Module 3 Flashcards
What is perception?
The process of interpreting the messages of our senses to provide order and meaning to the environment.
What are the three components of perception?
The three components of perception are: 1) A perceiver, 2) A target that is being perceived, 3) Some situational context in which the perception is occurring.
How do past experiences influence perception?
Past experiences lead the perceiver to develop expectations that affect current perceptions.
What is perceptual defense?
ensure we do not see or hear things that are threatening; People often ‘see what they want to see’ and ‘hear what they want to hear.’
What is the perceiver’s need regarding ambiguity?
Perceivers have a need to resolve ambiguities, but a reduction in ambiguity might not be accompanied by greater accuracy.
How does situational context affect perception?
situational context can affect what is perceived, even when the perceiver and target remain the same.
What is Bruner’s model of the perceptual process?
Bruner’s model involves encountering an unfamiliar target, being open to target cues, observing, categorizing the target, and cue selectivity.
What is organizational climate perception?
Organizational climate refers to the shared perceptions that employees have about the organization’s policies, practices, and procedures.
How do strong organizational climates affect employees?
Strong and positive organizational climates are associated with positive employee attitudes, behavior, and performance, as well as organizational performance.
What is the current state of employee trust in management?
Employee trust in top leaders is at an all-time low, and perceptions of trust in management are positively related to job attitudes/job performance.
What is perceived organizational support (POS)?
POS refers to employees’ belief that their organization values their contribution and cares about their well-being.
What are the outcomes of positive perceived organizational support?
Employees with positive POS have higher trust toward the organization and management, and a greater sense of purpose, meaning, and belonging.
What is Social Identity Theory?
People form perceptions of themselves based on their personal characteristics & memberships in social categories/groups.
What are the two components of our sense of self according to Social Identity Theory?
- Personal identity
- Social identity
What is personal identity based on?
Unique personal characteristics (e.g., interests)
What is social identity based on?
Perception of belonging to various social groups (e.g., gender)
What are prototypes in the context of Social Identity Theory?
Typical attributes of a category that we perceive ourselves and others to embody.
How do social identities function?
They are relational and comparative.
How do people tend to perceive members of their own social categories?
In more positive and favourable ways.
What are the primacy and recency effects in person perception?
They are perceptual biases that affect the impressions we form of others.
What is the primacy effect?
Reliance on early cues or first impressions.
What does the recency effect refer to?
The tendency to rely on recent cues or last impressions.
What are central traits?
Personal characteristics of a person that are of particular interest to a perceiver.
Give an example of a central trait.
Physical appearance.
How do attractive people fare compared to unattractive people in job-related outcomes?
Attractive people fare better.
What is the relationship between physical height and career success?
Physical height is related to job performance, promotions, and career success.
How are individuals who are overweight typically evaluated in the workplace?
Negatively on a number of workplace outcomes.
What are implicit personality theories?
Personal theories about which personality characteristics go together.
What can implicit personality theories lead to?
Misunderstanding.
What is projection in person perception?
Attributing one’s own thoughts and feelings to others.
What are the consequences of projection?
Perceptual difficulties & potential perceptual defence.
What is stereotyping?
Generalizing about people in a social category and ignoring variations among them.
List some categories based on stereotypes.
- Race
- Religion
- Age
- Gender
- Ethnic background
- Social class
- Occupation
What are the three aspects of stereotyping?
- Distinguishing a category of people
- Assuming individuals in this category have certain traits
- Perceiving that everyone in this category possesses these traits
True or False: Most stereotypes are accurate.
False.
What often reinforces inaccurate stereotypes?
Selective perception.
How do perceptions influence human resources management?
Perceptions influence who gets hired and how employees are evaluated.
What do job applicants form during the recruitment and selection process?
Job applicants form perceptions that influence their attraction to the organization and their decision to accept a job offer.
In which three areas do perceptions play an important role in human resources?
- Recruitment and selection 2. Employment interview 3. Performance appraisal
What do job applicants perceive positively during the selection process?
Applicants form positive perceptions of the selection process when procedures are perceived to be fair.
What is the effect of positive perceptions of selection fairness?
Applicants are more likely to view the organization as attractive, have stronger intentions to accept a job offer, and recommend the job and organization to others.
Which selection methods are perceived more favorably?
Employment interviews and work samples are perceived more favorably than cognitive ability tests, which are perceived more favorably than personality tests and honesty tests.
What is the validity of employment interviews?
The interview is a valid selection device, but it is not perfectly accurate, especially when unstructured.
How can the validity of interviews be improved?
Validity improves when the interview is structured.
What factors threaten the validity of interviews?
- Applicants present a favorable impression of themselves. 2. Interviewers compare applicants to a stereotype of the ideal applicant. 3. Interviewers exhibit primacy reactions. 4. Interviewers give less importance to positive information.
What is required for performance appraisal decisions?
An index of a person’s job performance is required for decisions regarding pay, promotions, transfers, etc.
What is morning bias in performance appraisal?
Employees with late start times receive lower job performance ratings due to a negative stereotype that they are perceived as less conscientious.
How do employees often alter their behavior?
Employees often alter their behavior to appear favorable when their manager is around.
What are common rater errors in performance evaluation?
- Leniency 2. Harshness 3. Central tendency 4. Halo effect 5. Similar-to-me effect
What is leniency in performance evaluation?
The tendency to perceive the job performance of ratees as especially good.
What is harshness in performance evaluation?
The tendency to perceive the job performance of ratees as especially ineffective.
What is central tendency in performance evaluation?
The tendency to assign most ratees to middle-range job performance categories.
What is the halo effect in performance evaluation?
The rating of an individual on one trait tends to color ratings on other traits.
What is the similar-to-me effect in performance evaluation?
The rater gives more favorable evaluations to people who are similar to them in terms of background or attitudes.
