Self Perception Theory

Age and its effect on Perception

What causes our perception of the world-at-large to be the way it in the various stages of our lives?

During our class discussion we discovered that pain, both physical and emotional, can lead to alternative points of view.

Overall, it is through the various experiences which build expectations that create a different perception. The experiences that are either significant or remain in our mind are what contribute the most to a change in perception.

More often than not, when I see my grandparents, who are well beyond the ages of measurable years, they speak of how the seasons fly by. For me, being a 22-year-old college student, a year seems like an eternity.

Perhaps it is the fact that I -- and those who are younger than say, 25 -- are still experiencing new things. As we take time to notice the world around us, our perception of time may actually decrease, making it seem as though less time has passed than it normally has.

Time is objective. The clock ticks whether we are there to perceive it or not. Yet, older people seem to “let the years get away from them.” How is it so that the perception of time can differ so greatly?

Well, during our classroom discussion, we came to the aggregate conclusion that older individuals have already seen/experienced most of what they see in their day to day life. Routine causes the brain to not notice the world around us as closely and therefore makes time to go by slower.

Time, my dear Watson, is therefore relative. Time may go by at the same speed objectively, but subjectively, it may slow down due to where we put our attention. To learn more about attention and how it can influence our perception, read more of the posts by my fellow classmates, particularly those of Brady Stroud and Kirby Taylor.