INTERNAL/EXTERNAL

Internal factors that influence our perception could be our five senses because if we feel or see something that is rough we have a rough perception of it. Or if we listen to a high sound we have a different perception of it than if it would be a low sound. Also if we taste something that we don’t like our perception of the other foods that are the same or related to it will be bad. For example I can’t even see seafood yet the only seafood I’ve tasted are fish and shrimp.

External factors can be our community and what shapes it. If one lives in a religious community, the perception one has of God is a glorious one; different to a person who lives in a non-religious community who probably doesn’t even believe in God. Also, your family shapes your perception too. This is because it is the people you live with and whom surround you, influencing greatly your perception of the world and everything in it.

POSSITIVE/NEGATIVE

· POSSITIVE:

1. McDonalds

2. Movies

3. Cooking

4. Listening to music

5. Coming to Psychology class

· NEGATIVE:

1. Going to the cemetery

2. Eating Peas

3. Eating “remolacha”

4. Color Black

5. Cats

PERCEPTION=REALITY

Some people say “seeing is believing”, but haven’t you ever wondered if this statement was true? Through all my research I have found out that what our eyes see, is true to our mind unless some other better reason appears. For example, if when I was a little girl I saw a shark devour a person or a fish in the water aggressively, my perception of sharks and the sea would be much more different as I grow older than if I wouldn’t have seen it and it would also be a different perception to what another girl who has been shown beautiful pink fishes with purple spots and other “magical” things. When our mind is taking things in like a sponge we keep those memories and thoughts and store them, when a similar case appears we remember that memory and on base of this we classify this object/event/animal/etc as something positive or negative. Usually phobias and fears (ex. of perception) are caused because of earlier negative experiences, like if I had a phobia with milk it’s because I probably drank spoiled milk once when I was a little girl. Finally I will talk about another difference of perception which is the difference between a middle-class kid and a low-class kid. A middle class kid might see food as something he/she has every day and might not see it as something big. On the other hand a low-class kid sees food as a trophy or a prize he should win and needs it and appreciates food much more that the middle or high-class kid.

PSYCHOLOGY AND ME

I have always thought the study of the human’s behavior and thoughts as the most impressing studies of all. Aside from this, I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. Being a teacher would imply understanding my students and knowing how to deal with them, this is where psychology kicks in. but teaching would only be one of my jobs, I’d also have 8 kids of which id have to take care of using again a bit of psychology. I also use psychology in my everyday life dealing with my 4 siblings and classmates.