woman outdoorsAlthough intimately related, sensation and perception play two complimentary but different roles in how we interpret our world.  Sensation refers to the process of sensing our environment through touch, taste, sight, sound, and smell.  This information is sent to our brains in raw form where perception comes into play.  Perception is the way we interpret these sensations and therefore make sense of everything around us.

This chapter will describe various theories related to these two concepts and explain the important role they play in the field of psychology.  Through this chapter, you will gain a better idea of how our senses work and how this information is organized and interpreted.