Glossary
Exteroception
What is Exteroception?
Exteroception is sensing information from the external environment, including through vision, hearing and skin sensation. It is commonly distinguished from interoception, which concerns internal bodily signals.
How it works
Exteroceptors are sensory receptors that respond to stimuli from outside the body. Exteroceptive means relating to this external sensing. Sensory receptors respond to physical or chemical stimuli and convert them into signals used by the nervous system. For example, light stimulates receptors involved in vision, while pressure on the skin stimulates receptors involved in touch.
Applied example
Touching a tabletop and feeling its pressure is exteroception: the stimulus comes from outside the body. Hearing a sound from across the room is another example. What the sound means to you involves further interpretation.
Why it matters
The distinction helps identify where sensory information comes from. Exteroception concerns the environment; interoception concerns internal bodily signals. Knowing the source is a starting point for understanding perception, not a complete explanation of the emotion or action that follows.
OpenStax’s sensory-perception chapter distinguishes external, internal and position-related sensory receptors.