What is the difference between sensation and perception?

What is the difference between sensation and perception?

Although one cannot take place without the other, there are differences in the two. Sensation refers to qualities, such as hot, cold, pain, noise, red, etc. and perception on the other hand involves "fuller" relations, such as something that is classed, located, measured, compared, etc..

Perception can be defined as the "experience resulting from the stimulation of the senses" and this would probably be a suitable definition for sensation as well. The difference however is that sensation is the bottom of the "bottom-up" process leading to perception. Perception is therefore simply explained as processing or processed sensory information.

Sensation is different from perception "only in the extreme simplicity of its object or content" (William James). Sensation is a mere "acquaintance" with a fact whereas perception is knowledge "about" a fact.