Perception, like sensation, is reflexive in nature. I.P. Pavlov proved that the basis of perception consists of conditioned reflexes, temporary nerve connections formed in the cerebral cortex when objects and phenomena of the surrounding world with different properties influence receptors. Objects and phenomena act as complex stimuli in the unity of all their properties and features, therefore perception is a complex activity of the system of analyzers. This, in turn, presupposes complex analytical and synthetic activity of the brain sections of the analyzers. Analysis ensures the isolation of an object from the surrounding world, synthesis - the unification of individual properties and features of the object of perception into a holistic image. Without analysis, a meaningful perception of an object is impossible. Therefore, unfamiliar foreign speech perceived as a sound stream. For a meaningful perception of a language, it is necessary to divide the language into individual words or phrases, and then, using synthesis, a person perceives not individual, scattered sounds, but words and phrases.

When perceiving a lesson, the student sees the teacher, hears his explanations, sees the visuals, and makes certain notes in a notebook. Irritant in in this case acts as a complex and causes excitement in the visual, auditory, and motor analyzers. Excitation is transmitted to the brain, resulting in the formation of complex systems temporary nerve connections, which determines the integrity of perception.

Perception is based on two types of neural connections: connections within one analyzer and inter-analyzer connections. The first type of connection occurs when the stimulus has one modality (melody, which is a combination individual sounds and acts as a complex stimulus). The second type of neural connections when exposed to a complex stimulus are connections within different analyzers.

The physiological basis of perception, according to I.P. Pavlova, is a “reflex on relationships”. The scientist showed that when perceiving individual phenomena, it is not the stimuli themselves that have signaling significance, but the features of the relationships between them. Therefore, in the course of perception it is produced conditioned reflex to a greater extent on the relationship between stimuli.

The interaction of analyzers is determined by the interrelation of objective stimuli, resulting in an association of sensations that is inherent in any perception. A holistic image of an object or phenomenon develops gradually thanks to the interaction of analyzers.

The absence of one of the analyzers or damage to its individual parts can be compensated for by other analyzers, which helps to orient a person in the environment. Thus, in blind people the sensitivity of the auditory, tactile and olfactory analyzer increases.

The physiological basis of perception is further complicated by the fact that it is closely related to motor activity, with emotional experiences, with various mental processes. Having begun in the sense organs, nervous excitations caused by external stimuli turn into nerve centers, where they cover different zones of the cortex and interact with other nervous excitement. This entire network of excitations, which interact with each other and cover various zones of the cortex, constitutes the physiological basis of perception.

Thus, the physiological basis of perception is conditionally reflex activity internal-analyzer and inter-analyzer complex of nervous connections, ensures the integrity and objectivity of the object of perception.

Properties of perception

The properties of perception include: objectivity, constancy, selectivity, structure, integrity, categoricality, meaningfulness and apperception.

Objectivity is the ability to reflect objects and phenomena real world not in the form of a set of sensations unrelated to each other, but in the form of separate objects. In the objective reflection of reality, sensations of different quality are combined, and the object is reproduced in the richness of its properties.

Objectivity is not innate property perception. The emergence and improvement of this property occurs in the process of ontogenesis, starting from the first year of a child’s life. Objectivity is manifested in the fact that the object appears before us precisely as a separate individual personified in space and time physical body. Most brightly this property manifests itself in the phenomenon of isolating a figure (object or object of perception) from the background. The subject is what is focused on at the moment perception and background - everything that forms other objects that act on us at the same time, but recede “into the background” in comparison with the object of perception.

The distinction between figure (subject) and ground first emerged in the visual arts. A figure is called closed line, which comes forward and occupies part of the phenomenological field, and everything that surrounds the figure is the background. Thus, reality, as perceived, is always divided into two layers: the figure - the image of the object and the background - the image of the space surrounding the object. As a result of this division, objectivity retains some independence of perception from the background against which the object appears.

The relationship between subject and background is dynamic. What currently belongs to the background may after some time become an object, and vice versa, what was an object can become a background. Isolating an object from the background is associated with the characteristics of our perception, namely the objectivity of perception. It is easier to single out something that is actually a separate subject and is well known from past experience. Individual parts of an object stand out worse. In this case, effort is often necessary to perceive the part as a special object. Isolating an object is also difficult if the object is surrounded by similar objects. In order to facilitate the selection of an object with f ° well, it is necessary to strengthen its difference. 1, on the contrary, where it is necessary to complicate the selection of an object from the background, it is necessary to reduce the difference between them.

The constant of perception lies in the relative constancy of certain properties of objects when distance, angle and illumination change. Thanks to constancy, we perceive the objects around us as relatively constant in shape, color and size. The shape, color and size of objects are perceived by us as constant, despite the fact that the signals coming from these objects to the senses are constantly changing. As is known, the size of the projection of an object on the retina of the eye depends on the distance between the object and the eye and on the angle of view. However, objects familiar to us seem to remain the same in size regardless of distance. The perception of color depends on many factors: illumination, background, intensity. At the same time, the color of familiar objects is always perceived the same. Similarly, the shape of familiar objects is perceived as constant, regardless of the observation conditions and the position of the object.

The source of constancy of perception is active actions perceptual system. Multiple perceptions of the same objects in different conditions ensure the constancy of the perceptual image relative to the changing one, as well as the movements of the receptor apparatus itself. Thus, the property of constancy is explained by the fact that perception is a kind of action that has a feedback mechanism and is tuned to the characteristics of the object of perception and the conditions of its existence. The constant of perception plays a significant role in a person’s orientation in the world around him. If grievances were not constant, then with a change in distance, illumination and perspective, all the characteristics of an object would change, and a person would lose the ability to navigate the wide world around him.

Selectivity is the selection of individual objects and phenomena from the entire diversity environment, while other objects of the real world are the background of our perception, that is, they are not reflected. Selectivity reveals the activity of the perception process as a manifestation of the meaningful side of human activity. The selectivity of perception is determined by the interests, attitudes and needs of the individual.

Any image of perception is characterized by integrity. This means the internal organic relationship between the parts and the whole in the image. Thanks to the integrity of perception, the external stimulus acts as a holistic image. It is compiled on the basis of a generalization of knowledge about the individual properties and quality of an object, which comes in the form of individual sensations. The components of sensation are so closely related to each other that a single complex image of an object arises even when only individual properties or individual parts of the object directly affect a person. When the image of an object is not given completely, it is mentally completed to a complete form. The integral form of an object arises on the basis of conditioned reflexes that have been developed during life and are stored in human experience.

The importance of the role of the perception of a part in the perception of the whole does not mean that in order to recognize an object it is necessary to perceive all its parts. Much of what is in an object is not perceived at all or is perceived unclearly, or cannot be perceived at the moment, but still we recognize the object. This happens because each object has characteristic features that are unique to it. The absence of precisely these signs in perception prevents us from recognizing an object; at the same time, the absence of other, less significant signs, while the essential ones are present in perception, does not prevent us from recognizing what we perceive.

The relationship between the perception of the whole and the part is not the same different stages familiarization with the subject. Moreover, individual differences between people play a significant role here. Initial period perception in most people is characterized by the fact that the perception of the whole comes to the fore, without highlighting individual parts. Some people experience the opposite phenomenon: first of all, individual parts of the object are distinguished.

According to individual differences The second stage of perception also proceeds differently. If first perceived general shape object without a clear distinction between its individual parts, then later the parts of the object are perceived more and more clearly. And vice versa, if at first only parts of the object were identified, then a transition is made to the whole. In the end, in both cases, perception as a whole is achieved with a fairly clear distinction between its individual parts. The perception of the whole and its parts depends not only on individual characteristics, but also from previous experience and attitudes.

The integrity of perception is also related to its structure. Structurality consists in reproducing the structure of the object of perception. When changing individual sensations from an object and maintaining separate relationships between them general structure the image remains unchanged (the same song performed by different singers).

Perception is of a generalized nature, each object of perception affects a certain concept and belongs to a specific class. This is precisely what lies in the next property of perception - Categoricality. Perceiving new item, a person strives not only to understand what is in front of her, but also relates it to a certain group of objects known to her. This reflects the influence of language and personal experience person. As personal experience of perception expands, the image, while maintaining its individuality and relevance to a specific object, to an ever-increasing totality of objects of a certain category, is more and more reliably classified. This requires generalization, an appeal to a class of similar objects that are stored in memory, which means a transition from an existing situation to another, to the comprehension of reality through the prism of a personally generalized scheme of reality

Generalization and classification ensure the reliability of correct recognition of an object, regardless of its individual characteristics and distortions, which do not take the object outside the class. The generality of perception allows not only to classify and recognize objects and phenomena, but also to provide for some properties that are not directly perceived.

The next property of perception is its meaningfulness. Meaningfulness presupposes awareness of the object of perception. Although perception arises from the direct impact of a stimulus on the senses, perceptual images always have a certain semantic meaning. Thanks to meaningfulness, purposeful use of objects becomes possible. Meaningfulness is achieved in the process of understanding the essence of objects, that is, the process of perception is complicated by mental activity. The connection between thinking and perception is primarily manifested in the fact that consciously perceiving an object means mentally naming it, that is, attributing it to a certain group, class, connecting it with a certain concept. Even when perceiving an unfamiliar object, we try to establish similarities in it with other objects. Thus, perception is not determined simply by a set of stimuli affecting the senses, but is a constant search for the best interpretation of the available data.

The process of understanding information is presented in the following stages. At the first stage of the perception process, a complex of stimuli is isolated from the flow of information and a decision is made that they belong to the same object. At the second stage, a search occurs in memory for a similar or similar sensation complex of features by which the object can be identified. At the third stage, the object of perception is assigned to a certain category, followed by a search additional signs, confirming or denying the correctness decision taken. And finally, at the fourth stage, a final conclusion is formed about what kind of object it is, with the attribution to it of not yet perceived properties characteristic of objects of the same class. Thus, perception is largely an intellectual process.

Perception is a complex process that is determined not only by objective, but also by subjective factors. It is not the eye or ear itself that perceives, but a specific person. Dependence of perception on content mental life of a person, from the characteristics of his personality, from his individual experience is called apperception. When perceiving objects from the environment, a person tries to find subjective standards to which these objects could be attributed. In other words, during perception, traces of past experience are activated. In addition, perception includes the desires, interests, motives, feelings of a person and his attitude towards the subject of perception. Therefore, the same objects are perceived differently by different people.

An example of the manifestation of apperception is the perception of the same person by representatives different professions: a philologist will pay attention to pronunciation, a photographer will pay attention to appearance regarding photogenicity, a doctor will notice signs certain disease, the fashion designer will focus on the correct proportions of the figure.

The concept of perception. In the world around us, there are not individual properties in themselves, but objects, things, phenomena: not sounds, but objects and phenomena that produce sound; not light, but luminous objects; not smells, but smelling objects. Therefore, on the basis of sensation should be built cognitive process more high level, as a process of reflecting objects as a whole, in the totality of their properties, otherwise knowledge of the world will be impossible. Such a process is perception.
Perception is the reflection in the cerebral cortex of objects and phenomena that act on human analyzers. In contrast to the process of sensation, during perception a person learns not the individual properties of objects and phenomena, but the objects and phenomena of the surrounding world as a whole. Perception is based on sensations, but perception cannot be reduced to the sum of sensations. We perceive, for example, a blackboard, and not the sum of blackness, hardness and rectangular shape. Perceived, we not only isolate a group of sensations and combine them into a holistic image, but also comprehend “that image, we pester it, drawing on our past experience for this. In other words, human perception is impossible without the activity of memory and thinking. Perception is not a passive reflection, but a complex activity, during which a person deeply understands the world around us, examines perceived objects. Important component activity of perception - movement: movement of the eye examining an object, movement of the hand feeling or manipulating an object, etc. Without movements of the eye there is no, for example, visual perception. If you use a special device to achieve absolute immobility of the eye, then it stops seeing the object. Great value in the process of perception there is speech, naming, i.e. verbal designation of an object. There are times when external signs of an object are so poor or altered that they do not allow it to be immediately identified. In such cases, naming an object evokes images associated with the word, and they make it possible to quickly recognize the object. Look at Fig. 18. What is shown? A group of randomly scattered spots, you say. But if the words are uttered: “This is a dog,” you will immediately see the silhouette of the animal.

Physiological basis of perception. Special bodies there is no perception. Analyzers provide material for perception. Perception is based on complex systems of neural connections. Objects or phenomena of the surrounding world have a number of properties and influence these properties on various analyzers. Perceiving an unfamiliar Object (for example, a lemon) for the first time, the child feels its round shape and yellow(through a visual analyzer), it peculiar aroma(through olfactory analyzer) soft, rough surface (through skin and motor analyzers), its sour taste (through taste analyzer). Thus, the object, in this case the lemon, acts as a complex, complex stimulus. Perception is the result synthetic activity cortex, connection of different sensations. In other words, perception is based on so-called inter-analyzer connections, connections between different analyzers.
The presence of such connections allows you to correctly perceive an object based on the readings of just one analyzer. For example, I see a granite slab and perceive it as hard and cold. But the hardness and temperature of the body cannot be seen; these sensations are provided by other analyzers. In this case, excitation of the visual analyzer leads to excitation of the corresponding system of interanalyzer connections. The establishment of this kind of connection can be clearly observed by observing the perception of people born blind who regained their sight after surgery. At first, they cannot comprehend what they see until they learn to understand the readings of the organ of vision by feeling objects. At first, such people do not recognize familiar objects by sight. There is a known case when a person who had regained his sight, who was shown a bottle and asked to determine what it was, answered: “I don’t know. It’s quite possible that it’s a horse.” Another, having seen geometric bodies (a cube, a ball, a pyramid), could not understand what they were until he identified them by feeling them. Once the connection between visual and tactile sensations was formed, visual recognition became possible.
If the perceived phenomenon by its very nature affects only one analyzer (for example, when perceiving a melody or perceiving sound speech), then perception is based on systems of intra-analyzer connections, connections within one analyzer. These are connections to relation, the correlation of elements. The formation of such connections in auditory analyzer makes it possible to recognize a melody by the relationship of the sounds included in it, although the melody sounds either in the voice or in performance on various instruments. The formation of such connections in visual analyzer ensures recognition of the contours of figures regardless of their size and color.
The meaningfulness of perception is associated with the work of the so-called secondary cortical fields of the analyzers. In the cortical region of the analyzers, there are primary fields, the excitation of which gives sensations, and secondary fields, the work of which is to combine sensations into a holistic image and comprehend it. For mild irritation electric shock(the possibility of such experiments was mentioned in Chapter II) of the primary visual fields, a person saw color spots, highlights, flashes, and when the secondary visual fields were irritated, he saw familiar faces, objects, animals. A similar phenomenon was observed with stimulation of the primary and secondary auditory zones (noises, unformed sounds of different volumes and pitches, or voices, words, sounds of musical instruments).
Types of perception. In the process of perception, not all analyzers play the same role. One of the analyzers is usually the leader. Depending on which analyzer plays the main role in perception, types of perception are distinguished. The most common types are visual, auditory, and tactile perceptions. Complex species perceptions represent combinations, combinations various types perception. For example, the perception of an educational text when reading it aloud is a combination of visual and auditory perception. Perception in the process of work in a school workshop is a combination of visual, auditory, and tactile perceptions.

Perception, like sensation, is a reflexive process. Pavlov showed that perception is based on conditioned reflexes, temporary nerve connections formed in the cortex cerebral hemispheres brain when exposed to receptors of objects or phenomena of the surrounding world. The latter act as complex stimuli. In the nuclei of the cortical sections of the analyzers, complex analysis and synthesis of these complex stimuli take place. I.P. Pavlov writes about this: “In harmony with the continuously and diversely fluctuating nature, agents as conditioned stimuli were either isolated by the hemispheres for the body in the form of extremely small elements (analyzed), or merged into diverse complexes (synthesized).” The analysis ensures that the object of perception is isolated from the background; on its basis, all the properties of the object of perception are combined into a holistic image.

Compared to sensations, perception is highest form analytical-synthetic activity of the brain. Without analysis, meaningful perception is impossible. Thus, unfamiliar foreign speech is perceived as a continuous sound stream. For meaningful speech perception, i.e. understanding it, it is necessary to divide speech into separate phrases, words with their meanings. This means that when perceiving speech, simultaneously with analysis, synthesis also takes place, due to which we perceive not individual isolated sounds, but words and phrases. Synthesis is based on the establishment of temporary neural connections. Perception is based on two types of neural connections: those formed within one analyzer, and inter-analyzer connections. The first type occurs when the body is exposed to a complex stimulus of one modality. For example, such a stimulus is a melody, which is a peculiar combination of individual sounds that affect the auditory analyzer. This entire complex acts as one complex stimulus. In this case, nerve connections are formed not only in response to the stimuli themselves, but also to their relationship - temporal, spatial, etc. (the so-called relation reflex). As a result, a process of integration and complex synthesis occurs in the cerebral cortex.

The second type of nerve connections formed when exposed to a complex stimulus are connections within different analyzers. Sechenov explained the perception of objects or space by associations of visual, kinesthetic, tactile and other sensations. A person necessarily adds to these associations the auditory image of the word that denotes this item or spatial relation. In the act of vision, when perceiving the size of objects, their distance, and other things, visual sensations are always associated with muscle sensations. Action defined medicinal substances it is possible to cause some disruption of these connections by strengthening or weakening eye muscles. In this case, macronia (apparent increase in the size of objects) or micronia (apparent decrease in the size of objects) is observed.

Temporary neural connections underlying perception are formed on the basis of objective connections between the properties of objects or phenomena of the external world. Thanks to the connections formed between analyzers, we reflect in perception such properties of objects or phenomena for which there are no specially adapted analyzers (for example, the size of an object, specific gravity, etc.). Therefore, in perception we understand the world more deeply than in sensations.

So basically complex process the construction of the image of perception lies in the systems of intra-analyzer and inter-analyzer connections that provide best conditions vision of stimuli and taking into account the interaction of the properties of an object as a complex whole.

Psychology. Tutorial for high school. Teplov B. M.

§16. Physiological basis of perception

Since perception always includes sensations received from different sense organs, then physiological processes, underlying perception, include excitation processes that begin in the senses under the influence of objects in the external world and are transmitted along the centripetal nerves to the cerebral cortex. Depending on which analyzer reflects the objects and phenomena of the external world or which analyzer is the leading one, perceptions are divided into visual, auditory, motor, cutaneous, gustatory and olfactory.

Experiments on the study of conditioned reflexes have shown that when the analyzer is systematically exposed not to an isolated stimulus, but to a combination of stimuli (for example, a series of stimuli presented at a certain pace), then response begins to depend not on the individuality of each stimulus, but on the uniqueness of their connection, their correlation. Thus, in some experiments a sound stimulus was used that was interrupted a certain amount once per minute; It turned out that the reflex developed to such intermittent sound does not depend on what kind of sounds are used. The same thing was observed with light stimuli, when a reflex was developed based on the relationship between stimuli: some light signals could be replaced by others presented at a certain frequency. This phenomenon was called by I. P. Pavlov the attitude reflex.

The connections between individual stimuli, which were discovered in the study of reflexes to relationships, play a significant role in the processes of perception. The formation of such connections in the auditory analyzer makes it possible to recognize a melody by the relationship between the sounds included in it, despite the difference in their absolute altitude and strength. The formation of such connections in the visual analyzer ensures recognition of the contours of a figure, regardless of size, color, etc. Thus, the perception of integral objects includes the perception of the relationship between stimuli.

In addition to the processes occurring within one analyzer, the interconnections of the analyzers with each other are of great importance. The role of temporary connections in the process of perception can be illustrated by the example of visual perception of magnitude.

Visual perception of the size of an object depends primarily on the size of the image of the object on the retina. An object twice as long will produce an image twice as long on the retina. However, this is the case only when perceiving objects equally distant from the eyes. According to the laws of optics, the size of the image of an object on the retina varies depending on the distance to the object. For example, an object twice as long but twice as far away will produce an image of the same length as an object twice as short but twice as close. How do we manage to accurately perceive the size of objects located at different distances?

Eye rotations are essential for the process of visual perception. When moving the gaze from a distant object to a close one, the visual axes of the eyes are brought together, and the eyes turn inward. When the gaze is transferred back from a close object to a distant one, the visual axes are separated - the eyes turn outward. Eye rotation is caused by contractions and relaxations of the eye muscles; the motor sensations that arise in this case, which we usually do not notice, play important role in the perception of the size of an object.

It is also important that the shape of the lens changes as objects approach and move away. This is again achieved by contracting and relaxing a special muscle, which is associated with certain sensations that we usually do not notice.

Visual perception of magnitude is carried out due to the formation, from early childhood, of a strong connection between irritation coming from the retina, as well as irritation from the muscles that establish the direction of the eye, and from the muscles that change the curvature of the lens in relation to distance. The neural connections in the cortex that underlie visual perception are developed gradually, through long experience, starting in the first months of our life.

The neural connections underlying the visual perception of magnitude are a conditioned reflex in origin. This complex conditioned reflex is developed in early childhood when acquaintance with the actual size of objects occurs by feeling; tactile stimuli thus play the role of reinforcement.

The example of visual perception of magnitude clearly shows how, thanks to the formation of stable neural connections that underlie perception, the ability to perceive properties in the external world that are not accessible to individual sensations is achieved.

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The concept of perception. In the world around us, there are not individual properties in themselves, but objects, things, phenomena: not sounds, but objects and phenomena that produce sound; not light, but luminous objects; not smells, but smelling objects.

Therefore, on the basis of sensation, a cognitive process of a higher level must be built, as a process of reflecting objects as a whole, in the totality of their properties, otherwise knowledge of the world will be impossible. Such a process is perception.

Perception is the reflection in the cerebral cortex of objects and phenomena that act on human analyzers. In contrast to the process of sensation, during perception a person learns not the individual properties of objects and phenomena, but the objects and phenomena of the surrounding world as a whole. Perception is based on sensations, but perception cannot be reduced to the sum of sensations. We perceive, for example, a blackboard, and not the sum of blackness, hardness and rectangular shape. Perceived, we not only isolate a group of sensations and combine them into a holistic image, but also comprehend “that image, we pester it, drawing on our past experience for this. In other words, human perception is impossible without the activity of memory and thinking. Perception is not a passive reflection, but a complex activity, during which a person deeply understands the world around him and examines perceived objects. An important component of the activity of perception is movement: the movement of the eye examining an object, the movement of the hand feeling or manipulating an object, etc. Without eye movements, there is no, for example, visual perception. If you use a special device to achieve absolute immobility of the eye, then it stops seeing the object. Speech and naming, i.e., the verbal designation of an object, are of great importance in the process of perception. There are cases when the external features of an object are so poor or changed that they do not allow it to be immediately identified. In such cases, naming an object evokes images associated with the word, and they make it possible to quickly recognize the object. Look at Fig. 18. What is shown? A group of randomly scattered spots, you say. But if the words are uttered: “This is a dog,” you will immediately see the silhouette of the animal.

Physiological basis of perception. There are no special sensory organs. Analyzers provide material for perception. Perception is based on complex systems of neural connections. Objects or phenomena of the surrounding world have a number of properties and influence these properties on various analyzers. Perceiving an unfamiliar Object (for example, a lemon) for the first time, the child feels its round shape and yellow color (through the visual analyzer), its peculiar aroma (through the olfactory analyzer), its soft, rough surface (through the skin and motor analyzers), its sour taste ( through a taste analyzer). Thus, the object, in this case the lemon, acts as a complex, complex stimulus. Perception is the result of the synthetic activity of the cortex, the connection of various sensations. In other words, perception is based on so-called inter-analyzer connections, connections between different analyzers.

The presence of such connections allows you to correctly perceive an object based on the readings of just one analyzer. For example, I see a granite slab and perceive it as hard and cold. But the hardness and temperature of the body cannot be seen; these sensations are provided by other analyzers. In this case, excitation of the visual analyzer leads to excitation of the corresponding system of interanalyzer connections. The establishment of this kind of connection can be clearly observed by observing the perception of people born blind who regained their sight after surgery. At first, they cannot comprehend what they see until they learn to understand the readings of the organ of vision by feeling objects. At first, such people do not recognize familiar objects by sight. There is a known case when a person who had regained his sight, who was shown a bottle and asked to determine what it was, answered: “I don’t know. It’s quite possible that it’s a horse.” Another, having seen geometric bodies (a cube, a ball, a pyramid), could not understand what they were until he identified them by feeling them. Once the connection between visual and tactile sensations was formed, visual recognition became possible.

If the perceived phenomenon, by its very nature, affects only one analyzer (for example, when perceiving a melody or perceiving sound speech), then perception is based on systems of intra-analyzer connections, connections within one analyzer. These are connections to relation, the correlation of elements. The formation of such connections in the auditory analyzer makes it possible to recognize a melody by the relationship of the sounds included in it, although the melody sounds either in the voice or in performance on various instruments. The formation of such connections in the visual analyzer ensures recognition of the contours of figures, regardless of their size and color.

The meaningfulness of perception is associated with the work of the so-called secondary cortical fields of the analyzers. In the cortical region of the analyzers, there are primary fields, the excitation of which gives sensations, and secondary fields, the work of which is to combine sensations into a holistic image and comprehend it. When irritated by a weak electric current (the possibility of such experiments was mentioned in Chapter II) of the primary visual fields, a person saw color spots, glare, flashes; when irritated by secondary visual fields, familiar faces, objects, animals. A similar phenomenon was observed with stimulation of the primary and secondary auditory zones (noises, unformed sounds of different volumes and pitches, or voices, words, sounds of musical instruments).

Types of perception. In the process of perception, not all analyzers play the same role. One of the analyzers is usually the leader. Depending on which analyzer plays the main role in perception, types of perception are distinguished. The most common types are visual, auditory, and tactile perceptions. Complex types of perception represent combinations, combinations of different types of perception. For example, the perception of an educational text when reading it aloud is a combination of visual and auditory perceptions. Perception in the process of work in a school workshop is a combination of visual, auditory, and tactile perceptions.