Perception Flashcards
Reception
comes to us through our senses (begins with biological processes)
Analysis
focusing, organizing, and interpreting
Factors influencing perception within the object/stimuli (4)
RICE
- Repetition (ex: slogans)
- Intensity (ex: a shout, a siren, vibrant colors, behaviors)
- Contrast (very present in advertising)
- Easy/obvious (ex: in line of sight)
Factors influencing perception within ourselves (9)
- Past learning experiences
- Culture
- Language
- Motivation
- Stereotypes
- Roles
- Mood
- Attitude
- Psychologic Tendencies
Past Learning Experiences
- can sensitize you to certain behaviors
- includes phobias
Culture
-where one grows up and what is popular there
-East Asian cultures are more likely to have a dialectical approach to perceptions (point out faults on both sides whereas Americans may pick a side)
-subcultures also impact perception (ex: white vs African American reactions to the initial not guilty verdict of OJ Simpson trial)
Language
-language predisposes us to make certain interpretations of reality
-Sapir-Wharf Hypothesis
-languages have different grammatical structures (ex: the Navajo don’t have active verbs so they may view the world as a place of ongoing dynamic things)
-not having a word for something doesn’t mean you can’t perceive it
-sensory perception is influenced by language
Sapir-Wharf Hypothesis
your language determines your perception of reality
-true but this hypothesis goes too far
-Ex: natives of the far north have multiple words for “snow”, so they will be able to make greater distinctions and perceptions of snow
-Ex: different words for colors
Motivation
-we select for what our goals are
-more likely to see what we are motivated to see
-Ex: more likely to see restaurant signs on a road trip if you are hungry
-religious motivations influence perception
Stereotypes
-influences the inferences that we make
-if a behavior matches our stereotypes, we tend to jump on that
- a way of organizing and classifying the world
-can be problematic: contain errors and half-truths
-can get stereotypes from mass media (particularly true for people who haven’t met an ethnic group)
-not always negative, there can be positive stereotypes
-positive stereotypes can have a negative twist (this is done to maintain a sense of self-respect)
-when we find someone who breaks a stereotype, we make an exception
Roles
-based on our roles we may perceive what is more significant
- Ex: student, parent, kid, occupation
- Ex: At a park, a botanist will perceive plants, a meteorologist will perceive the sky and weather
Mood
-emotional state affects perception
-can perceive the same scene differently
Attitude
-how we feel about something affects perception
-Ex: during a basketball game the referees seem unfair to the other team
-Ex: in a presidential debate, you believe the person you favor is more likely to win
Psychologic Tendencies
-selective exposure
-selective attention
-selective retention
Selective attention
when listening to a message/conversation, you’re more likely to listen to the parts that you agree with and tune out what you disagree with
Selective exposure
we only expose ourselves to beliefs that we already have
Selective Retention
better able to recall information that you agree with
Perception
a process of receiving, selecting, organizing, and interpreting information
Reptition
we select what we see/hear over and over again (e.g. slogans)
Intensity
we select things that exist in extreme (e.g. bright colors, volume)
Ex: you pay attention to a siren
Contrast
we select things because they are different
Ex: you pay attention to Pringles at the stores because they’re in a can rather than a bag
Easy/Obvious
we select what is most in our line of sight or closest to us
Ex: you pay attention to an elephant in class
