The Theory Of Perception And Knowing - 1760 Words

To James and Lippmann, the stimuli world is a buzzing confusion that bombards the perceiver. From Shakespeare and Socrates to Kant and Kohler, the power of perception has been discussed by philosophers and psychologists alike. Construction of perception and knowing is subjective, depending on factors such as motives, wants, needs, values, cultures, norms, and mood. Meaning is constructed to end doubt, prepare for action, and obtain sub-jective feelings of control. In the social world, inferences and categorization happen at an unconscious level. However, we have the cognitive flexibility to engage in effor Separating meaning from pure sensation was the goal for Kohler and Bruner. For Kohler, even the most elementary forms of knowing†¦show more content†¦When a person is forced to choose between stimuli, a per-son will respond to stimuli based on which stimuli speak to his or her goals most clearly. Similar to Kohler and Bruner, Lewin believed motives and goals could operate at an uncon-scious level, yet play an essential part in perception and action. Goals and motives that were chosen consciously and operate unconsciously are known as â€Å"quasi-needs.† Ability of a stimulus to capture one’s attention depends on the strength of the quasi-need. Stimuli related to our goals stand out to us while stimuli unrelated to our goals may go unnoticed. This con-firmation bias can be exemplified by the willingness of people to believe fake news when it fits their unconscious goals. These goals operate passively, waiting to be triggered by an en-vioronmental cue. Building o n Lewin’s work, Postman, Bruner, and McGinnies found that the perceptual meaning of value-laden words were dependent upon the perceiver’s likes and dislikes. Culture and norms took the center stage in Sherif’s assertion that there were two ways of framing the construction of knowledge. First, a stimulus may not invoke the same effect in person at different times; instead, the perceptual experience and subsequent behav-ior may be a function of the state of the organism at the time. By the same token, researchers have found that negative mood states reduce one’s perceptual focus, making it more diffi-cult toShow MoreRelatedDavid Hume s Theory Of Cognitive Structure1415 Words   |  6 Pagesexactly constitutes knowing and the conditions which make knowing possible. One of these philosophers is David Hume who is his book An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding, claims that reasoning cannot demonstrate that things in the world exist therefore, all we can really know are our sense perceptions. An obvious flaw that is seen with Hume’s philosophy is that he reduces all knowledge to sense perceptions gained from experience. As Hume’s theory is limited to sense perception, another philosopherRead MoreTo what extent do ways of knowing prevent us from deluding ourselves? Justify your answer with reference to at least one area of knowledge1618 Words   |  7 Pageswhat extent do ways of knowing prevent us from deluding ourselves? Justify your answer with reference to at least one area of knowledge Ways of knowing are the core of TOK for us to get knowledge in different Areas of Knowledge. The two key terms on this essay question are â€Å"ways of Knowing† and â€Å"deluding ourselves†. â€Å"Ways of knowing are how we acquire knowledge about the world around us, and figure out our relationship with it†. (IB Diploma Program, 31) Ways of Knowing help us to understand AreasRead MoreAll of the Other Ways of Knowing Are Controlled by Language. ¡Ã‚ ¨ What Does This Statement Mean and Do You Think It Is a Fair Representation of the Relationship Between Perception, Emotion, Reason and Language?1463 Words   |  6 Pagesuse it. In the statement  ¡Ã‚ §All of the other ways of knowing are controlled by language ¡Ã‚ ¨, language is defined as  ¡Ã‚ §words ¡Ã‚ ¨ and this  ¡Ã‚ §control ¡Ã‚ ¨ can be defined as  ¡Ã‚ §dominate ¡Ã‚ ¨. Then this saying seems not so fair to represent the relationship between the four ways of knowing. It is more sensible to sa y language gives some support or limit to our reason ¡Aperception and emotion. It may influence them, but not only one way  ¡V the four ways of knowing interact with each other. The function of languageRead MoreThe Knowledge Of Natural Sciences And History1592 Words   |  7 Pageslink, for example, of perception in math or how reason could fit into art. A network suggests that more than one way of knowing can collaborate within another in order to gain knowledge in a particular Area of knowing. The statement implies that not using a network of WOK to gain knowledge is unwise. Thus, I wish to examine how we best acquire knowledge in Natural Sciences and History. My two central knowledge questions are, how reliable is it to use only one way of knowing in one Area of knowledgeRead MoreThat Which Is Accepted as Knowledge Today Is Sometimes Discarded Tomorrow†. Consider Knowledge Issues Raised by This Statement in Two Areas of Knowledge.1304 Words   |  6 Pagesuniverse was static. Until Einstein presented his theory and explained how the solar system worked. This example raises a knowledge issue: â€Å"Can we say that the knowledge attained through reasoning and perception is immutable†? Because the aforementioned example completely refuted this idea. What is knowledge? Knowledge is a combination of random information. This is systematically arranged through different ways of knowing specially reasoning and perception. Knowledge is classified as a factual beliefRead MoreWhy Is Knowledge Important Than Knowledge? Essay1388 Words   |  6 Pagesnetwork of ways of knowing.† Discuss this Statement with reference to two areas of knowledge. â€Å"I believe in intuition and inspiration. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Forknowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution. It is, strictly speaking, a real factor in scientific research.† - Albert Einstein The above lines were quoted by Albert Einstein which states the importance of ways of knowing in gaining knowledgeRead MoreThe Work of James Jerome Gibson1073 Words   |  5 PagesI. Brief biography1 James Jerome Gibson was born on January 27, 1904, in McConnelsville, Ohio, U.S. and died on December 11, 1979. He was an experimental psychologist whose work focused primarily on visual perception. He received his Ph.D. in Psychology from Princeton University in 1928 and joined the faculty of Smith College. During World War II he served in the Army Air Forces (1942–46). In the Army, Gibson developed tests used to screen potential pilots. In doing so, he made the observation thatRead MoreCan one be certain if a divine force, like God, or the Big Bang created our world, focusing on the600 Words   |  3 PagesGod, or the Big Bang created our world, focusing on the Earth and our solar system? There are facts supporting both of these theories. However, since our ways of knowing are altered by both our perceptions and reason, this is why everyone has their own opinion. Since facts are changed and disproved daily, we need to be able to learn and understand with these ways of knowi ng. In the natural sciences and history, facts and being founded and disproved daily, and we have to ask ourselves a question. CanRead MoreEssay Limitations to Our Common Ways of Knowledge1219 Words   |  5 Pagesconventional ways of knowing: emotion, perception, reason, and language. From traditional definitions, we know tools are things used to shape, form, or finish. The above quote by Abraham Maslow can be applied to the pursuit of knowledge. In the TOK context, we can make interesting discussion about the limitations of our ways of knowledge, and the advantages and disadvantages we might face by using a select combination of them. As discussed above, over-reliance on a single way of knowing can almost neverRead MoreThe Fundamental Knowledge Of Knowledge1637 Words   |  7 PagesCan we progress through applying knowledge generated decades ago? To determine whether knowledge generated from areas such as history and science can predict the future, it is necessary to know whether the knowledge acquired through these areas of knowing is consistent, irrespective of changes in time and culture, amongst other factors. Through considering this question, we are gaining insight into whether we should uphold our current knowledge beliefs or aim for perpetual progression and uncover new