One's personal psychology begins with one's perceptions, or interpretations, of the stimuli received each day through the five senses: sight, sound, touch, taste and smell. While much of how we interpret the stimuli we receive is universal, individual experience (personal history) and cultural upbringing has an affect on how one views the world. This can often times cause stress when living in the world.
For this assignment, you are to select one sensory perception you hold that does not seem to be universal (i.e., some stimuli which you perceive differently than do most others around you) and which causes stress in your life. Identify the stimulus, discuss the primary sense(s) through which you receive that stimulus and how you interpret that stimulus differently than others around you. After you have done this, discuss what about your personal (biological and environmental) and/or cultural history has influenced your unique perception, and how your unique perception of this stimulus causes stress in your life and how that stress is perceived. Finally, examine what you can do to lessen the stress that is caused by this particular perception.
NOTE: Be sure to limit your discussion to perception of a sensory stimulus, not of an intellectual or moralistic issue. For example, you should discuss how something feels to the touch, smells, sounds (volume, tone, intensity, etc.), tastes (bitter, sweet, salty, etc.), or appears (brightness, size, texture, hue, perspective, etc.) rather than whether you interpret something you see, hear, feel, smell or taste as important, good, evil, logical, etc. (If you are unsure whether the sensory perception you have chosen will be appropriate for this assignment, please post a personal message to me asking for my opinion.)
Your paper should be between 500 and 750 words in length and adhere to APA style. Include a minimum of two peer-reviewed sources.