment. However,
what one perceives can be substantially different from objective reality.
There need be, but there is often, disagreement.

It is necessary to study about perception by nurses because people's

behavior is based on their perception of what reality is, not on reality itself.

A number of factors operate to shape and sometimes distort

perception.

1. Characteristics of the perceiver.

a. Attitudes

b. Moods

c. Motives

d. Self-Concept
e. Interests
f. Cognitive Structure
g. Experience
 h. Expectations

2. Characteristics of the target

a. Novelty

b. Motion

c. Sounds

d. Size

e. Background

f. Proximity

g. Similarity

h. Physical Appearance

3. Characteristics of the situation

a. Time

b. Work setting

c. Social setting

Characteristics of the Perceiver:

Several characteristics of the perceiver can affect perception. When an
individual looks at a target and attempts to interpret what he or she stands for,
that interpretation is heavily influenced by personal characteristics of the
individual perceiver
The major characteristics of the perceiver influencing perception are :.

a) Attitudes: The perceiver's attitudes affect perception For example,

suppose Mr. X is interviewing candidates for a very important position in
his organization a position that requires negotiating contracts with
suppliers, most of whom are male. Mr X may feel that women are not
capable of holding their own in tough negotiations. This attitude will
doubtless affect his perceptions of the female candidates he interviews.

b) Moods: Moods can have a strong influence on the way we perceive

someone .We think differently when we are happy than we do when we
are depressed. In addition, we remember information that is consistent
with our mood state better than information that is inconsistent with our
mood state. When in a positive mood, we form more positive impressions
of others. When in a negative mood, we tend to evaluate others
unfavourably.

c) Motives: Unsatisfied needs or motives stimulate individuals and may

exert a strong influence on their perceptions. For example, in an
organizational context, a boss who is insecure perceives a subordinate's
efforts to do an outstanding job as a threat to his or her own position
Personal insecurity can be translated into the perception that others
are out to "get my job", regardless of the intention of the subordinates.

d) Self-Concept: Another factor that can affect social perception is the

perceivers self concept. An individual with a positive self-concept tends to
notice positive attributes in another person. In contrast, a negative self-
concept can lead a perceiver to pick out negative traits in another person.
Greater understanding of self allows us to have more accurate perceptions
of others.

e) Interest: The focus of our attention appears to be influenced by our

Interests. Because our individual interests differ considerably, what one
person notices in a situation can differ from what others perceive. For
Example, the supervisor who has just been reprimanded by his boss for
coming late is more likely to notice his colleagues coming late tomorrow
than he did last week. If you are preoccupied with a personal problem, you
may find it hard to be attentive in class.j

f) Cognitive Structure: cognitive structure, an individual's pattern of

Thinking, also affects perception. Some people have a tendency to perceive
physical traits, such as height, weight, and appearance, more readily. Others
tend to focus more on central traits, or personality dispositions. Cognitive
complexity allows a person to perceive multiple characteristics of another
person rather than attending to just a few traits.

g) Past Experiences and Memory: Memory images help us in the

comprehension of the objects or stimulus before us. Generally perception
involves the integration of sensory experience in light of past experience
and present psychological condition. Experiments have shown that
whatever we come in contact with new stimuli, we are inclined to interpret
them in terms of our experiences with similar stimuli in the past. For
example, if a child has already eaten.

h) Physical Health: Perception depends upon the sense organs or

receptors, on which the stimuli act and sensory neurons. For example, if
cone cells are not developed in retina, color cannot be perceived. Similarly,
perception depends upon the functioning capacity of sensory area and the
association areas of the brain. For example, if the auditory area of brain is
destroyed, we cannot have auditory perception. Poor physical health leads
to poor perception.

1) Expectations: Finally, expectations can distort your perceptions in

that you will see what you expect to see. If we are waiting for somebody,
we will hear the sound of footstep from far, but if we not expecting
anybody's arrival, we may not notice even coming very close to us.

 Knowing oneself makes it easier to see others accurately.

 One's own characteristics affect the characteristics one is likely to see

in others.
2. Characteristics of the Target:
Characteristics in the target that is being observed can affect what is perceived.
a. Novelty: There is a tendency to perceive better the new things or old thing
presented in a new way than the things which are old. Perceivers tend to notice
physical appearance characteristics that contrast with the norm, that are intense,
or that are new or unusual.
b. Motion: Things in motion get our attention fast than still object.

c. Sound: We may perceive loud sound faster than the low or average
sound.
d. Size: The size of target is directly related to the greater intensity of perception
e. Proximity: As a result of physical or time proximity, we often put together
objects or events that are unrelated. Proximity of another things or events affect
the subsequent perception.
f. Similarity: People, objects or events that are similar to each other also tend to
be grouped together. The greater the similarity, the greater the probability we will
tend to perceive them as a group.
g. Physical Appearance: Physical appearance plays a big role in our perception
of others. Extremely attractive and unattractive individuals are more likely to be
noticed in a group than ordinary looking individuals. The perceiver will notice
the target's physical features like height. Weight , estimated age, race and
gender
3. Characteristics of the Situation:
The situation in which the interaction between
the perceiver and the target takes place, has an influence on the perceiver's
impression of the target . E.g meeting a manager in his or her office
affects our impression in a certain way that may contrast with the
impression we would have formed than meeting the manager in a
restaurant. The strength of the situational cues also affects social
perception. Time and work setting also influence one's perception.
Different between sensation and perception

Sensation Perception
It is the process of conveying It is an active process of selecting.
information from the outside organizing, and interpreting the
world into the brain. information brought to the brain
by the senses.

It regards as an input for It is outcome of sensation and is

perception. much broader in its nature.

Sensation occurs. Perception follows.

Person do not have to be Conscious engagement is needed

consciously engaging in a in perception process.
"sensing" process.

It is essentially the "feeling" what Perception is how we interpret the

we feel with our senses. sensations.

It is more complex than

It is not a complex process. sensations.

It involves selection of stimuli

It does not involve selection and and combination of them into a
combination. pattern.

It involves observing data,

It provides data, a means to selecting, and organizing the data
selecting and organizing based on sensory reflects and
senses to perception. interpreting the same as per
personality attributes
of the perceiver.