Response to a post.

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• Your post must be highly organized, thorough and accurate.
• Advance the discussion or extend discussions already taking place.
• Responses must add new information not previously discussed. Pose new possibilities or opinions not previously voiced. Consider new factual information tied with critical thinking. Interesting and current research on the topic.
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Post :

Distinctions between where sensation ends and perception begins may as well be a ‘line in the sand’ for many. Although sensation and perception are distinct practices, they are directly associated.

Most children are taught at a young age about their senses, vision, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Sensation is information about our tangible surroundings attained by sensory receptors; perception is the method in which the brain chooses, categorizes, and understands these senses. Therefore, perceptions of senses will vary between individuals as every individual’s brain construes stimuli created on their personal emotions, memory, and expectations (Alptekin & Unver, 2019).

Sensory receptors react to specific stimuli, light waves (vision), chemical particles (taste and smell), sound waves (hearing), pressure or temperature (touch); when sensory communication is identified by a receptor, sensation has transpired. Sensory receptors are a specialized structure that responds to internal or external environmental stimulus; the sensory nerve obtains information and then generates nerve impulses that are communicated to the brain for explanation and perception. The cerebral cortex is largely responsible for processing information; divided into four lobes, parietal lobes, frontal lobes, occipital lobes, and temporal lobes, proper function includes cognitive and sensory functions. The parietal lobes are involved in managing sensory information, the somatosensory cortex is located here and is vital for achieving touch sensations. Frontal lobes impact problem-solving, decision-making, planning, and movement (Alptekin & Unver, 2019). Occipital lobes are where the primary visual cortex is located, this is the principal area where visual processing occurs, the information is directed to the parietal and temporal lobes for additional processing (Huff, 2020). Temporal lobes influence language, emotion, scent, memory, and hearing. Sensory systems are prevalent throughout our body, providing extensive understanding of the world around us (Alptekin & Unver, 2019). Decreased sensory abilities can lead to a significant change in lifestyle as senses provide individuals with information regarding the world around them.

Experiences influence how the brain classifies information, stimuli that individuals have experienced in the past will impact how new experiences are managed. Perception is the method of interpreting, integrating, and organizing sensations, different experiences over time may cause various perceptions of an individual’s physical environment. Life experiences, values, biases, beliefs, outlook, and motivation can impact perception. Perception includes the interpretation and processing of sensory input (Marzvanyan, 2020). My mother is a two-time breast cancer survivor, as she was fighting her second battle, when she decided to incorporate some self-care into her routine as part of her treatment plan. She was administered chemotherapy weekly through a port inserted under the skin, during her chemotherapy treatment she would rely on a purse full of mints to reduce the metallic taste incited by her treatment. After each treatment she would leave the hospital and we would have a weekly ‘countdown/celebration’ dinner her favorite restaurant, knowing that the days following her treatment would be physically taxing. This restaurant was a lovely, high-end venue where she would dine on a large dinner and enjoy a celebratory glass of wine. My mother embraced her routine throughout her long journey, however as she recovered and found herself in remission, she would never enjoy her beautiful restaurant that had once been such a delightful source of hope. We went back after one of her follow-up appointments and as we dined, she complained of a metallic taste in her mouth. As we were both acutely aware, the cuisine was not flavored with any metal substance, the environment invoked memories of traumatic time in her life. The metallic taste was one that she now associated with her beloved restaurant and her negative life experience affected her perception of the food and environment, we left that evening knowing that would be our last meal within those walls.

I found a simple ‘association’ method to distinguish the difference sensation and perception, sensation begins with “s” think of stimulation of sensory organs, perception “p” incorporates processing and interpretation of sensory involvement.