Many internal and external factors influence our perception if life. An example of an internal influence is our senses. What we see, hear, touch, say and smell highly influences our perceptions of certain things. Our age is another example. A teenager’s perspective of technology differs from a 40-year old’s, therefore their perception also differ. Culture plays an important role in our perception. Different cultures have different ways of interpreting experiences, values and practices. Race, ethnicity, gender, economic class and age are external factors that influence our perceptions. Religion, spirituality and sexual orientation are internal influences. Social rules such as being respectful to your elder influence our perception. Our role in society and how we should act influences too. Our perceptions are influenced by others and by our own senses. For example, I love to pass by Mr. Dougherty’s room because he laughs at my jokes and I laugh at his. The way he responds to my jokes influences my perception of him and his class. I like to be short because someone once told me short people are the ones with the biggest heart, what this person said shaped my perception about short people. I liked putting chinches on my foot but last time I hurt my toe with one so my experience with chinches gave me the perception that I could hurt myself again. I like sleeping with my grandma because when I was younger she used to have presents for me every time I slept with her, and now even though she does not give me presents I feel really comfortable and happy when I sleep there. The way my grandma treated me influenced my perception of her. I hate going to Boston because once my family and I went there for Christmas and it was the first time I had been away from home and my grandparents for the holiday so it brings me bad memories. This trip gave me a bad perception of Boston. I don’t like going to the dentist because every time I go there or the dentist huts my cheek or tells me I have to come again meaning that my she won’t take my braces any day soon. The pain caused by my braces reflects upon a bad perception towards dentists. Perception is shaped by our experiences. 

Why is our perceptions our reality?

The knowledge of every man consists on his experience. Every person has different experiences therefore a different perception of reality. Some life experiences might be impossible to recall but they are always stored in our brain. This is why we all have different fears and joys. This is related to Classical Conditioning because things have different meanings according to everyone’s experience. Our perception of the world starts since we are in the womb. So, even though we can’t remember anything when we are a child, our brain still has this memory present. That is why perception is our reality because everyone’s perception reflects on the way they live. Let’s say I got bit by a dog when I was a kid, my perception of dogs would be fear and I would try to be as far away from them as possible. This would be my perception of dogs. But others might have had a dog they had connected very well to; this person probably loves dogs and has one. This is his feeling towards dogs. So, everyone’s life revolves on the person’s perspectives and experiences. A person’s style of living is build up by the perceptions he/she has, our perception becomes our reality.

Why I chose to be in IB Psychology?

I chose to be in Psychology because I find it amusing how much I learn about how the human brain works. I took a course in summer that taught me allot about neuropsychology. I learned a lot in a couple of weeks and those weeks helped me decide that I want to study Neuropsychology in college. It is amazing how all the things I learn relate to my everyday life. I understand how the brain works and why. I can also understand what parts of the brain are affected when somebody is having a seizure. I learned why Alzheimer’s makes my grandma and old people forget small details. I now understand what part of the brain is affected by Huntington’s disease, the disease that causes my uncle to tremble. So, I chose to be in IB Psychology because besides having THE BEST chinche teacher, I love to learn about the marvelous world inside our brains.