Subject: Re: Difference between cognition and perception? From: Karen Banai <k-banai(at)NORTHWESTERN.EDU> Date: Wed, 14 Apr 2004 20:04:01 -0600This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0040_01C4225B.A16FBF00 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ks_c_5601-1987" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Dear list, Peter Lennox wrote: > So it has sometimes been > possible to talk about 'direct perception' (sometimes, but not always, = in > the same context as 'sense-perceptions'), but I don't remember coming = across > 'direct cognition'. > I'd rather like a clearer idea of the distinction, too. I think most cognitive psychologists would use the term automaticity to = describe what he referred to by 'direct cognition'. For example, reading = is a most complex 'cognitive' activity and children learning to read are = engaged in a lot of 'thinking about', activity. However, when they = become proficient readers (as the majority do) the process of reading = becomes more transparent or direct and not so much thinking about is = required anymore. In a way, I think this is similar to the perception of = familiar stimuli: When listeners have to discriminate between novel = stimuli (even is a 'simple' perceptual task) they probably have to = engage in a comparison process which becomes 'automatic' for well = trained ones. In this sense I feel a sharp distinction between = perception and cognition is not useful. Sincerely Karen -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------- Karen Banai Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders Northwestern University Searle Bldg. 2240 N. Campus Drive Evanston, IL 60208 -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------- ------=_NextPart_000_0040_01C4225B.A16FBF00 Content-Type: text/html; charset="ks_c_5601-1987" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; = charset=3Dks_c_5601-1987"> <META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2800.1400" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Dear list,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Peter Lennox wrote:</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>> So it has sometimes = been<BR>> possible=20 to talk about 'direct perception' (sometimes, but not always, in<BR>> = the=20 same context as 'sense-perceptions'), but I don't remember coming = across<BR>>=20 'direct cognition'.<BR>> I'd rather like a clearer idea of the = distinction,=20 too.<BR></DIV></FONT> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I think most cognitive psychologists = would use the=20 term automaticity to describe what he referred to by 'direct cognition'. = For=20 example, reading is a most complex 'cognitive' activity and children = learning to=20 read are engaged in a lot of 'thinking about', activity. However, when = they=20 become proficient readers (as the majority do) the process of reading = becomes=20 more transparent or direct and not so much thinking about is required = anymore.=20 In a way, I think this is similar to the perception of familiar stimuli: = When=20 listeners have to discriminate between novel stimuli (even is a 'simple' = perceptual task) they probably have to engage in a comparison process = which=20 becomes 'automatic' for well trained ones. In this sense I feel a sharp=20 distinction between perception and cognition is not useful.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Sincerely</FONT><FONT face=3DArial=20 size=3D2></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Karen</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial=20 size=3D2>----------------------------------------------------------------= --------------------------<BR>Karen=20 Banai<BR>Department of Communication Sciences and = Disorders<BR>Northwestern=20 University<BR>Searle Bldg. 2240 N. Campus Drive<BR>Evanston, IL=20 60208</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial=20 size=3D2>----------------------------------------------------------------= --------------------------</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV><FONT face=3DArial=20 size=3D2></FONT></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_0040_01C4225B.A16FBF00--