Sensing and Perceiving

Sensing and Perceiving offers a comprehensive and highly accessible overview addressing two centuries-old questions: how are animals aware of the surrounding world, and how does this awareness enable everyday behaviors? Authors Julia J. C. Blau and Jeffrey B. Wagman provide a thorough description of the biological systems involved in these processes and examine both traditional and ecological approaches to understanding how these processes occur.

The book features a conversational and humorous writing style with everyday examples that introduce novice readers to sensing and perceiving processes. Key benefits include clear explanations of different theoretical assumptions, research questions asked, and conclusions drawn by the various approaches. The authors demonstrate how sensing and perceiving are actions we perform rather than passive experiences that happen to us, reflected in the book’s unique title.

Sensing and Perceiving serves as an essential guide for students and professionals in sensation and perception, cognition, and biological psychology. This comprehensive textbook provides crucial foundational knowledge for undergraduate and postgraduate students exploring perceptual sciences, while offering valuable insights for researchers and practitioners in psychology, neuroscience, and related fields seeking to understand the active nature of sensory and perceptual processes.