I.
Introduction
Purpose
of the Study
1)
Explain how people are able to perceive their selves.
2)
State factors why people perceive things differently.
3)
Explain how people build perception about other things based on their
view of their selves.
4)
Explain briefly what is dieting.
5)
Explain how dieting is perceived by people.
6)
Explain how people’s perception of their selves affect their
perception of dieting.
Discussion:
(1)
Perception can be considered as an overused term.
If for example, two people do not agree on something, probably the best
way to solve the problem without having a bloody debate is to simply say:
“everybody is entitled to their own opinion, it’s simply a matter of
perspective” If we are lucky enough, things will end there and most of the
time, we cannot argue a person’s perspective. This is because perception is
something subjective.
We
will not, however, go deeply into the discussion of the subjectivity of
perception but rather focus on how it is formed.
And then integrate what we would learn (about perception) with what we
would learn about dieting. They
may seem to be two extremely different things, well, they are.
But the thing is, dieting is often misunderstood and the formation of
wrong perception and misconceptions about is rampant.
(2)
Here’s a proof, count the number of times you have encountered the term:
common misconceptions about dieting. And
another is that most, if not all, of the books about dieting has portion about
wrong conceptions about dieting. But
if only we had the time and patience to compare every book and resource on the
internet, we would find out that most of these “common misconceptions”
would simply cancel each other out. Meaning,
other sources would say that something is a good thing and some would say it
is not.
The
paragraph numbered (1) is an example of variation in the perception of
individuals about the things around them, including their selves.
And the paragraph numbered (2) is an example of variation in the
perception of dieting. We will
try to prove that these two things are related.
Significance of the Topic
The result of this study hopes to benefit the following:
The
students. This may serve as a
good basis for students in understanding perception and knowing its importance
in our daily lives. This also
hopes that students will have a reference into identifying proper diet and
knowing its beneficial effects to our health.
The
teachers. This serve as a guide
in helping students understand perception better and help students broaden
their knowledge about dieting.
The
researchers. This provide
valuable information for other researchers intended to investigate topics
related to the problems in this study.
Definition
of Relevant Terms
Stimulià
An agent, action, or condition that elicits or accelerates a
physiological or
psychological activity or response
Sensationà
A perception associated with stimulation of a sense organ or with a
specific body condition
Thresholdà
The point that must be exceeded to begin producing a given effect or
result or to elicit a response
Perceptionà
a) Recognition and interpretation of sensory stimuli based chiefly on
memory
b) The neurological processes by which such recognition and
interpretation are effected
Self-Imageà
The conception that one has of oneself, including an assessment of qualities
and personal worth
Self-Worthà
Self-esteem, self-respect
Self-Hoodà
a) The state of having a distinct identity, individuality
b) The fully develop self, an achieved personality
Self-Perceptionà
An awareness of the characteristics that constitute one’s self,
self-knowledge
Dietingà
To eat or drink according to a regulated system, especially so as to lose
weight or to control a medical condition
II. Supporting
Evidences
A.
Physiological Evidences
1) Perception
Per Se
All our sense organs, unless defective, send information to the central
nervous system where it is coordinated and used.
Because we are not conscious that this is going on, we are able to
concentrate on meeting the whole situation that we are confronted with.
For example, in learning the gustatory sense, we take note of how
odors, temperature, etc. affect what we call taste.
This is a good example of the correlation of our senses.
When we coordinate the working of all our senses, we perceive data.
(Source:
General Psychology With Value Development Lessons)
2) Perception
About Dieting
a) In a dietician’s perspective, a good diet includes the following:
-
a diet that is low in fat,
saturated fat and cholesterol
-
a diet that is rich in
healthy foods like vegetables, fruits and grain products
-
using sugar in moderation
-
using sodium in moderation
-
if a person drinks
alcoholic beverages, drinking in moderation would be good
-
eating a variety of foods
to meet the nutritional requirements a person needs
Ms.
Lorenzo said that foods that opposite of those on the list are considered as
foods for bad diets.
(Source:
Ms. Maritess Singh Lorenzo, Dietician, FEU-NRMF Medical Center)
b)
In another dietician’s perspective, in order to have a good diet, we must :
-
Have a variety of foods to
ensure a well-balanced diet (Japanese people said that eating 30 or more
varieties of food a day will keep them healthy and maintain a healthy weight
-
There must be an adequate
intake of carbohydrates which are rich in fibers
-
Aim to reduce fat intake
and avoid too much fried foods which could lead to obesity
-
Learn to reduce intake of
sugar which could also lead to obesity
-
Try to increase rice,
cereal and starchy vegetables in the diet
-
Consume less salt since it
is proven to increase blood pressure
(Source:
Rekha Naidu, consultant Dietician for Philippines Health Today)
“…
the usual misconception about dieting is eliminating or eating less
carbohydrate rich food on their diet and doing excessive exercise without even
knowing their Regular Dietary Allowance (RDA) per day.
That is why they are having a hard time reaching their Ideal Body
Weight (IBW).
(Source: Ms. Maritess Singh Lorenzo, Dietician, FEU-NRMF Medical Center)
“…dieting
is taking foods according to a regimen, either prescribed, regulated or
restricted in kind or amount for therapeutic or other purposes.”
(Source: Ms. Maritess Singh Lorenzo, Dietician, FEU-NRMF Medical Center)
“It’s
silly to focus too much on single foods.
We don’t eat one food. We
eat mixtures of foods and need to in order to get the full spectrum of
nutrients and protective factors in them.
We have lots to learn about the foods that nourish and heal our bodies,
but we have a responsibility to select foods with our brains as well as our
taste buds. The old saying is
true—you are what you eat. And
you have to make that choice everyday”(Herbert Pierson, nutrition
researcher)
(Source:Lowell Ponte, Reader’s Digest)
“One
of the most popular misconceptions about dieting is that you will lose weight
solely by dieting and performing cardiovascular exercises such as running,
walking and biking. According to
Rebecca Robertson, a certified personal trainer at Sculpt Fitness, that is
simply untrue. It takes an
integration of light cardiovascular exercises, resistance training and a
healthy balanced way of eating.”
(Source:http://www.ahherald.com/health/tyh_010607_fitness_misconceptions.htm)
3) Perception
of One’s Self Affects His Perception of Dieting
“…I
believe in the saying ‘You are what you eat.’ If you eat too much, you
will be fat and if you eat too little, you will be thin.
And if you eat too much salt, you will have implications on your
kidneys and if you eat too much sugar, you will also get sick later on because
of diabetes. This is the same
with heart problems like CUDs and hypertension.
These persons probably ate the wrong diet when they were younger.
So, diet is really influenced by how a person views himself.”
(Source: Ms. Maritess Singh Lorenzo, Dietician, FEU-NRMF Medical Center)
B.
Psychological Evidences
1) Perception
Per Se:
Perception
is defined as an interpretation of a sensation.
And in order to sense something through our sense organs (i.e. eyes,
ears, nose), there must be a stimulus. Perception
therefore can also be defined as the giving of meaning to a stimulus received
by one of the senses.
(Source: Introduction to Psychology)
Sensation plays a big role in perception.
Without sensation, there might as well be no perception because there
is nothing to perceive. There are
two important factors to consider in having a normal perception.
(1) The nervous system and the sense organ must be in excellent
condition. (2) A stimulus must be above the threshold, either absolute or
difference threshold. Threshold
is the transitional point at which an increasing difference not previously
perceived becomes perceptible or vice versa.
The failure to meet one or both of the said criteria can lead to the
non-formation of perception or to the formation of a distorted perception.
(Source: Introduction to Psychology)
2) Factors
affecting Perception:
Perception
is bipolar. It involves the
interaction of the perceiver with a stimulus.
(Source: Introduction to Psychology)
“…perception
is brought about by the two N’s --Nature and Nurture.”
Nature being the environment that the person grew up with and nurture
being the way he was brought up by his parents or family.
(Source: Ms. Rhodora Corpuz, Guidance Counselor of the Institute of Medicine
in Far Eastern University)
The
following are just some of the factors that affect perception:
a)
Stimulus Characteristics
(external factors)- intensity, contrast, continuity, closure, movement,
change, perceptual grouping, figure-ground relationships and visual illusions.
a.
These factors are brought about and made up of all the many things in
the world that affect us directly (just like food and shelter).
This also includes all the things that stimulate our senses
b)
Characteristics of
Perceiver (internal cues)- motivation, past experiences, physical
characteristics, mental set, interests and attitudes, and attention.
a.
This conveys the subjectivity of perception (i.e. why a person sees
something as good and another person does not)
b.
This includes appearance, behavior, cultural stereotypes, cultural
values, role changes and personal experiences.
c)
Social factors- culture and society and social suggestion
a.
This includes all the human beings who in a way influence us.
Some people influence us through direct contact (i.e. friends,
families, schoolmates, enemies, etc.) And
others influence us indirectly through the radio, television, the internet,
etc. These things exist because
as a human being, we must learn to live in the world and cope with the
constraints of life.
b.
This also includes taking in consideration what other people think.
Their thoughts, feelings and expectations are considered by some as
extremely important and relevant to their formation of perception.
(Source:
Introduction to Psychology and General Psychology With Value
Development Lessons)
3) Organization
of Perception
Perception
can be distinguished from sensation in a sense that sensation is the first and
immediate awareness of something, which more or less corresponds to the energy
stimulation patterns. Sensation
does not necessarily need much organization compared to that of perception.
Perception is also more dependent on learning, and requires more time
for completion than that of sensation.
(Source: http://dragon.uml.edu/psych/organize.html)
4) Perception
About One’s Self
It is said that we are aware of ourselves chiefly in two ways, (1)
selfhood and (2) self-perception
The
first one talks about the immediate experience of the being, wherein a person
feels, thinks, acts, etc.
The
second one talks about clear thoughts and ideas about ourselves, which is
indirect perception. This is what
we think about ourselves. It is
this second kind of awareness that builds up self-images, that is different
from each person because of many interlaying elements like those mentioned
earlier.
Three
factors to consider in the formation of self-image:
a)
Physical Aspects of the Self- this is the tangible level of the body.
A person’s self image is somehow bound up with his physical
appearance as they feel or think it to be.
Self-image does not always have a neutral or correct reflection of
one’s attributes.
A
person may feel that he is unattractive and fat even though this is not in
accordance to the judgment of other people.
A person who does not like his body shape can undergo liposuction.
Although he would look thinner and significantly better, this does not
necessarily mean that he will perceive himself as someone who is attractive
and has a shapely body.
b)
Social Aspects of the Self- majority of the mental life concerning selfhood,
identity and personality are derived from other people’s thoughts.
In relation to the world, the self is defined in terms of society and
it means that our personal identity depends for all worldly purposes to a
large extent upon how other people define us.
There
is no clear line that separates the physical and social basis of self-image.
For example, to other cultures, like the people in Burma, they see
elongated necks (of the woman) to be a sign of beauty.
The longer the woman’s neck is, the lovelier she is.
While in other cultures, like those we have now, we could see the women
of Burma as a pitiable case. Some
may see it as a sever form of mutilation.
c)
Universal Self and Self-Image- this is the authentic aspect of personality.
This is the true selfhood or identity.
The overall self-image may be a more or less authentic reflection of
the original, this very true especially when there are no outside elements
that could affect the formation of the authentic self-image.
(Source: http://home.no.net/rrpriddy/P19selfperc.html)
“…people
view themselves in different levels and in different aspects.
Some view themselves based on their strengths or weaknesses.
Some view themselves based on what they are capable of doing and what
they are not. Other people
perceive their selves based on what they can give and of those things they
cannot. These things may be of
physical, intellectual, social or spiritual nature and some people regard
themselves of what others think they are and what they expect them to be.”
(Source: Ms. Rhodora Corpuz, Guidance Counselor of the Institute of Medicine
in Far Eastern University)
5)
Variation in Perception
Perception
is bipolar in nature. This nature
of perception may explain why people differ in their perception of an object
or an idea. Subjectivity may
characterize one’s perception, as it is a product of his past experiences
(Source: Introduction to Psychology)
6) Self-Perception and Perception of External Objects
“
…if a person’s self-worth is based on how he can be productive in his
work, there is a tendency for this person to base his appreciation of things
around him on what he can do and on the things he is most familiar with.”
(Source: Ms. Rhodora Corpuz, Guidance Counselor of the Institute of Medicine
in Far Eastern University)
7) Perception of One’s Self Affects His Perception of Dieting
“…Dieting is not only a means to measure one’s self or regard
one’s self physically. But it
also suggests a feeling of being healthy inside and out.
This includes that we feel motivated to diet despite the factors that
may influence us externally.”
(Source: Ms. Rhodora Corpuz, Guidance Counselor of the Institute of Medicine
in Far Eastern University)
III.
Contrasting Evidences
A.
Physiological Evidences
1)
Conceptions About Dieting
“Dieticians
are telling us that we should eat more carbohydrates and less fats.
That’s the worst advice you’ve ever had in your life.
If you listen to them, you will surely die of heart disease and at
least get one or more chronic diseases.”
(Source: http://www.newtreatments.org/diet.php)
B.
Psychological Evidences
1)
Extrasensory Perception
This
includes Telepathy, Precognition, Clairvoyance and Psychokinesis – all of
which does not require sensation.
(Source: Introduction to Psychology)
IV.
Conclusion
·
It
all begins with a stimulus. The
stimulus reaches the threshold needed for it to be noticed by the senses.
When this happens and the stimulus has been felt, there is sensation.
Sensation is the immediate awareness of something.
The sensations are then organized, taking a little more time than
coming up with a sensation, and a perception is formed.
(There are cases wherein Sensation is not necessary in the formation of
a perception. But this is still a
highly debatable topic.) To put
it simply, perception is the understanding of a thing by an individual.
·
Perception
is generally brought about by two N’s—Nature and Nurture.
Other factors include: (1)Stimulus Characteristics—external factors
(2) Characteristic of Perceiver—internal cues (3) Social Factors—people
that influence us.
·
There
are mainly two ways that we perceive ourselves:
(1)
The first one is selfhood which is the immediate experience such as seeing,
hearing, etc.
(2)
The second is self-perception. This
is generally how we see or perceive ourselves to be.
This leads to the formation of a self-image.
·
Self-image
involves three things:
(1)
Physical aspect of the self—involves just the outside appearance of the
person and how that person sees himself.
(2)
Social aspect of self—this is where a person takes into account the comments
and thoughts of other people.
(3)
Universal aspect of self—this is the actuality of ourselves.
How and what we really are like.
·
Considering
the elements above, we can conclude that there are far too many factors to be
considered by different individuals in forming a perception.
This means that the probability of having different perceptions about a
single thing is very high.
·
Dieting
is taking in foods according to a regimen.
Dieting can either be good or bad.
·
Considering
the aforementioned concepts about perception, we can conclude that like
everything else, dieting can be perceived differently.
We should also take into consideration the factors affecting the
formation of perception especially the reason for the subjectivity of a
perception.
The
argument: A Person’s Perception
of Dieting is Influenced by How He View Himself
The
question: Do we agree?
The
answer: Yes.
The
reason: Aside from the fact that
both Ms. Corpuz and Ms. Lorenzo agreed with the argument, we have sufficient
evidence to conclude that indeed, a person’s perception of himself can
influence his perception of dieting (actually, his self-perception can
influence his perception of other things)
“ …if a person’s
self-worth is based on how he can be productive in his work, there is a
tendency for this person to base his appreciation of things around him on what
he can do and on the things he is most familiar with.”
This
was quoted earlier from Ms. Corpuz. This
statement entails a suggestion that people tend to have a basis for the things
they do. In this case a
person’s productivity in work was used as an example.
It says that people more or less base their appreciation on the things
they are most familiar with. And
we cannot be more familiar about anything else than ourselves.
A person’s perception of dieting is inflicted upon by how he views
himself. If a person views
himself as a fat or overweight person, chances are his type of dieting is
prone to eating more whereas a slim person’s dieting habit may have a bigger
chance of being watchful of what he eats.
Of course, this is not always the case.
Things are always subject to change, fat people can lose weight and
thin people are of course not exempted from gaining weight.
V.
Implications
As
teenagers and students, we are naturally curious.
We are in a constant search of the truth.
Perception is important in our search of the truth.
This is how we would understand, and this is how we would learn.
However, not everything we perceive is the truth.
Even if sometimes, it seems like they are.
It is important to take into consideration different factors before
even considering something as “possibly true”.
Take into account, the external, internal, and social factors of an
object. Do not just rely on one element.
For example, because of social pressure, we could perceive ourselves to
be fat even though we are perfectly healthy.
This is probably just one of the reasons why many youths develop
distorted perceptions. Not
because of any physical abnormality but simply because of external elements
such as social pressure and the circulation of false information.
As
an effective and efficient member of the society, we must learn to convey the
truth. We must learn to support
each other. And we must
understand that we are one of the great factors that affect other people’s
perception of things. Although
social factor is just one of the factors in the formation of a perception, it
is still a factor. Which means no
matter how small it is, it would still have its effect nonetheless.
Bibliography
A.
Books:
Bustos,
Alicia et. al. Introduction to
Psychology. 3rd ed. Quezon City: Katha Publishing
Co., Inc. 1999.
Sevilla,
Consuelo et. al. General
Psychology With Value Development Lessons.
Quezon
City: Rex Printing Company Inc.
1988
B.
Periodicals
Naidu,
Rekha. “Street Foods- How
Healthy Are They?” Philippines Health
Today. Vol 3 No. 3. 1997
Ponte,
Lowell. “Foods That Help You
Live Longer” Reader’s Digest. August 1993
C. Online
Sources
http://home.no.net/rrpriddy/P19selfperc.html
http://dragon.uml.edu/psych/organize.html
http://www.ahherald.com/health/tyh_010607_fitness_misconceptions.htm
http://www.newtreatments.org/diet.php
D.
Others
Ms.
Rhodora Corpuz,
Guidance Counselor of the Institute of Medicine in Far Eastern
University
Ms.
Maritess Singh Lorenzo, Dietician, FEU-NRMF Medical Center