Sensation (psychology)

Sensation is primarily a neurophysiological and neuropsychological defined term today. He has thus input into medicine and biology found as induced by stimulus effect elementary process, which is to discharge according to the ideas of the association psychology. Under sensation is thus a precondition of perception and a first stage of such neuronal processes understood that ultimately allow perception ( sensuality ). As an early contribution to the elementary theory of sensation, the theory of spinal irritation of Wilhelm Griesinger (1817-1868) can be considered. Sensations can therefore be contrary to the apperception processed subliminally or unconsciously and vegetatively. The colloquial term, which has a long term history is thereby be distinguished from the term scientifically defined in philosophy, psychology and psychopathology.

Etymology

The term sensation is occupied since the 14th to the 15th centuries ( spätmhd. emphindunge ) In German, the label that also in the verb feel, ' applies ( OHG intfindan 8th - 11th century) is to be found, as an expression feeling of emotional feelings, such as pain, regret, friendship. It is included as a root word in the name sensibility as a term for a literary and musical style in the context of pietism.

Philosophy

An epistemological direction emerging from the sensation as basic elements of which cognition is composed is referred to in philosophy as sensualism (English sensation ). While the general language use in Germany perceives the sensation rather than inner experience - see Chapter etymology, has experience pointed by the English philosophy, notably by John Locke (1632-1704), the importance of the " outer " while David Hume ( 1711 -1776 ) "inner" and the experience value lay. These opposing perspectives influence the differentiation of a priori knowledge and a posteriori.

Already Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716) emphasizes the self-activity of the soul and speaks in this context of sensation.

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) is called the real as the object of sensation, the sensation itself an interplay of concept and intuition ( CPR B 207). It is at this point: " Perception is empirical consciousness, i.e. one in which is also sensation ." Next says Kant, sensation is the matter of perception ( CPR B 209). Sensation is only the concept of something within the experience from which we " have nothing a priori, as indeterminate terms of the synthesis of possible sensations, provided they belong to the unity of apperception ( in a possible experience )" ( CPR B 751 ). - Kant distinguishes as the highest genus of all representations ( CPR B 376 ), and further including the combined terms between representation in general ( representatio ). These include:

Our own doctrine of sensation has established Johann Gottfried Herder ( 1744-1803 ). Instead of a critique of reason, he demanded first a physiology of the human cognitive powers. To the objection of a physiology of the human mind, as he had already been charged by John Locke (1632-1704), Kant 's Critique of Pure Reason in its already at the beginning of a ( CPR, A IX ). The Marburg School has developed the concept of feeling its own point of view.

More recently, the importance of sensations has been disputed as construction elements of perception and ideas not only in the epistemology of Wilhelm Dilthey, John Rehmke, Andreas Joseph Hofmann, Theodor Haering, but also in psychology ( Gestalt psychology ). Gestalt psychology believes that sensation and perception are jointly responsible for raising awareness and therefore of greater importance than the sum of both parts.

Psychology

C. G. Jung (1875-1961) sees the sensation of a total of four basic psychological functions in addition to thinking, feeling and intuiting. He distinguishes between abstract and sensual sensation or concrete sensation. The abstract sensation is so far to be designated as aesthetic, as it separates itself from subjective admixtures of feeling and thought. This abstract sensation is a product of functional differentiation, in that case mitwirke the will as a directional element. The sensation characterize strongly the nature of the child. A person who aligns its overall setting on the principle of sensation is described by Jung as a person from the sensation type.

According to Jung, all basic psychic functions on a counter sentence structure. The feeling is the intuiting and thinking the opposite feeling. As essential for the sensation type, the importance of sensory data is considered by Jung, the sense of reality and for the consideration of all details of an event. Feeling and intuiting are considered irrational functions, indicating that the perceived or intuierten conditions are not rated, as in contrast to the case with the thinking or feeling very well. When sensation type the established own views is given no sense. Things are rather so taken, " as they are". In contrast, capture people who are assigned to the intuitive type, the overall mood, the overall color and the inner meaning of an event. The other basic psychological functions serve as principles of classification for personality typology, according to Jung.

Hubert Rohracher (1903-1972) referred sensation as a " not resolvable psychological phenomenon which is generated by external force acting on the organs of sense stimuli and in intensity of the stimulus intensity, its quality depends on the nature of the sensory organ ." Controversially, the distinction between sensation and perception has been viewed in the past. Hubert Rohracher and W. Wundt both have distinguished the terms of each other. However, they were so in contrast to Gestalt psychology (see also the above-mentioned chapter philosophy epistemological conceptions ).

If we understand by induction an intellectual approach, which consists in a finite number of given statements and observations to a to come this implying a conclusion, the sensation type is scheduled for inductive thinking.

Neurophysiology

Sensation is a neuronal excitation success and is as it were " first " in the sensory centers of the brain primary effect before it can then be aware of as a specific perception in other secondary and tertiary centers of the brain ( Gnostic processing). Sensation is therefore bound to an anatomically descriptive apparatus. This consists of receptors for the reception of stimuli in the sense organs or from the zoenästetischen apparatus and organelles from inside the body (visceral sensitivity ) and the corresponding nerves that run from there to the primary centers of the brain. The physiology of sensation as biologically organized process is so structured as follows:

This principle, the two-tier process of impulse transmission ( 1) in the central nervous system and (2) distinguishes there subsequent " evaluation " of information conveyed sensation the English language with the concept pair and perception. The term of Engl. sensation is therefore also the German meaning of ' sensation ' is based. Sensation is strictly neurophysiological considered " the primary immediate psychic correlate of a sense of excitement ." Due to the qualia problem, however, is not an exact and sufficient scientific justification for awareness phenomena can be achieved. In philosophy has long spoken of sensation before the detailed physiological individual facts were known at all (see chapter philosophy). Here, then, is a purely rational division before, which is independent of anatomical and physiological research, but does not contradict them (see also:. ( Convergence ) that sensations a relationship with qualities of consciousness, also emerges from phenomena lack related sensations ( referred by sensations ) in so-called phantom limbs of amputees Otherwise the term is sensation with sensitivity largely synonymous, although the difference in meaning between to indicate sensitive and sensory (see also: Topistische brain Research). . sensitive and sensory perception are often distinguished from one another the focus sensory perception. lies with the outside world, that of the sensitive feeling in your own body. the use of the term ' sensation ' in a neurophysiologically defined sense does not rule out that this shows a current or past importance of history not only in the scientific formal language, but also in the vernacular.

Psychopathology

As disturbance of sensation called Karl Jaspers (1883-1969) certain abnormalities of the subject of consciousness, which can be interpreted as changes in perception. Here intensity and quality as well as abnormal changes accompanying sensations are initially distinguish as perception abnormalities. These disturbances can also make as anomalies of feelings and states of mind or as a psychosomatic disorder noticeable basic facts: