What is one way to describe the nature of perception?

Perception is best described as influenced by situational context because it highlights the fact that the way we interpret sensory information is not solely determined by the stimuli themselves, but also by the surrounding environment and previous experiences. For example, a person's expectations, prior knowledge, and current emotional state can all shape how they perceive a given scenario. Context can affect what we notice, the significance we assign to stimuli, and how we interpret ambiguous information.

This aspect of perception helps explain phenomena like optical illusions or ambiguous images, where the same visual input can lead to different interpretations based on how it is framed by context. A great example of this is the way we might perceive a friendly gesture in one culture as positive, while it might be viewed completely differently in another context. Understanding that perception is influenced by context allows us to recognize the complexity of human experience and the variability in how individuals may perceive the same situation.