Categorical perception

Categorical perception is the phenomenon where the brain organizes continuous sensory information—like variations in sound or color—into distinct categories. For example, with speech sounds, different pronunciations are perceived as the same phoneme if they fall within a specific category, even if the actual sounds vary widely. This means that instead of noticing small differences along a spectrum, our perception sharply distinguishes between different categories, making it easier to identify and communicate complex stimuli efficiently. This process helps us interpret complex sensory input more clearly by grouping similar signals into meaningful categories.