Appenix1: Cultural Differences Between Sensation And Perception

While reading Appenix1, I was able to get a little bit more information how cultural differences influence sensation and perception. When I read how different greetings meant different things in some cultures it made me think of different events and situations.

One of the most popular US holidays is Christmas. During Christmas, most children are thrilled about one character in specific: Santa Claus. Santa Claus is known for having a big round belly, wearing a red and white suit, long fluffy white beard, and the sound of sleigh bells. This Christmas character shows a positive image of someone who has a big heart but can also be confusing to other children and adults who have never heard of this American tradition.

My grandmother who is a native to Thailand told me that before coming to the United States she never heard or celebrated Christmas.She did not celebrate Santa Claus or the birth of Jesus Christ. In Thailand, they treat the month of December like an ordinary month and ordinary day. They would find it weird to see Christmas trees and Christmas wreaths hung up on doors. They do not pass presents under the tree on the morning of December 25th.

It helps me understand that the perceptions and sensations are different to me because of scent and sight. When we see a pine tree filled with ornaments and bright colorful lights we automatically think of a Christmas tree due to our neural messages sent to a pathway towards our brain causing a sensation. Then our brain would interpret it as a meaningful perception but others may not think like that. Some other cultures would be very confused and may find it comedic that a tree is filled with useless decorations and fake snow. The sound of the little bell that a young volunteer of the Salvation Army rings is another thing that is associated during the Christmas season could confuse others who are probably visiting from other