A person learns about the world that surrounds him with the help of numerous specialized functions of the body. One of them is perception and sensation, which, despite their apparent similarity, are completely different processes. First, it is necessary to gain an understanding of the nature of these processes. Hence, sensation is sensory information that is obtained through sensory receptors, which are neurons that respond to certain stimuli (OpenStax, 2020). An example may be the perception of a surface by the skin, when touched, neurons send a signal in the form of action potentials to the central nervous system. There is generally accepted knowledge that there are five main forms of sensation: visual, tactile, auditory, sense of smell and taste. However, sensor systems are expanding into much more complex functions (OpenStax, 2020). Thus, vestibular sense, proprioception, nociception, and thermoception can also be attributed to them.
Persistence, on the other hand, is a more complex process. It involves interpreting, organizing and experiencing the information that a person receives from sensory neurons (OpenStax, 2020). The complexity and uniqueness of this process is given by the division into top-down and bottom-up approaches (OpenStax, 2020). The first implies when the leading role in perception is played by the previous experience experienced by individuals. The bottom-up process involves the formation of a perception based on basic stimuli, which are then interpreted and analyzed by the body. Therefore, the first and main difference is that perception is a process that includes sensation. In addition, these processes are unique in their complexity and the roles they perform in the nervous system. Sensation refers to the physiological functions of oragnism when perception is a more psychological process.
Reference
OpenStax. (2020). Psychology 2e. XanEdu Publishing Inc.