Perception
/pərˈsɛpʃən/
nounB2
Definition
Perception means the process of seeing, hearing, or becoming aware of something through the senses or the mind. It is how a person understands or interprets information from the environment or from inside their thoughts. Perception can be different for each person because it depends on their experiences and feelings.
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See It in Action
The process of noticing or understanding something through the senses or mind
- •Her perception of the painting changed after she learned its history.
- •Children’s perception of time is different from adults’.
- •The loud noise affected his perception of the situation.
A way of thinking about or understanding something; an opinion or belief
- •Public perception of the company improved after the new advertisement.
- •His perception of the problem helped find a good solution.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "perception" like "seeing" or "feeling," but it includes not just what your eyes or ears do, but also how your mind understands what you sense
- ✓Picture wearing special glasses that change how you see the world—your perception changes what you notice or believe
- ✓It's the feeling when you think something is true because of how you understand or interpret it, even if others see it differently
- ✓Sounds like "per-SEP-shun" → imagine a person carefully picking (sepping) pieces of information from the world to make a picture in their mind
- ✓Think of the story of the blind men and the elephant: each man perceives (understands) the elephant differently because of what part they touch
- ✓NOT like "sensation" (which is just feeling something physically)—perception includes the mind’s interpretation, not just raw data
- ✓NOT like "fact" (which is true and real)—perception can be personal and sometimes wrong or different from facts
Try Other Words
- •Awareness: knowing about something (Use when focusing on simply noticing or being conscious of something)
- •View: opinion or way of seeing (Use when talking about personal ideas or beliefs)
- •Impression: a feeling or idea formed about something (Use when talking about first or quick feelings)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "per-" (through, thoroughly) + "cept" (take, seize) + "-ion" (noun ending)
- •Etymology: From Latin "percipere," meaning to take fully or grasp completely
- •Historical development: First used in English in the late 14th century to mean the act of understanding or noticing
- •Modern usage: Used in psychology, philosophy, and everyday language to describe how people see and understand the world around them
Reflect & Connect
•How can two people have very different perceptions of the same event?
•In what ways does your perception influence how you react to new information?
Fill in the blanks
1.Your perception of a situation can ___ how you feel about it and what you do next.
2.People’s perception often depends on their past ___ and experiences.
3.Unlike simple sensation, perception involves the mind’s ___ of what the senses detect.
4.Public perception of a product can ___ sales and popularity.
5.When you change your perception, you may also change your ___ or opinion.
6.Perception is not always the same as fact because it can be influenced by ___ or feelings.
7.Artists often try to change the viewer’s perception by using colors and shapes in new ways.