The perceptual process is a sequence of steps that begins with the environment and leads to our perception of a stimulus and an action in response to the stimulus. This process is continual, but you do not spend a great deal of time thinking about the actual process that occurs when you perceive the many stimuli that surround you at any given moment.
The process of transforming the light that falls on your retinas into an actual visual image happens unconsciously and automatically. The subtle changes in pressure against your skin that allow you to feel object occur without a single thought.
In order to fully understand how the perception process works, we'll start by breaking down each step.
The Steps in the Perceptual Process
- The Environmental Stimulus
- The Attended Stimulus
- The Image on the Retina
- Transduction
- Neural Processing
- Perception
- Recognition
- Action
Continue reading to learn more about each of the eight steps of the perceptual process.
