Cognitive processes

Cognition

What is Cognition?
Literally thinking
The brains representations of
information in the world around us
The way the mind processes this
information
Sensation Perception Cognition

Cognitive processes
Cognitive processes is about
knowledge and the way people use
their knowledge.
The mental act or process by which
knowledge is acquired, including
perception and reasoning.

Cognitive processes are the mental

processes used by an individual to learn
and retain information.

 Cognition
The mental processes that are involved
in perception, attention, memory,
problem solving, reasoning, attitude and
making decisions

Memory

Perception and
Attention

Complex
Cognitive
Processes

Creativity and attitude

Learning & Teaching

about Concepts

Problem
Solving

Perception
The process by which an individual
selects, organizes and interprets
stimuli into a meaningful and
coherent picture of his environment

Attitude
A state of mind with a tendency to
feel and behave in a particular way
towards objects, people or events.

Memory is a constructive
process through which we
actively organize and shape
information.
Thinking and memory are flexible and
capable of constant changethis can
lead to errors.

 Memory is our ability to encode,

store, retain and subsequently recall
information and past experiences in
the human brain. It can be thought of
in general terms as the use of past
experience to affect or influence
current behaviour.

 WE DONT SEE THINGS AS

THEY ARE,
WE SEE THINGS AS WE ARE.
If everyone perceived everything
the same way, things would be a
lot simpler

PERCEPTION

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WHAT IS PERCEPTION?

YOUR interpretation of reality

after information/stimuli is

Filtered out

Selected

Organized

Defined
.using YOUR existing

CONT..
Knowledge
Needs
Beliefs
Values
Assumptions
Attitudes.

DEFINITIONS
STEPHEN ROBBINS
Perception is a process by which
individuals organise and interpret the
sensory impressions in order to give
meaning to their environment.
FRED LUTHANS
Perception is an important mediating
cognitive process through which persons
make interpretations of the stimulus or
situation they are forced with.

Perception
What Is Perception?
The process by which individuals organize and
interpret their impressions in order to give
meaning to their environment.

Why Is It Important?
Because peoples behaviour is based on their
perception of what reality is, not on reality itself.
The world as it is perceived is the world that is
behaviourally important.

Why We Study Perceptions

To better understand how people
make attributions about events.
We dont see reality. We interpret
what we see and call it reality.
The attribution process guides
our behaviour, regardless of the
truth of the attribution.

Perception

You can see a white vase as figure against a

black background, or two black faces in
profile on a white background

What do you see?

Now what do you see?

 Perceptions vary
from person to
person.
Different people
perceive different
things about the
same situation.

it basically refers
to the manner in
which a person
experiences the
world.
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 The key point is that perception can

vary
widely
among
individuals
exposed to the same reality.
One person might perceive a fasttalking salesperson an aggressive and
insincere another, as intelligent and
helpful. Each will respond differently
to the salesperson.
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Sensation and Perception

Sensation is the immediate
response of our sensory
receptors (eyes, ears, nose,
mouth, and fingers) to basic
stimuli (light, color, sound,
odor, and texture).
Perception is the process by
which sensations are
selected, organized, and
interpreted.
2-22

Difference between perception

and sensation
Perception is a complex mental process
while sensation is simple process.
Mind is less active in sensation as
compared to perception.
Memory too effects perception but not
sensation.
Perception is the next step to
sensation.
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The Perceptual Process

1.Sensation
An individuals ability
to detect stimuli in the
immediate
environment.
2.Selection
The process a person
uses to eliminate
some of the stimuli
that have been sensed
and to retain others
for further processing.
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3.Organization
The process of placing
selected perceptual
stimuli into a
framework for
storage.

4.Translation
The stage of the
perceptual process at
which stimuli are
interpreted and given
meaning.
Organiz
ational

Perceptual Process

Selecting Stimuli
External factors : Nature,

Receiving Stimuli
(External & Internal)

Location,Size,contrast,
Movement,repetition,similarity
Internal factors : Learning,
needs,age,Interest,

Interpreting
Attribution ,Stereotyping,
Halo Effect, Projection

Organizing
Figure Background ,
Perceptual Grouping
( similarity, proximity,
closure, continuity)

Response
Covert: Attitudes ,
Motivation,
Feeling
Overt: Behavior
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Organiz
ational

PERCEPTUAL PROCESS
Perceptual
inputs
Stimuli

Perceptual throughputs
Receiving->Selecting->Organising->Interpreting

Perceptual
Outputs
Actions

Perception is a three-stage process that translates

raw stimuli into meaning.

 Data selection is the

first stage of the
perception process.
This stage is more of
an awareness process.
It consists five of our
senses:

Perceptual selection is driven by internal and

externalfactors.
Internal factors include:
Personality - Personality traits influence how a person selects
perceptions. For instance, conscientious people tend to select
details and external stimuli to a greater degree.
Motivation - People will select perceptions according to what
they need in the moment. They will favor selections that they
think will help them with their current needs, and be more
likely to ignore what is irrelevant to their needs.
Experience - The patterns of occurrences or associations one
has learned in the past affect current perceptions. The person
will select perceptions in a way that fits with what they found
in the past.

External factors include:

Size - A larger size makes it more likely an object will be
selected.
Intensity - Greater intensity, in brightness, for example, also
increases perceptual selection.
Contrast - When a perception stands clearly out against a
background, there is a greater likelihood of selection.
Motion - A moving perception is more likely to be selected.
Repetition - Repetition increases perceptual selection.
Novelty and familiarity - Both of these increase selection.
When a perception is new, it stands out in a person's
experience. When it is familiar, it is likely to be selected
because of this familiarity.

Perceptual organization

It is the process by which we group outside stimuli into

recognizable and identifiable patterns and whole objects.

Certain factors are considered to be important contributors

on assembling, organizing and categorizing information in
the human brain. These are

- Figure ground
- Perceptual grouping

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Organiz
ational

Organization is followed after the data has been

selected.

Organizing information and data, that have

meaningful and understandable patterns, allows
us to make sense in what we observe.

In other words we all perceive information that

stand out over other information. No person can
have the same sorting process.

PERCEPTUAL GROUPING
Our tendency to group several individual stimuli
into a meaningful and recognizable pattern.

It is very basic in nature and largely it seems to be

inborn.

Some factors underlying grouping are

-continuity
-closure
-proximity
-similarity
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Organiz
ational

The following factors are those that determine perceptual organization:

Figure-ground - Once perceived, objects stand out against their
background. This can mean, for instance, that perceptions of
something as new can stand out against the background of everything
of the same type that is old.
Perceptual grouping - Grouping is when perceptions are brought
together into a pattern.
Closure - This is the tendency to try to create wholes out of
perceived parts. Sometimes this can result in error, though, when
the perceiver fills in unperceived information to complete the whole.
Proximity - Perceptions that are physically close to each other are
easier to organize into a pattern or whole.
Similarity - Similarity between perceptions promotes a tendency to
group them together.
Perceptual Constancy - This means that if an object is perceived
always to be or act a certain way, the person will tend to infer that it
actually is always that way.

For some people this image may be represented as a

side view of a dogs face.

Or it may be just a mountain.

Not everyone will organize their data in the same

order.

Can you spot the face

engraved in this
mountain?

Lastly, we view the final perception process as the

interpretation of perception.

Through our previous experiences we give meaning to the

information that was sorted and organized.

From our memory we will take in new information, mix it with

old and come up with new ideas through quick deductions.

Head of a
Man

Horse
Head

Factors That Influence Perception

Characteristics of the Perceiver
Values and attitudes
Motives
Interests
Experience
Expectations
Perceptual context
Time
Work setting
Social setting

Perception

Characteristics of the Target

Structural beauty
Novelty and Familiarity
Motion and Change
Repetition
Intensity
Sounds
Size
Contrast and Background
Proximity

FACTORS INFLUENCING
PERCEPTION
Perception is influenced by a variety of
individuals and situational factors. Any
perceptual event has three components
viz. a perceiver, the person perceived
and the situational context in which the
perception is occurring. Lets explore
each of these under following
headings :
1. Attributes of the person perceived
2. Attributes of the perceiver and
3. Attributes of the situation.

ATTRIBUTES OF THE PERSON

PERCEIVED
The first major influence on perception
is of the target, that is the person
perceived. In particular, the following
attributes of target can be identified:
i) Physical appearance
ii) Verbal and non verbal
communication
iii) Status
iv) Occupation
v) Personal characteristics

ATTRIBUTES OF THE PERCEIVER

Several attributes unique to our

personalities can affect how we
see others. These include the
following :
i) Self concept
ii) Cognitive structure
iii)
Attitude , interest
iv)
Previous experiences
V) Motives as well as expectations

ATTRIBUTES OF THE SITUATION

Elements in the surrounding
environment also influence
perception process. Some of
these are as follows :
i) Social context
ii) Location of event