Page 77 - Communication across Cultures
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Chapter 3 Culture’s Influence on Perception
Chapter 3 Culture’s Influence on Perception
3.1 Human Perception
People from different cultures usually think differently. Thinking actually involves
higher mental activities, i.e., perception and remembering. Our perceptions are influ-
enced by who we are, including the accumulation of our experiences.
3.1.1 Defining Perception
Human perception refers to the process by which humans interpret and make sense
of the sensory information they receive from the environment. It involves the ability to
recognize, organize, and interpret sensory stimuli such as sight, hearing, touch, taste,
and smell. Human perception is a complex and multi-faceted process that involves both
the physical senses and cognitive processes.
1) Physical Senses
Perception begins with the stimulus, which is any information or event that can be
detected by the senses. The sensory organs, such as the eyes, ears, skin, tongue, and
nose, detect the stimulus and transmit signals to the brain through the nervous system.
The brain then processes and interprets these signals, allowing us to perceive and un-
derstand the world around us.
The physical senses play a crucial role in human perception as they provide the pri-
mary input for our sensory experiences. Humans have five main senses:
Vision (sight): Vision allows us to perceive and interpret the properties of light,
such as color, shape, and motion. Our eyes detect light waves and convert them into
electrical signals that are processed by the brain, allowing us to see and understand the
visual world.
Audition (hearing): Hearing enables us to perceive and interpret sound. Our ears
detect sound waves and convert them into electrical signals that the brain processes, al-
lowing us to hear and understand speech, music, and other sounds.
Somatosensation (touch): Somatosensation includes various sensations related to
touch, pressure, temperature, and pain. The skin, along with sensory receptors in other
body parts, detects these stimuli and sends signals to the brain, enabling us to feel and
perceive our environment.
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