Chapter 4 Flashcards
The 8 types of stimuli we are most likely to attend to
Intense, large, contrasting, repeated, suddenly moving, negative, unexpected, and important
3 individual characteristics that influence perception
emotional state, outlook, and knowledge
Perception
the process of selection, organization, and interpretation of sensory information into a coherent or lucid depiction of the world around us
Selection
the process of choosing which sensory information to focus on; can be conscious or unconscious
Primary effect
the tendency to form a judgement or opinion based on the first information received
recency effect
the tendency to form a judgement or opinion based on the first information received
organization
the process by which one recognizes what sensory input represents
Cognitive representation
the mental model or map that humans can create to represent their surrounding and can later refer to when circumstances call for them
3 types of mental maps
schemas, prototypes, and scripts
Schemas
cognitive structures that help us organize information
prototypes
a representative or idealized version of a concept
scripts
a relatively fixed sequence of event that function as a guide or template for communication behavior
Categorization
a process of grouping objects or information together with linguistic symbols
labeling
the process of assigning a name to a category based on one’s perception of that category (ex: labeling a feminine presenting person as a woman)
stereotyping
creating schema that overgeneralize attributes of a specific group; assumes we can understand somebody based on one identity category (ex: women are bad drivers)
Interpretation
assigning meaning to stimuli that we have selected to attend to
frames
function as a lens that shapes how we create meaning and understanding
attribution theory
the idea that we interpret behavior by attributing causes to it; we categorize these behaviors as being either internally or externally caused
attributional bias
the tendency to believe that our negative behaviors are caused by external factors and our positive behaviors are caused by internal factors (ex: I was mean yesterday because my fish died. I am nice today because I am a kind person)
self serving bias
the tendency to give ourselves more credit than is due when good things happen and accept little responsibility when things go wrong (ex: we failed the project because Jim didn’t help or we got an A on the project because I did all the work)
fundamental attribution error
the tendency to attribute others’ negative behaviors to internal causes and their positive behaviors to external causes (Mark cut me off in traffic yesterday because he is a bad person, but he was nice to me today because I gave him a slice of cake)
over attribution
selecting an individuals most obvious characteristic to explain everything that person does (Susan is a bad driver, never returns emails, and likes to bake because she is old)
individual factors that influence perception
physical differences, individual characteristics, and cognitive complexity
3 examples of physical differences that impact perception
synesthesia, misophonia, color blindness
