Chapter 3: Perception

Question 1

Perception

Answer 1

the process of interpreting the messages of our senses to provide order and meaning to the environment.

Question 2

Why Do We Care About Perception?

Answer 2

• Perception determines how we will interact with and manage others
• People’s behavior is based on their perception of what reality is, not on reality itself.

Question 3

Components of Perception

Answer 3

The perceiver, The target and the situation

Question 4

The Perceiver

Answer 4

• the perceiver’s experience, needs, and emotions can affect their perceptions of a target

Perceptual defence = the tendency for the perceptual system to defend the perceiver against unpleasant emotions

Question 5

The Target

Answer 5

• perception involves interpretation and the addition of meaning to the target, and ambiguous targets are especially susceptible to interpretation and addition
• the perceiver does not or cannot always use all the information provided by the target

Question 6

The Situation (situational context)

Answer 6

adds information about the target

Question 7

Fast vs. Slow Thinking…

Answer 7

• Conscious vs. nonconscious (implicit) thought - Type I and Type II thinking

Type II thinking: Happens quickly, outside of our awareness, efficient, Implicit biases (also called unconscious biases, nonconscious biases)

Question 8

Social Identity Theory (Self-Categorization)

Answer 8

a theory that states that people form perceptions of themselves based on their personal characteristics and memberships in social categories.

Question 9

What is our self composed of?

Answer 9

a personal identity (interests, abilities, and traits) and
a social identity (based on our perception that we belong to various social groups, such as our gender, nationality, religion, occupation…)

Question 10

prototypes

Answer 10

a member of a category that embodies the most typical attributes of that category

Question 11

A Model of the Perceptual Process (Jerome Bruner)

Answer 11

1. When encountering an unfamiliar target, perceivers are open to cues from the target and surrounding situation.
2. Perceiver seeks information to resolve ambiguity and gradually starts categorizing the target based on familiar cues.
3. The search for cues becomes more selective as the categorization strengthens.
4. Perceivers tend to ignore or distort cues that contradict their initial perceptions.

Question 12

Selectivity

Answer 12

Perceivers do not use all available cues and focus on certain ones, which can both aid and hinder accuracy.

Question 13

Common Perceptual Biases/Errors…

Answer 13

1. Selective Perception
2. Primacy/Recency Effects
3. Halo/Horn Effect
4. Projection Bias
5. Reliance on central traits
6. Implicit personality theories
7. Stereotyping

Question 14

Selective Perception

Answer 14

o Tendency to “see things” based on our own frame of reference
o often occurs with an excess of stimuli

Question 15

Primacy/Recency Effects

Answer 15

o Tendency to rely on first/last impressions or cues
o a form of selectivity, and its lasting effects demonstrate perceptual constancy
o If you have a long list of thing you are more likely to remember things at the beginning/end of the list

Question 16

Halo/Horn Effect

Answer 16

Rating on one trait colors ratings on other traits

Question 17

Projection Bias

Answer 17

o Tendency to believe that others are thinking and feeling the same as we are
o Can be efficient when people share similar backgrounds or interests.

Question 18

Reliance on central traits

Answer 18

personal characteristics of a target person that are of particular interest to a perceiver
o Example: An experienced engineer may focus on a new coworker’s intellectual capacity when forming impressions.
o Physical appearance – “beauty premium”.

Question 19

Implicit personality theories

Answer 19

personal theories that people have about which personality characteristics go together

Example: Expecting hardworking people to also be honest or believing that people with average intelligence tend to be friendly.

Question 20

Stereotyping

Answer 20

the tendency to generalize about people in a certain social category and ignore variations among them (Favorable and Unfavorable)

Question 21

Consequences of Stereotyping

Answer 21

Can result in unfairness for individuals
* fewer opportunities
* unfair allocation of resources (e.g., money)
* can negatively affect how we treat individuals (may lead to self-fulfilling prophecies), etc.

Question 22

Stereotyping can interfere with

Answer 22

• accurate selection/hiring decisions
• accurate assessment of performance
• performance management
• diversity

Question 23

Perceptual Constancy

Answer 23

The tendency to perceive a target the same way over time or across situations

Question 24

Perceptual Consistency

Answer 24

The tendency to select, ignore, and distort cues to create a consistent and homogeneous image of the target, often distorting contradictory cues to fit the existing image.