Perception and Cognition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Perception and Cognition - Essay Example The things we do consciously are influenced by the unconscious mind - our actions are the effects of stimuli which we are unaware of. There have been various interpretations in this regard. According to cognitive psychology, unconscious information processing likened to subliminal message processing (idea opposed by authors because they thought the definition was unnatural and restrictive). (09No) In Evolution: evolutionary changes occurred as a result of unconscious processes - there was no conscious thought that went into evolution and adaptation; For example, things like culture and early learning - we don't think about our culture - we are surrounded by it from an early age and information gets stored in our unconscious mind without our being aware of it - it is inherent. Same with Early Learning - we learn lots of things at a very young age, which are inherent traits of human kind, which we again, don't consciously think about (for instance, kids, especially infants, learn behavior by "passive imitation" of parents or friends; as infants we unconsciously learn by experience - as we grow up, those learned behaviors/actions/values stay with us, and are stored in the unconscious mind - later in life, we don't consciously think about these things - we just know them to be true) All these characteristics have been oft associate... There is a distinct line between conscious and unconscious goal pursuit. Keeping in perspective the recent evolutionary arrival of modes of though and behavior, it is probably that the conscious goal is directly or indirectly related to unconscious motivational structures. We are predisposed, conditioned (genetically predisposed - this is an effect of evolution) as a human race to prefer certain "aspects of our environment over others" -these are perhaps linked to the behaviors we learn as infants. For instance in various Muslim families, it has been inculcated in the minds of their females that physical intimacy with men is a no and nor are revealing clothes allowed. They are asked to adapt and mould themselves in this peculiar lifestyle where they shun themselves from the society in general and set their goal in such a way where nurturing their kids and serving their husbands in future becomes central to their survival. This is result of environmental and social pressure most of which becomes innate in the female inhabitant in such families. (Iceberg Metaphor and Unconscious Mind) Another theory suggests that impulse to act upon a stimuli is an unconscious behavior - the impulse is produced unconsciously, and then the conscious mind takes over; plethora of impulses that are driven by behavioral and cultural norms and or our values/traditions. Some people react at the sight of lizards or their mention without even without seeing the poor animal. This is because a certain kind of unconscious fear exists in the back of their mind about it. Their reaction for the same is involuntary. It rests at the back of their mind subconsciously which tends to act as prime motivator for the same. We are unconsciously inclined towards certain things over others (certain