Human life is filled with different experiences that come through sensory systems. The simplest phenomenon of all mental processes is sensation. There is nothing more natural for us when we see, hear, feel the touch of objects.
The concept of sensation in psychology
Why is the topic: "Feeling" relevant? In psychology, this phenomenon has been studied for quite a long time, trying to give a more precise definition. To date, scientists are still trying to understand the full depth of the inner world and human physiology. Sensation is, in general psychology, the process of displaying individual qualities, as well as features of objects and phenomena of reality in conditions of direct impact on the senses. The ability to receive such experience is characteristic of living organisms that have a nervous system. And for conscious sensations alivecreatures must have brains.
The primary stage before the emergence of such a mental process was characterized by simple irritability, due to which there was a selective response to an important influence from the external or internal environment. The reaction was accordingly accompanied by changes in the state and behavior of the living organism, which drew the attention of general psychology.
Sensation is in psychology the first link in the knowledge of the external and internal world by a person. There are different types of this phenomenon, depending on the stimuli that produce them. These objects or phenomena are associated with different types of energy and, accordingly, give rise to sensations of different quality: auditory, skin, visual. In psychology, feelings associated with the muscular system and internal organs are also distinguished. Such phenomena are not recognized by man. The only exceptions are the painful sensations that come from the internal organs. They do not reach the sphere of consciousness, but are perceived by the nervous system. Also, a person receives sensations that are associated with such concepts as time, acceleration, vibration and other vital factors.
Incentives for our analyzers are electromagnetic waves that fall within a certain range.
Characterization of types of sensations
Regularities of sensations in psychology provide for the description of their various types. The first classification dates back to the ancient period. It is based on analyzers that define types such assmell, taste, touch, sight and hearing.
Another classification of sensations in psychology is presented by B. G. Ananiev (he distinguished 11 types). There is also a systematic typology of the authorship of the English physiologist C. Sherrington. It includes interoceptive, proprioceptive and exteroceptive types of sensations. Let's take a closer look at them.
Interoceptive type of sensation: description
This type of sensation gives signals from the internal environment of the body, from different organs and systems, which are characterized by certain indicators. Receptors receive signals from the digestive system (through the walls of the stomach and intestines), the cardiovascular system (the walls of blood vessels and the heart), from muscle tissue and other systems. Such nerve formations are called internal environment receptors.
These sensations belong to the most ancient and primitive group. They are characterized by unconsciousness, diffuseness and are very close to the emotional state. Another name for these mental processes is organic.
Proprioceptive type of sensation: description
Information about the state of our body, gives a person a proprioceptive sensation. In psychology, there are several subspecies of this type, namely: a sense of statics (balance) and kinesthetics (movements). Muscles and joints (tendons and ligaments) are the sites of receptor localization. The name of such sensitive areas is quite interesting - Paccini bodies. If we talk about peripheral receptors for proprioceptive sensations, then they are localized in the tubules of the inner ear.
The concept of sensation in psychology and psychophysiology has been studied quite well. This was done by A. A. Orbeli, P. K. Anokhin, N. A. Bernshtein.
Exteroceptive type of sensation: description
These sensations keep a person connected with the outside world and are divided into contact (gustatory and tactile) and distant (auditory, olfactory and visual sensations in psychology).
The olfactory sensation in psychology causes controversy among scientists, as they do not know exactly where to place it. The object that emits the smell is at a distance, but the scent molecules have contact with the nasal receptors. Or it happens that the object is already missing, but the smell is still in the air. Also, olfactory sensations are important in eating food and determining the quality of products.
Intermodal Feelings Description
As with the sense of smell, there are other senses that are difficult to classify. For example, it is vibrational sensitivity. It includes sensations from the auditory analyzer, as well as from the skin and muscular system. According to L. E. Komendantov, vibrational sensitivity is one of the forms of sound perception. Its great importance in the lives of people with limited or no hearing and voice has been proven. Such people have a high level of development of tactile-vibrational phenomenology and can identify a moving truck or other vehicle even at a great distance.
Other classifications of sensations
Also subject to study is the classification of sensations inpsychology M. Head, who substantiated the genetic approach to the division of sensitivity. He identified two types of it - protopathic (organic sensations - thirst, hunger, primitive and physiological) and epicritical (this includes all sensations known to scientists).
He also developed a classification of sensations B. M. Teplov, distinguishing two types of receptors - interoreceptors and exteroreceptors.
Characterization of the properties of sensations
It should be noted that sensations of the same modality can be completely different from each other. The properties of such a cognitive process are its individual characteristics: quality, intensity, spatial localization, duration, thresholds of sensations. In psychology, these phenomena were described by physiologists who were the first to deal with such a problem.
Quality and intensity of feeling
In principle, any indicators of phenomena can be divided into quantitative and qualitative types. The quality of sensation determines its differences from other types of this phenomenon and carries basic information from the stimulator. It is impossible to measure quality with the help of any numeral devices. If we take a visual sensation in psychology, then its quality will be color. For gustatory and olfactory sensitivity, this is the concept of sweet, sour, bitter, s alty, fragrant, and so on.
The quantitative characteristic of sensation is its intensity. Such a property is necessary for a person, since it is important for us to determine a loudor quiet music, and whether the room is light or dark. The intensity is experienced differently depending on such factors as the strength of the acting stimulus (physical parameters) and the functional state of the receptor that is exposed. The greater the physical characteristics of the stimulus, the greater the intensity of the sensation.
Duration and spatial localization of sensation
Another important characteristic is the duration, which indicates the temporal indicators of sensation. This property is also subject to the action of objective and subjective factors. If the stimulus acts for a long time, then the sensation will be long-lasting. This is an objective factor. The subjective lies in the functional state of the analyzer.
The stimuli that irritate the senses have their own location in space. Feelings help determine the location of an object, which plays a significant role in human life.
Thresholds of sensations in psychology: absolute and relative
Under the absolute threshold understand those physical parameters of the stimulus in the minimum amount that cause sensation. There are stimuli that lie below the absolute threshold level and do not cause sensitivity. But these patterns of sensations still affect the human body. In psychology, researcher G. V. Gershuni presented the results of experiments in which it was found that sound stimuli that were lower than the absolute threshold caused certain electrical activity in the brain and pupil enlargement. This zoneis a subsensory area.
There is also an upper absolute threshold - this is an indicator of an irritant that cannot be adequately perceived by the senses. Such experiences cause pain, but not always (ultrasound).
In addition to properties, there are also patterns of sensations: synesthesia, sensitization, adaptation, interaction.
Characteristic of perception
Sensation and perception in psychology are the primary cognitive processes in relation to memory and thinking. We gave a brief description of this phenomenon of the psyche, and now let's move on to perception. This is a mental process of a holistic display of objects and phenomena of reality in their direct contact with the organs of intuition. Sensation and perception in psychology were studied by physiologists and psychologists L. A. Venger, A. V. Zaporozhets, V. P. Zinchenko, T. S. Komarova and other scientists. The process of collecting information provides a person with orientation in the outside world.
It should be noted that perception is characteristic only for humans and higher animals that are able to form images. This is the process of objectification. Delivery of information about the properties of objects to the cerebral cortex is a function of sensations. In the psychology of perception, the formation of an image obtained on the basis of the collected information about an object and its properties is distinguished. The image is obtained as a result of the interaction of several sensory systems.
Types of perception
In perception, there are three groups. Here are the most common classifications:
| Dependence on goals | Deliberate | Unintentional | ||
| Dependence on degree of organization | Organized (observation) | Disorganized | ||
| Dependence on the form of reflection | Perception of space (shape, size, volume, distance, location, distance, direction) | Perception of time (duration, speed of flow, sequence of events) | Perception of movement (changes in the position of an object or the person himself in time) | |
Properties of perception
S. L. Rubinstein states that people's perception is generalized and directed.
So, the first property of this process is objectivity. Perception is impossible without objects, because they have their own specific colors, shape, size and purpose. We will define the violin as a musical instrument, and the plate as cutlery.
The second property is integrity. Sensations convey to the brain the elements of the object, its certain qualities, and with the help of perception, these individual features are formed into a holistic image. At an orchestra concert, we listen to the music as a whole, and not the sounds of each musical instrument separately (violin, double bass, cello).
The third property is constness. It characterizes the relative constancy of forms, shades of color and magnitudes that we perceive. For example, we see a cat asa certain animal, whether it is in the dark or in a bright room.
The fourth property is generality. It is human nature to classify objects and assign them to a certain class, depending on the signs that are available.
The fifth property is meaningfulness. Perceiving objects, we relate them to our experience and knowledge. Even if the subject is unfamiliar, the human brain tries to compare it with familiar objects and highlight common features.
The sixth property is selectivity. First of all, objects are perceived that have a connection with personal experience or human activity. For example, while watching a performance, an actor and an outsider will experience what is happening on the stage in different ways.
Each process can proceed both in normal and pathological conditions. Perception disorders are hyperesthesia (increased sensitivity to ordinary environmental stimuli), hypesthesia (decrease in sensitivity), agnosia (impaired recognition of objects in a state of clear consciousness and a slight decrease in general sensitivity), hallucinations (perception of non-existent objects in reality). Illusions are characteristic of the erroneous perception of objects that exist in reality.
Finally, I would like to say that the human psyche is a rather complex device, and a separate consideration of such processes as sensation, perception, memory and thinking is artificial, because in reality all these phenomena occur in parallel or sequentially.
