T2. w. 8 Introduction to managing perceptions and conflict Flashcards
perception
a process by which individuals organise and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment.
Proprioception-
your ability to tell where your body parts are relative to other body parts
Balance, touch (pressure, warmth, cold, pain, itchiness)
You can sense things without
perceiving them
Perception also involves
searching for, obtaining info and the cognitive processes required for processing info
Prosopagnosia (or face blindness):
can see faces but unable to perceive or recognise them and compensate by recognising people by other means (clothes/hairstyle)
process of perception: Bottom up processing
- how we process the raw data or inputs received by our sensory organs
- the need for attentional selectivity - can’t attend to all sensory info at any given time, so we filter out less relevant info
process of perception: Top down processing:
• how we cognitively process sensory information and construct meaning to make sense of the world
• the need to make sense of our enviro and our search for meaning
End result is filtered.
All have different senses but dif. Cultural backgrounds which lead to having different perceptions.
Our perception of reality shapes and directs our behaviour. We behave and respond to the world as we perceive it rather than reality itself.
Attribution theory
tries to explain how our judgement of people differs depending on the meaning we attribute to their behaviour
what does attribution theory suggest?
We attribute behaviours that we observe as caused by either something internal (personal) something external (situational) - outside events
what determines type of attribution we make?
Three main factors:
- Distinctiveness – whether an individual displays different behaviours in different situations(or the uniqueness of the act)
- Consensus – whether everyone who faces a similar situation responds in the same way
- Consistency – whether the person responds in the same way over time
common cognitive-perceptual biases
Fundamental attribution error
Self-serving bias –
Selective perception
Fundamental attribution error
underestimating the influence of external factors and overestimate the influence of personal factors
Self-serving bias –
overestimating our own (internal) influence on successes and the external influence on our failures
Selective perception
selectively interpret what we see based on particular interests, background, experience, attitudes and framed preference
whilst common cognitive-perceptual baises influence our perceptions & are helpful shortcuts
can be problematic when they lead us to have inaccurate perceptions/judgements about others (it’s a grounding factor in creation of conflict).
conflict
occurs when there is a perceived difference between the interests of the parties concerned.
arises because of perceived differences, or in “circumstances where the interests of different parties are not aligned” (Martin & Fellenz, 2010)
Interpersonal conflict –
between individuals at the person level
Structural conflict
– between groups at the collective level
nature of conflict
Functional outcomes – supports the goals of the individual or group and improves performance
Dysfunctional outcomes – negative affective outcomes or behaviours that hinder goals, behaviour, and performance
types of conflict
task
process
relationship
Task conflict –
differences in perceptions about WHAT work is done
can be dysfunctional or functional
Process conflict
– differences in perceptions about HOW the work gets done
can be beneficial if it stimulates productive discussion/critical assessment of problem and better decision making
Relationship or affective conflict
– conflict with other people and interpersonal incompatibility
Make sure conflict is about the task or process not the people themselves
managing conflict
Managers spend 30% of their time dealing with team conflicts. For employees, 16% of their time is associated with conflicts with supervisors
Conflict processes are at least as important as the conflict states (the intensity of perceived incompatibility)
Collectivistic, open-minded, and collaborative interactions can enhance team functioning
Individualistic, avoiding and competing processes tend to impair team functioning