Final answer:
The statement that perception is the way we organize or make sense of our sensory impressions is true. Perception goes beyond mere sensation to include the organization, interpretation, and conscious experience of sensory inputs, often influenced by individual mental processes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Perception is indeed the way we organize or make sense of our sensory impressions, hence, the correct answer to the question is 1) True. When we experience the world around us, our sensory receptors are constantly at work, collecting data from our surroundings. However, it's the process of perception that interprets and gives meaning to these sensory signals.
We engage in both bottom-up and top-down processing to interpret sensory information. Bottom-up processing is driven by the sensory input we receive, while top-down processing is influenced by our previous knowledge and expectations. Gestalt theorists contribute to our understanding by suggesting that we perceive patterns and shapes by following certain principles. Our perceptions are not just passive receptions of sensory inputs but are active interpretations influenced by various factors such as culture, beliefs, and previous experiences.
Thus, in essence, perception transforms sensory input into a coherent, meaningful, and often personalized view of the world, deeply influenced by an individual's own mental processes and life experiences.