Përceptim

Përceptim, the Albanian term for perception, refers to the process by which organisms interpret sensory information to form a representation of the environment. It encompasses recognizing and organizing input from the senses and guiding behavior. Perception builds on sensation—the detection of physical energy by sensory receptors—and adds interpretation, context, and meaning through brain processes.

Perceptual processes span the major senses (vision, hearing, touch, taste, smell) as well as balance and proprioception. Processing can be bottom-up, driven by sensory data, or top-down, influenced by expectations, memory, and context. Gestalt principles describe how the mind tends to organize elements into coherent wholes, while perceptual constancies help maintain stable perception under changing conditions.

Neural bases involve early sensory cortices, thalamic relay stations, and higher-level areas in the parietal and temporal lobes. The visual system, for example, uses dorsal and ventral streams for "where/how" and "what" processing. Theories of perception range from constructivist approaches, which emphasize hypothesis testing, to ecological and Bayesian models, which view perception as inference guided by prior experience and environmental cues. Illusions illustrate anticipations and contextual effects.

Development and applications: Perceptual abilities emerge in infancy and improve with experience and attention. Perceptual learning, attention, and multisensory integration refine perception across life. Disruptions—as in agnosias, neglect, or prosopagnosia—can impair recognition despite intact sensation. Studying perception informs psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, design, and education.