Sensoperception: definition, components and how it works.

We explain this process by which we encode and process stimuli.

We interpret and understand the world around us because we are able to sense and perceive.

Sensory perception is the process by which we receive information from sensory stimuli from our senses so that it can be encoded and processed in our brain and finally we can generate a new sensory perception. then in our brain and finally we can generate a conscious perceptual experience.

In this article we explain what sensoperception is, what are its main components and how sensory and perceptual processes are organized from birth.

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What is sensoperception?

Sensory perception or sensory perception is a process through which we capture stimuli from our environment so that they can be processed and interpreted at the cerebral level.

We perceive our surroundings and interpret the world thanks to our senses, which transform the electrochemical signals received and transmit them as nerve impulses to the neural centers of the brain. and transmit them as nerve impulses to the neuronal centers of sensory processing (transduction process).

Our interpretation of the stimuli we perceive is neither neutral nor based solely on the physical characteristics of our surroundings. Our expectations, beliefs and prior knowledge influence how we ultimately perceive a particular object or phenomenon.

Components

Sensory perception, as its name suggests, consists of two parts: sensation and perception.. Sensation is a neurophysiological process that involves the reception of information (through sensory receptors distributed throughout the organism) that comes from our own body and the environment.

There are different types of sensations: interoceptive sensations, which inform us of the internal processes of our own organism through organs such as the viscera, and modulate our moods; proprioceptive sensations, which help us to know how to situate our body in space, providing information on posture or movement; and exteroceptive sensations, which provide us with data from the environment through the senses (taste, touch, smell, sight, hearing).

All our experiences are based on sensory processes, and in every sensation there is a physical component (a stimulus), a physiological component (reception of the stimulus and transmission of the impulse) and a psychological component (brain processing and awareness). Sensation becomes perception when our brain encodes, interprets and makes sense of the sensory data.

In turn, the process of perception develops in three phases: first, sensory information is received; second, there is a process of discrimination and selection of sensory data, which access our consciousness; and third, the areas in charge of sensory processing are in charge of interpreting and processing, based on acquired knowledge and previous experiences, the sensory data, combining the information received with that previously acquired and generating a conscious perceptual experience.

Sensory perception is, therefore, a process in which sensory and perceptual processing concur, both of which are necessary for us to configure a coherent and accessible reality..

Sensory organization

Sensory organization refers to the way in which we capture stimuli through our senses, how they are transmitted to the brain, and where we register sensations. and where sensations are registered. Practically from birth, the senses are functional and allow us to access the sensory information around us through stimulation and action.

At around 5 or 6 months, babies already perceive the world in a similar way to adults. One of the most important characteristics of sensory perception, and in this case sensory organization, is that the reception of information from the senses is combined and coordinated in order to generate the most complete sensory and perceptual experience.

Sensory organization follows the following stages:

• Triggering effects.Triggering effects: one sense receives information from a stimulus and requests the cooperation of the other senses.

• Simultaneous effectsStimuli: a single stimulus causes several senses to intervene at the same time.

• Inhibitory effectsseveral senses act at first and, selectively, one or more senses are inhibited.

Perceptual organization

Within sensoperception, perceptual organization refers to the way our brain structures, interprets and encodes sensory information to give it coherence and meaning. and meaning.

This information can be determined by the following aspects: physiological aspects, such as the quality of the sensory receptors, the person's mood, age, etc.; psychological aspects, such as motivation, expectations or cultural context; and mechanical aspects, such as the intensity of the stimulus.

Our perceptual system develops following a series of guidelines. The main perceptual systems are presented below:

1. visual perception

Vision is limited at birth (infants do not see, but can perform visual scans), and becomes efficient and functional relatively quickly. relatively quickly. Newborns preferentially discriminate certain stimuli that are more attractive to them, for example, those that are brighter, move, have colors, or produce sounds.

These visual preferences are innate, which means that the perceptual system is conditioned from birth to attend to certain stimuli over others, and thanks to this evolutionary mechanism infants can self-regulate their own perceptual development, spontaneously choosing the most appropriate learning experiences.

2. Auditory perception

Auditory sensory perception processes are similar to those of vision.. The newborn usually does not hear, although the hearing will gradually become more refined, making the baby sensitive to the intensity of sounds. Loud and shrill noises cause them discomfort, and sounds such as their mother's voice or soothing music soothe them.

As with visual perception, infants show a preference for certain sounds over others, especially the human voice. At 3 to 4 months they are already able to identify voices, and to recognize their mother's voice. Full auditory maturity occurs at around 4 to 5 months.

3. Olfactory perception

Smell is one of the senses that is most and best developed from birth.. Children have a preference for pleasant smells (they turn their heads towards them) and are able to detect unpleasant or harmful smells. They also tend to show a preference for smells such as breast milk or the mother's body odor.

During the first months, the infant memorizes many of the smells it picks up from the environment. And although olfactory capacity has been important in evolutionary development, this capacity has been lost over time due to a lack of stimulation, to the detriment of auditory or visual capacity.

4. Taste perception

From birth, what happens with auditory and visual perception also occurs in the case of taste perception. Babies have a preference for more pleasant tastes (sweet) over less pleasant ones (salty or bitter)..

It should be noted that the sense of taste is the most specialized of all. We have more than 10,000 taste buds and are able to detect 4 tastes and multiple sensations (rough, white, dry, dry, hard, etc.).

Research on children has also been able to study the reaction of infants to increased glucose concentration in food, and it has been found that they also react with taste preference in these cases.

5. Tactile perception

The sensory processing of tactile stimuli is essential from birth, since we are able to interpret reality through our skin and contact with the outside world. Normally, this first contact is usually with the mother's skin (through caresses and cuddling), which generates a strong emotional bond and a great sensory-perceptual experience.

Through skin contact, the child is able to pick up vibrations and generate conscious experiences and feelings that play a fundamental role in the construction and socio-affective development. The stimulation of touch is therefore essential for the child to form a mental image of his or her environment. and can begin to build its own particular reality.

Bibliographical references:

• Merleau-Ponty, M., & Cabanes, J. (1975). Phenomenology of perception (p. 475). Barcelona: Península.

• Prieto, R. M., & Percepcion, S. Y. (2009). The development of Sensoperception. Revista Digital Innovación y Experiencias Educativas, 15, 117.