Chapter 4

Question 1

The 8 types of stimuli we are most likely to attend to

Answer 1

Intense, large, contrasting, repeated, suddenly moving, negative, unexpected, and important

Question 2

3 individual characteristics that influence perception

Answer 2

emotional state, outlook, and knowledge

Question 3

Perception

Answer 3

the process of selection, organization, and interpretation of sensory information into a coherent or lucid depiction of the world around us

Question 4

Selection

Answer 4

the process of choosing which sensory information to focus on; can be conscious or unconscious

Question 5

Primary effect

Answer 5

the tendency to form a judgement or opinion based on the first information received

Question 6

recency effect

Answer 6

the tendency to form a judgement or opinion based on the first information received

Question 7

organization

Answer 7

the process by which one recognizes what sensory input represents

Question 8

Cognitive representation

Answer 8

the mental model or map that humans can create to represent their surrounding and can later refer to when circumstances call for them

Question 9

3 types of mental maps

Answer 9

schemas, prototypes, and scripts

Question 10

Schemas

Answer 10

cognitive structures that help us organize information

Question 11

prototypes

Answer 11

a representative or idealized version of a concept

Question 12

scripts

Answer 12

a relatively fixed sequence of event that function as a guide or template for communication behavior

Question 13

Categorization

Answer 13

a process of grouping objects or information together with linguistic symbols

Question 14

labeling

Answer 14

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)

Question 15

stereotyping

Answer 15

creating schema that overgeneralize attributes of a specific group; assumes we can understand somebody based on one identity category (ex: women are bad drivers)

Question 16

Interpretation

Answer 16

assigning meaning to stimuli that we have selected to attend to

Question 17

frames

Answer 17

function as a lens that shapes how we create meaning and understanding

Question 18

attribution theory

Answer 18

the idea that we interpret behavior by attributing causes to it; we categorize these behaviors as being either internally or externally caused

Question 19

attributional bias

Answer 19

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)

Question 20

self serving bias

Answer 20

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)

Question 21

fundamental attribution error

Answer 21

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)

Question 22

over attribution

Answer 22

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)

Question 23

individual factors that influence perception

Answer 23

physical differences, individual characteristics, and cognitive complexity

Question 24

3 examples of physical differences that impact perception

Answer 24

synesthesia, misophonia, color blindness

Question 25

cognitive complexity

Answer 25

refers to how detailed, involved, or numerous a person’s constructs are; allows us to explain behavior in multiple ways

Question 26

the role of power in perception

Answer 26

status/power influences how others perceive you and how you perceive others. Your place in the social hierarchy impacts whether you subscribe to cultural ideals

Question 27

the role of culture in perception

Answer 27

cultural norms, values, and beliefs shape out thoughts, feelings, perceptions and behaviors

sensory model: the way a culture emphasizes certain senses

Question 28

The role of social comparison

Answer 28

when you compare other cultures to your own, they may seem strange or wrong because they are different (ethnocentrism)

Question 29

The role of historical time period

Answer 29

those who experienced certain historical events have different outlooks than those who did not (cohort effect)

Question 30

social roles

Answer 30

society defines social roles and educates individuals differently based on what role they are expected to play