Perception: Can it be measured? Can it be learned?

Research in industry has revealed the importance of perception in the learning of psychomotor skills. The purpose of this study is to measure the existing perceptual ability of dental students, develop a program to teach it, and determine if there is a significant difference in the level of their performance in a technique course in Operative Dentistry. Prior to the technique course, 38 freshmen were given a PERCEPTION TEST which had been devised to ascertain the existing perceptual ability of each student. These students were match paired according to their PERCEPTION SCORES and one of each pair was randomly selected to receive the instructional PERCEPTION PROGRAM. The remaining students were placed into a control group and received no instruction on perception. The level at which the students performed in three practical exams in dental amalgam restorative procedures was compared. It was noted that the instructional program did not significantly raise the performace level of students with 'high' (50 and above) perception scores. The program, however, significantly raised the grades of students who had 'low' (49 and below) perception scores. Within the control group, the average grade of students with 'low' perception scores was lower than that of students with 'high' perception scores. This study suggests that students can learn perception. Students who initially have less perceptual ability seem to benefit most from instruction in this aspect.