Each type of perception is based on certain patterns inherent only to it. However, one should not forget about the general laws of sensation and perception, the essence of which is extremely important. These include: integrity, constancy, objectivity, structurality, meaningfulness, selectivity, apperception.
What is perceptual integrity?
First of all, integrity is defined as a property of perception, which consists in the fact that any object or objective situation is perceived by a person as a stable integral system.
Thanks to this property, a person has the opportunity to create an organic relationship of parts and the whole in the image. The integrity of the laws of perception is a complex process, which is based on two components:
- Combining various components into a single whole, into a system.
- An educated whole, regardless of its constituent parts.
The work of the integrity of perception occurs as follows: the image of perceived objects is not provided to a person in a finished form, with all its components, it is mentally completed to the necessary holistic system based on available components. Even in such situations, when a person does not perceive certain signs of a familiar object, he can always supplement them mentally and get a complete picture. The formation of the image of an object or situation is based on a person’s knowledge and experience.
Constancy
As we know, a constant is a constant. In the aspect of perception, constancy is responsible for some constancy of perception of the image. The human mind is able to maintain the size, shape, color of absolutely any object, even regardless of the conditions of perception. This can be a different distance, lighting, viewing angle, and so on. Constancy is formed only in the learning process or through practical experience and is not inherited. Constancy is the main pattern of development of perception. However, despite the fact that constancy implies constancy, perception does not always give a 100% accurate idea of the objects that surround us, it may be erroneous.
Subjectivity
The essence of this pattern of perception is the adequacy and correspondence of images to real objects. It is objectivity that is responsible for making an object perceived by a person as a body that exists separately in space and time. This also applies to mental images. A person is aware of the images of objects not as images, but as real objects. Introducing Paris and the Eiffel Tower, a person should be aware that this is only an image that arose in consciousness, and not reality, because at the moment the individual is, for example, at home, and not in Paris.
Structural
The properties and patterns of perception, based on structurality, are responsible for combining the acting stimuli into holistic and simple structures for understanding it. The simplest example is listening to music. In the process, we perceive not individual sounds or notes, we perceive precisely an integral melody. A person can recognize various objects due to the established stable structure of signs. For example, each person has his own handwriting, but we adequately perceive and recognize letters and words, regardless of how they are written. All this is due to the stable structure of signs that each of the letters has.
Meaningfulness
The essence of this pattern is to understand the relationship between the essence of objects and phenomena through thinking. The meaningfulness of perception is achieved only by the mental activity of man. A person comprehends each new event on the basis of existing practical experience and knowledge. Thanks to meaningfulness, we can talk about the categorical nature of human perception. For example, perceiving certain objects or phenomena, a person relates them to certain categories: animals, plants, society, love, and so on. Intelligence is based on recognition. To learn is to perceive an object on the basis of a previously obtained and formed image. This property is characterized by its inherent certainty, accuracy and speed. With ease, in a split second, we recognize well-known objects without errors, even if the perception is incomplete. Recognition is divided into generalized (an object belongs to the general category) and specific (an object is identified with a once recognized single object).
Selectivity
The objective of this pattern of perception is to distinguish predominant among a multitude of objects. Often, selectivity is expressed in the selection of an object from the background along its contour. A clear and contrasting contour of the object contributes to its easy selection against the background. At the same time, when the boundaries of the subject are fuzzy and blurry, it is difficult to distinguish. The camouflage of military installations is based on this principle. A certain color scheme, similar to the surrounding conditions, complicates the process of selective perception.
Another direction of this pattern of perception is the allocation of main objects against the background of others. The object or phenomenon that is the focus of attention during perception is a figure, all that is not primarily striking is the background. Often you can hear the phrase: "She looked the most beautiful against the background of the rest."
The concepts of the subject and the background are dynamic, this is explained by the possibility of switching attention from one object to another. What was originally a figure, a central object, for some reason, can merge with the background, and vice versa.
Apperception
This category is responsible for the dependence of perceived objects and phenomena on knowledge, interests, attitudes, principles of man. Apperception is divided into two categories: personal / sustainable and situational / temporary. The essence of the first category is to determine the dependence of perception on the formed features inherent in a particular individual. This may be education, upbringing, a system of values and beliefs, and so on.
Situational or temporary apperception depends on periodically arising mental states. It can be emotions, opinions and the like. The simplest example is when at night a tree on the street or a shadow in an apartment can resemble a human figure. This will provoke certain emotions, such as fear. This is situational perception.