We interpret and understand the world around us because we are able to feel and perceive.

Sensoperception is the process by which we receive information from sensory stimuli from our senses so that it can be encoded and processed later in our brain and finally we can generate a conscious perceptual experience.

In this article we explain what sensoperception is, what its main components are and how sensory and perceptive processes are organized from birth.

What is sensoperception?

Sensoperception or sensory perception is a process through which we capture stimuli from our environment so that they can be processed and interpreted at the brain level.

We perceive what surrounds us and interpret the world thanks to our senses, which transform the electrochemical signals received and transmit them as nerve impulses to the neuronal centres of sensory processing (process of transduction).

The interpretation we make of the stimuli we perceive is neither neutral nor based solely on the physical characteristics of what surrounds us. Our expectations, beliefs and prior knowledge influence how we eventually perceive a particular object or phenomenon.

Components

Sensoperception, as its name indicates, consists of two parts: sensation and perception . Sensation is a neurophysiological process that involves the reception of information (through sensory receptors distributed by the organism) that comes from our own body and the environment.

There are different types of sensations: interoceptive, which inform us of the internal processes of our own organism through organs such as the viscera, and modulate our moods; proprioceptive, which help us to know how to situate our body in space, providing information on posture or movement; and exteroceptive, which provide us with data on the environment through the senses (taste, touch, smell, sight, hearing).

All our experiences are based on sensory processes, and in every sensation there is a physical component (a stimulus), a physiological component (reception of the stimulus and transmission of the impulse) and a psychological component (brain processing and awareness). Sensation becomes perception when our brain encodes, interprets and makes sense of sensory data.

For its part, the process of perception is developed in three phases: first, sensory information is received; second, there is a process of discrimination and selection of sensory data, which access our consciousness; and third, the areas in charge of sensory processing are responsible for interpreting and processing, based on knowledge and previous experience, the sensory data, combining the information received with that previously acquired and generating a conscious perceptual experience.

Sensoperception is, therefore, a process in which sensory and perceptive processing converge, both of which are necessary for us to be able to configure a coherent and accessible reality .

Sensory organization

Sensory organization refers to the way we capture stimuli through our senses, how they are transmitted to the brain and where sensations are recorded. Practically from birth, the senses are functional and allow us to access the sensory information that surrounds us through stimulation and action.

At about 5 or 6 months, babies already perceive the world in a similar way as adults do. One of the most important characteristics of sensoperception, and in this case of sensory organization, is that the reception of information from the senses are combined and coordinated in order to generate the most complete sensory and perceptual experience.

The sensory organization follows the following stages:

  • Triggering effects : a sense receives information from a stimulus and requests the cooperation of the other senses.

  • Simultaneous effects : a single stimulus causes several senses to intervene at the same time.

  • Inhibitory effects : several senses act at first and one or more senses are selectively inhibited.

Perceptual organization

Within sensoperception, perceptual organization refers to the way our brain structures, interprets and encodes sensory information to give it coherence and meaning.

This information may be determined by the following aspects: physiological, such as the quality of sensory receptors, the person’s mood, age, etc.; psychological, such as motivation, expectations or cultural context; and mechanical, such as the intensity of the stimulus.

Our perceptive system is developed following a series of guidelines. The main perceptive systems are presented below:

1. Visual perception

Vision is limited at the time of birth (babies cannot see, but they can perform visual examinations), and is becoming effective and functional relatively quickly. Newborns prefer to discriminate certain stimuli that are more attractive to them, for example, the brightest ones, those that move, those that have colours or those that produce sounds.

These visual preferences are innate, which means that the perceptive system is conditioned from birth to attend to certain stimuli as opposed to others, and thanks to this evolutionary mechanism children can self-regulate their own perceptive development, spontaneously choosing the most appropriate learning experiences.

2. Auditory perception

The processes of auditory sensoperception are similar to those of vision . The newborn usually does not hear, although the ear will gradually refine its capacity, making the baby sensitive to the intensity of sounds. Loud and shrill noises cause them discomfort, and sounds such as their mother’s voice or relaxing music soothe them.

As with visual perception, children show a preference for certain sounds over others, especially the human voice. By 3 or 4 months they are able to identify voices, and recognize their mother’s. Full auditory maturity occurs at about 4 to 5 months.

3. Olfactory perception

The sense of smell is one of the senses that are more and better developed from birth . Children have a preference for pleasant smells (they turn their heads towards them) and are able to detect unpleasant or harmful smells. They also often show a preference for odors such as breast milk or maternal body odor.

During the first few months, the infant memorizes many of the odors he or she is picking up from the environment. And although the olfactory capacity has been important in the evolutionary development, this capacity has been lost over time due to a lack of stimulation of the same, to the detriment of the auditory or visual capacity.

4. Taste perception

From birth, what happens with auditory and visual perception also happens in the case of taste perception. Babies have a preference for more pleasant flavours (sweet), over others that are less pleasant (salty or bitter) .

It should be noted that the sense of taste is the most specialized of all. We have more than 10,000 taste buds and are able to detect 4 flavours and multiple sensations (rough, white, dry, hard, etc.).

Research in children has also been able to study the reaction of infants to increased concentrations of glucose in food, and it has been shown that they also react with taste preference in these cases.

5. Tactile perception

The sensory processing of tactile stimuli is essential from birth, as we are able to interpret reality through our skin and contact with the outside world. Normally, this first contact is with the mother’s skin (through caresses and cuddling), which generates a strong emotional bond and a great sensory-perceptive experience.

Through skin contact, the child is able to capture vibrations and generate conscious experiences and feelings that play a fundamental role in the construction and socio-affective development. The stimulation of touch is therefore essential for the child to form a mental image of its environment and to start building its particular reality.

Bibliographic references:

  • Merleau-Ponty, M., & Cabanes, J. (1975). Phenomenology of perception (p. 475). Barcelona: Peninsula.

  • Prieto, R. M., & Percepcion, S. Y. (2009). The development of Sensoperception. Revista Digital Innovación y Experiencias Educativas, 15, 117.