Week 3 - Perception, Attribution, & Diversity Flashcards
Why study perception?
The process through which people:
select, organise, interpret, retrieve and respond to information.
People base their actions on the interpretation of reality that their
perceptual system provides, rather than on reality itself.
How people infer things about you
How you infer things about others
Understand and overcome biases
What are Perceptions influenced by?
Past experiences that lead the perceiver to develop expectations.
Needs unconsciously influence perceptions by causing us to perceive what
we wish to perceive.
Emotions, such as anger, happiness, or fear
Perceptual defense
____ targets are especially susceptible to interpretation and the
addition of meaning.
Ambiguous
____ have a need to resolve ambiguities.
Perceivers
What is the most important effect that a situation can have?
Add information to a target
True/False the perception of a target can change even if the target and situation are the same?
True
True/False
Perception shapes context
False. Context shapes perception
Social Identity Theory
People form perceptions of
themselves based on their personal
characteristics and memberships in
social categories.
Our sense of self is composed of a
personal identity and a social
identity.
Personal Identity is based on…?
Personal identity is based on our unique personal characteristics (e.g., interests).
Social Identity is based on…?
Social identity is based on our perception that we belong to various social groups (e.g., gender).
Personal and social identities help us answer the question: …???
“Who am I?”
Social Identity Theory:
What are “prototypes”?
We perceive ourselves and
others as embodying the most
typical attributes of a category
or what are called “prototypes.”
Social Identity Theory:
What is one way we form perceptions of others?
We also form perceptions of
others based on their
membership in social categories.
Social Identity Theory:
Social identities are ___
and ___.
Social identities are relational
and comparative.
Social Identity Theory:
Is there a tendency for us to treat members of our own social categories differently?
Yes!
People tend to perceive
members of their own social
categories in more positive and
favourable ways
The impressions we form of others are
susceptible to a number of perceptual biases…name some!
Primacy (relying on the first thing you have seen) and Recency (only the latest thing counts, your only as good as your last work) effects
Reliance on central traits
Projection/ Similar to me effect
Leniency
Harshness
Central tendency
Halo effect (one word or trait is used overarchingly)
Implicit personality theories
Stereotyping
Implicit Personality Theory
People have “implicit” theories about which characteristics
go together
Physical characteristics
or Personality
E.g., hair colour & intelligence “dumb blonde” theory (Movie “Legally blonde”)
E.g., attractiveness & income (r =.13, Judge et al 2009)
Personality characteristics
E.g., extraverts are more agreeable
Social Groups & characteristics
E.g., men are smarter….Stereotypes are a special type of implicit theories
Stereotype
Tendency to generalize about people in a social category and ignore variations
among them.
Social category is the main distinguisher: religion, job, location, family role
Distinguish some category of people
Assume individuals in this category have certain traits
Perceive everyone in category possesses these traits
Fundamental Attribution Error
The tendency to overemphasize dispositional explanations for behaviour at the
expense of situational explanations.
over estimate the influence of others’ personality
underestimate situational factors…..
fail to realize that observed behaviour is distinctive to a particular situation.
Selective Perception
Any characteristic that makes a person, object, or event stand out will increase the
probability that it will be perceived.
Since we can’t observe everything going on around us, we engage in selective
perception.
Actor -Oberver effect
The propensity for actors and observers to view the causes of the actor s behaviour
differently.
Actors are prone to attribute much of their own behaviour to situational factors while
observers are more likely to invoke dispositional causes.
Why are actors prone to attribute much of their own behaviour to situational causes?
Self-serving bias
We think we’re better than average, bad things are all situational, good things are all personal ability.
Optimistic about the future, think we have unique talents
What are some techniques to minimize errors in perception
Increase personal interaction
- -focus on unique attributes of individuals
- -validate perceptions rather than rush to your judgements.
Identify and confront your stereotypes
–Don’t be defensive about them.
Evaluate people based on objective factors
Avoid making rash judgments
Decreases Discrimination
Descrimination
“… a distinction, exclusion or preference based on one of the prohibited
grounds that has the effect of nullifying or impairing the right of a person to
full and equal recognition and exercise of his or her human rights and
freedoms.”
What are the two types of descrimination
Intentional
and
Unintentional
Discrimination
Intentional Discrimination
• direct • differential or unequal treatment • indirect (3 rd party) • by association
Unintentional Discrimination
• constructive or systemic discrimination • embedded in policies with adverse impact on specific groups
Give examples of Intentional Discrimination in the workplace
Sexual harassment Discriminatory policies or practices Intimidation Mockery and insults Exclusion Inclusivity
Give examples of Intentional Discrimination in the workplace
min height
min weight
discriminiroty culture
promotions based exclusively on experience in an environment that historically was discriminatory
Bona Fide Occupational Requirement (BFOR)
Justified reason for discrimination based on business necessity (safe and efficient operations)
ex. vision standards for bus driver
Reasonable accomodation
Requirement for Reasonable Accommodation
- Adjustment of employment policies/practices so that no individual is denied benefits or is
disadvantaged
- Based on prohibited grounds in human rights legislation
–E.G. Work station redesign for wheelchair
Undue Hardship
- financial costs make accommodation impossible
