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The Perception Process
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Perception is the process of selecting
cues from the environment, organizing
these cues into some coherent pattern,
and interpreting the pattern.
Stimulation / Selection
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Selective exposure: We expose ourselves to
people and messages that confirm our existing
beliefs, values, and attitudes.
Selective attention: We focus on certain cues but
ignore others.
Selective perception: We tend to see and hear
what we want to believe.
Selective retention: We tend to remember
whatever reinforces our thinking and forget what
we find objectionable.
ORGANIZING
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To make sense of situations we select
information from our environment and
organize it to form meaningful patterns;
PHYSICAL CONSTRUCTS / SCHEMATA
ROLE CONSTRUCTS
INTERACTION CONSTRUCT
PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSTRUCTS
RIGID CATEGORIES INHIBIT
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
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It's important to remember that we
created the categories in the first
place and that the differences
between the categories are a result
of how we created them.
Generalization versus
stereotyping
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Generalization is the result of normal learning
process. Through our everyday experiences
we learn how people behave.
Stereotyping is assuming that the
characteristics associated with the group
apply to all individuals in the group.
INTERPRETATION
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Adding a meaning (explanation) to the
selected categories/situations
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Of course you need to remember that
by selecting and organizing you made
some interpretation already.
Factors influencing
interpretation
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The degree of involvement
The degree of knowledge
Past experiences
Expectations
Assumptions about human behavior
Your mood
Making Attributions
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Attributions are our explanations for
why others behave as they do or
what causes them to behave the way
they do.
Errors in Attributions
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Self-Serving / Egocentric Bias: a mechanism designed
to preserve self-esteem. We take credit for positive /
deny responsibility for negative.
Fundamental Attribution Error: Overvalue the
influence of internal factors / undervalue external
factors.
Premature Closure: we cling to first impressions
Over-attribution: the tendency to single out 1-2
obvious characteristics and attribute everything to
them.
Errors in Attributions
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Halo effect: Tendency to form an overall
positive impression of a person on the basis of
one positive characteristic.
Confirmation bias: We seek out and organize
our impressions to support an opinion.
Uncertainty Reduction
Strategies
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PASSIVE STRATEGIES: we take the role of
unobtrusive observers and do not participate
in the situation.
ACTIVE STRATEGIES: we actively seek
information by asking questions about the
individual.
INTERACTIVE STRATEGIES: we
communicate directly with the person by
asking questions etc.
PERCEPTION CHECKING
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describe others' behavior;
give your interpretation of the other's
thoughts and/or feelings (refraining from
evaluating or judging - be objective, try to
include other options);
ask the other if our perceptions and
interpretations are accurate. Ask for
clarification