What do we call the process of receiving information from the environment and transforming it into awareness?

The process of receiving information from the environment and transforming it into awareness is defined as perception. This involves not only sensing stimuli through our senses—such as sight, sound, and touch—but also interpreting those signals to make sense of the world around us. Perception is crucial because it enables individuals to understand and interact with their environment effectively.

The other terms represent related but distinct processes. Cognition refers to the mental processes involved in gaining knowledge and understanding, which includes perception but extends to thinking, reasoning, and remembering. Evaluation involves assessing and making judgments about information, while recognition is identifying previously encountered information or stimuli. Therefore, while these other terms are interconnected with perception, they do not specifically describe the initial phase of transforming environmental information into awareness.