Perception (from the
Latin perceptio, percipio) is the organization, identification, and interpretation of
sensory information in order to represent and understand the environment. All perception involves signals in the
nervous system, which in turn result from physical or chemical stimulation of the sense organs. For example, vision involves
light striking the
retina of the eye, smell is mediated by odor
molecules, and hearing involves
pressure waves. Perception is not the passive receipt of these signals, but is shaped by
learning,
memory,
expectation, and
attention.
