The 7 Types Of Sensations, And What Information They Capture
People are in constant contact with everything around us and the information we receive from our environment is what allows us to interact with it effectively. This information is given by the different types of sensations.
However, sensations are not limited to external stimuli alone; But there are also stimuli generated by our own body that inform us of the state we are in. Throughout this article we will talk about the different types of sensations and the characteristics of each of them.
In the field of psychology, a sensation refers to the phenomenon by which our body detects a stimulus or stimulation, both internal and external. A sensation caused by an external stimulus can be, for example, feeling a caress; while an internal sensation can be a headache or feeling the noises that our empty stomach emits.
This concept is always usually accompanied by the concept of perception. However, there is a fundamental difference between the two. While the sensation is the mere detection of the stimulus perception consists of the organization, identification and interpretation of said sensory information, with the aim of interpreting and understanding this information from our environment.
Its phases
Within a process of detecting sensory information we find three different phases.
1. Physical phase
In it, the stimulus activates the corresponding sensory receptor organ.
2. Physiological phase
A chain reaction occurs in our body, generating the well-known transduction process by which sensory information is converted into neuronal information and activating a series of structures of the nervous system
3. Psychological phase
In this last phase the person is aware of the sensation, which causes a reaction or response. Here you become part of the perception process.
We are usually taught that people have five basic senses: sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. However, we are capable of perceiving many more senses that are somewhat less known. Among them we find the kinesthetic sense and the kinesthetic sense.
Types of sensations
As we mentioned previously, sensations can be classified into different types. Furthermore, these can be classified into subgroups depending on whether they respond to external or internal stimuli
Within the group of external senses are:
On the other hand, the internal senses include:
1. Visual sense
The sense of sight is responsible for detecting those sensations created when the person observes or looks at their environment. Within this same sense we find two types of different visual sensations :
Detection of the wavelength, intensity and complexity of light is possible thanks to the visual receptors located in the retina of the eye. These receptors are known as rods and cones.
While the rods are sensitive to dim light, the cones capture the variety of colors and bright light. The sensory information obtained by these receptors is transduced into neuronal information that travels along the optic nerve.
When this sense fails for any reason and at any level, different types of blindness appear, including the complete inability to see.
2. Auditory sense
Also known as hearing, this sense allows us to detect sounds that reach the internal mechanism of the hearing organ in the form of vibrations and changes in the pressure of the medium. These sensations can be different depending on the pitch and tone, just as it also varies depending on the timbre.
Characteristics such as frequency, intensity, and complexity of sound waves that come to us from the external environment are detected by the auditory receptors in the ear. In this case the receptors are known as cilia or hair cell receptors.
Different patterns of cilia movement translate into different neural codes, which ultimately lead to hearing different volume, pitch, and timbre of sounds.
In this sense, the loss of the ability to hear is known as deafness, which can also appear in different degrees and affect one or both ears.
3. Olfactory sense
The ability to perceive aromas and odors in the environment is known as the sense of smell. The appearance of any external fragrance, both pleasant and unpleasant , activates the capillary receptors in the nasal passages. These receptors transfer the signal to the olfactory bulb, located at the base of the brain.
The sense of smell can serve many purposes such as detecting danger (smelling a gas leak), spoiled food, or detecting pheromones, among many others. In addition, it integrates with the sense of taste to effectively perceive different flavors.
A person who does not possess this ability or has lost it due to some type of injury is a person suffering from anosmia.
4. Sense of taste
Taste is that sensation produced by a chemical reaction that occurs when a substance is detected by taste receptor cells, located in the taste buds of the oral cavity mainly in the language.
Taste receptors are activated by the presence of food or any other item placed on the tongue. Taste buds can detect four basic tastes: sweet, salty, sour and bitter. However, the sense of taste works together with smell and stimulation of the trigeminal nerve to determine different flavors, as well as their temperature.
With the passage of time and aging, a decrease in intensity appears in the perception of different flavors, while the complete inability to perceive them is known as ageusia.
5. Sense of touch
The sense of touch is that whose sensations respond to changes on the surface of the body. That is, the person’s skin; which can feel any stimulus or element that touches it.
Through the sense of touch we can perceive and identify the characteristics of objects. It allows us to know if it is smooth, rough or rough. In the same way, It can also inform us about the temperature of objects through the activation of thermoreceptors.
Sensory information receptor cells are connected to afferent nerve fibers. Upon detection of a tactile stimulus, sensory receptors are activated, transporting information to the corresponding brain centers.
6. Kinesthetic sense or proprioception
Kinesthesia or proprioception refers to the ability to detect the position of muscles, as well as the ability to be aware of the position or posture of our body in relation to what surrounds us. This sense makes it possible to control the direction and range of our movements, allowing us to make rapid and automatic motor responses.
Compared to the senses described above, kinesthesia is an interoceptive sense, that is, it is responsible for detecting the stimuli and internal states of our body.
As a consequence, it also plays an important role in the perception and maintenance of balance, as well as in the coordination of movements. On the other hand, dysfunctions related to this sense are those that manifest themselves through motor clumsiness, falls and lack of coordination.
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7. Kinesthetic sense
Finally, kinesthesia or the kinesthetic sense is one of the least known senses and is the one responsible for detecting the set of internal sensations in our body. The receptor units of this sense are those nerve endings in the membranes of the internal organs. Reports on the state of the organs and the body as a whole. The stimuli that activate them are those of digestive, respiratory and muscular physiology, among others.
In some areas, they refer to coenesthesia as the general sensation of the existence of our own body and the state in which it is found.
