Final answer:
The statement is false; perception involves selecting, organizing, and interpreting information in a highly integrated way where these components interact, rather than in three distinct and separate steps.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process of perception indeed includes selecting, organizing, and interpreting information, which can be considered as steps; however, these do not always occur as three distinct and separate processes but often interact and overlap. Perception involves both bottom-up processing—which is driven by the sensory information we receive from the environment—and top-down processing—which involves our prior knowledge and expectations influencing how we perceive this sensory information. Thus, the statement that the process of perception includes selecting, organizing, and interpreting information in three distinct and separate steps is False, as these components of perception are highly integrated and continuously interact with each other.
Not only do our senses collect information, but our brains filter this through emotions and memories, which further affect the organization and interpretation stages. As per Gestalt psychology, our brains have a tendency to pattern perception, following certain principles to organize sensory stimuli into a coherent whole. Moreover, our interpretations can also be guided by what is known as a perceptual set, influenced by factors such as cultures, values, and past experiences.