Each type of perception is based on certain patterns inherent only to it. However, we must not forget about the general patterns of sensation and perception, the essence of which is extremely important. These include: integrity, constancy, objectivity, structure, meaningfulness, selectivity, apperception.
What is perceptual integrity?
First of all, integrity is defined as a property of perception, which means that any object or subject situation is perceived by a person as a stable integral system.
Thanks to this property, a person has the ability to create an organic relationship between parts and the whole in the image. The integrity of the regularity of the process of perception is a complex process that 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 is as follows: the image of perceived objects is not provideda person in a completed form, with all its components, he mentally builds up to the desired integral system based on the existing 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 the knowledge and experience already available to a person.
Consistency
As we know, a constant is a constant. In the aspect of perception, constancy is responsible for some constancy in the perception of an image. The human consciousness is able to preserve the size, shape, color of absolutely any objects, even regardless of the conditions of perception. It can be a different distance, lighting, viewing angle, and so on. Constancy is formed only in the process of learning or through practical experience and is not inherited in any way. Constancy is the main regularity in the development of perception. However, despite the fact that constancy implies constancy, perception does not always give a 100% accurate representation of the objects that surround us, it can be erroneous.
Objectivity
The essence of this pattern of perception is the adequacy and correspondence of images to real objects. It is objectivity that is responsible for the fact that an object is perceived by a person as a separately existing body 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. Representing Paris and the Eiffel Towera person must be aware that this is only an image that has arisen in the mind, and not reality, because at the moment the individual is, for example, at home, and not in Paris.
Structuredness
Properties and patterns of perception based on structurality are responsible for combining influencing stimuli into holistic and easy-to-understand structures. The simplest example is listening to music. In the process, we do not perceive individual sounds or notes, we perceive exactly the whole melody. A person can recognize various objects due to the established stable structure of features. 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 features that each of the letters has.
Meaningfulness
The essence of this pattern is to understand the connection between the essence of objects and phenomena through thinking. The meaningfulness of perception is achieved only by the mental activity of a person. Each new event is comprehended by a person 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 refers them to certain categories: animals, plants, society, love, and so on. Meaningfulness is based on recognition. To know means to perceive an object on the basis of a previously received and formed image. This property is characterized by the inherenthim with certainty, precision and speed. We easily recognize objects well known to us in a split second without errors, even if the perception is incomplete. Recognition is divided into generalized (an object belongs to a general category) and specific (an object is identified with a once recognized single object).
Selectivity
The task of this pattern of perception is to single out the predominant objects among the 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 makes it easy to distinguish it from the background. At the same time, when the boundaries of an object are fuzzy and blurry, it is difficult to distinguish it. The camouflage of military facilities is based on this principle. A certain color scheme, similar to the surrounding conditions, makes it difficult to selectively perceive.
Another direction of this pattern of perception is the selection of the main objects against the background of others. The object or phenomenon that is in the center of attention during perception is a figure, everything that does not catch the eye in the first place is the background. You can often hear the phrase: "She looked the most beautiful among the rest."
The concepts of subject and 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 certain reasons, can merge with the background, and vice versa.
Apperception
This category is responsible for the dependence of perceivedobjects and phenomena from knowledge, interests, attitudes, principles of a person. Apperception falls into two categories: personal/sustained and situational/temporal. The essence of the first category is to determine the dependence of perception on the formed features inherent in a particular individual. It can be education, upbringing, system of values and beliefs, and so on.
Situational or temporal apperception depends on periodically occurring 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 what situational perception is all about.
