Cognitive Processes - perception

What are cognitive processes?

Essential mental functions involving active engagement in acquiring, processing, and storing information.

What is perception?

The analysis and interpretation of sensory stimuli (e.g. sight, touch, taste).

Why is perception important?

It allows us to understand and make sense of sensory experiences.

Is perception the same as sensation?

No - sensation is the detection of stimuli; perception is interpretation.

Is perception the same as attention?

No - attention is required for perception but is a separate process.

What is pre-attentive perception?

Subconscious processing of information without focused attention.

What the function of pre-attentive perception?

Helps quickly identify important stimuli and guides attention.

Examples of pre-attentive stimuli?

Different colour

Movement

Sudden loud noise

Temperature change

What are the sensory systems?

Vision

Auditory

Olfactory

Tactile

Gustation

Vestibular

Proprioception

Interoception

What is Gibson's direct theory of perception?

We perceive by using information from the senses

Bottom-down

What is a limitation of Gibson's direct theory?

Can't explain visual illusions

What is Gregory's constructivist theory of perception?

Top-down

Perception uses prior knowledge and experience to understand info

What are the 4 stages in the process of perception?

Sensory input received

Interpretation of info

Uses prior knowledge and experiences

Combine these to make inference about the input

What can influence perception?

Physiological, environmental, psychological and social

What are visual perceptual difficulties?

Difficulty interpreting visual information

Examples of visual perceptual difficulties?

e.g. poor hand-eye coordination

What are auditory perceptual difficulties?

Difficulty processing sound, ignoring relevant stimuli

Examples of auditory perceptual difficulties?

Understanding speech in noise, difficulty following instructions

What are tactile perceptual difficulties?

Issues with touch sensitivity - over or under sensitive.

Examples of tactile perceptual difficulties?

Avoidance of touch

Breaking objects

What difficulties occur with smell/taste?

Sensitivity leading to behaviours like restricted diet or licking.

What are proprioceptive difficulties?

Poor body awareness.

Examples of proprioceptive difficulties?

Clumsiness, judging personal space

What are vestibular difficulties?

Problems with balance and orientation.

Examples of vestibular difficulties?

Spinning/rocking, car sickness

How does ASD affect perception?

Hyper- or hypo-sensitivity to stimuli.

How does ADHD affect perception?

Sensory seeking/avoidance and hypersensitivity.

How does schizophrenia affect perception?

Hallucinations or altered sensory experience.

How does dementia affect perception?

Difficulty recognising objects/sounds and disorientation.

What is interoceptive under-responsivity?

Reduced awareness of internal signals (e.g. hunger, pain).

What is interoceptive over-responsivity?

Heightened awareness (e.g. anxiety, low pain tolerance).

How does auditory perception impact communication?

Difficulty distinguishing sounds → language errors/misinterpretation.

How does visual perception impact communication?

Difficulty reading facial expressions → poor non-verbal communication.

How does body awareness affect speech?

Poor awareness of speech muscles → articulation/fluency issues.

What strategies support perception in SLT?

Multisensory approaches

Clear, structured communication

Accessible materials

Supporting autonomy

What is the difference between inattentional blindness and change blindness?

Inattentional = failure to notice an unexpected stimuli

Change = failure to notice a change in the environment