Perception

Or
How We Create Meaning
Perception
Perception is a PROCESS.
 Selection
 Organization
 Interpretation
 Negotiation
Selection:
Determining what cues to attend to . . . or
ignore
 Intense stimuli
 Repetitious stimuli
 Contrast or change in stimulation
 Stimuli that relates to our interests or
needs (motives)
Organization:
Making sense through a lens
 Figure and ground
 Perceptual schema (classifications that
often involve stereotyping, “exaggerated
beliefs associated with a categorizing
system”)
Perceptual Schema
 Physical constructs
 Role constructs
 Interaction constructs
 Psychological constructs
 Membership constructs
Interpretation:
Reaching a conclusion
 Degree of involvement w/ the person
 Past experience
 Assumptions about human behavior
 Expectations
Interpretation:
 Knowledge
 Self concept
 Relational satisfaction
 Personal mood
Negotiation
 Creating a shared meaning
 Often created through narratives
Perceptions are influenced by:
 Physiological influences
 Senses
 Age
 Health
 Fatigue
 Hunger
 Biological cycles
Perceptions are influenced by:
 Culture
 Social roles (gender, occupation)
 Self-concept
Perceptual errors include:
 We often judge ourselves more charitably
than others
 We cling to first impressions, even when
wrong
 We tend to make frozen evaluations
 We tend to favor negative impressions
over positive ones
To increase the accuracy of
your perceptions:
 Recognize: perceptions are personally
based
 Check your perceptions
 Describe the noticed behavior
 State at least two possible interpretations
 Request clarification about how to interpret
the behavior
To increase the accuracy of your
perceptions:
 Seek to be empathetic (as opposed to
sympathetic!)
 Empathy: “The ability to re-create another
person’s perspective, to experience the world
from the other’s point of view.” (p. 109)
 Sympathy: Viewing “the other person’s
situation from your point of view.” (p. 111)
Perception Checking Practice
 You made an excellent suggestion to an
instructor. The instructor looked uninterested but
said she would check on the matter right away.
Three weeks have passed and nothing has
changed.
 A neighbor and good friend has not responded
to your “Good morning” for three days in a row.
This person is usually friendly.