Perception/Motivation - Organizational Behavior Post and Responses
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NeckOBPPT04-PARTI.pptxChapter 4: Perceptions and Learning
Perception: Interpreting Our Environment
“Studies have shown that 90% of error in thinking is due to error in perception. If you can change your perception, you can change your emotion and this can lead to new ideas.”
Edward de Bono, Author & Psychologist.
Neck, Organizational Behavior. © SAGE Publications, 2017.
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In early 2007, the Washington Post carried out an experiment in perception by placing world-famous violinist Joshua Bell, disguised as a street musician, in a Washington Metro station. Wearing a baseball cap, t-shirt, and jeans, Bell performed a 43-minute set of six classical pieces for unsuspecting commuters. Of the 1,097 who passed by, only 7 stopped for just over a minute to listen to his virtuoso performance before continuing their journey. By the end of his performance, the virtuoso Bell had made a grand total of $30 and a few cents – hardly enough to buy a ticket to one of his own sell-out concerts. So what does this experiment tell us about perception? Was it because Bell was dressed as a street musician that the commuters did not stop to listen? Or was it because of the setting – after all, how likely is it that a world-famous musician decides to perform for free in a Metro station? Whatever the reason, we can conclude that most people perceived Bell to be someone other than who he was, which affected their ability to recognize him or the difficult music he was playing.
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Perception
Perception is the process by which we receive and interpret information from our environment.
Neck, Organizational Behavior. © SAGE Publications, 2017.
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Perception: Interpreting Our Environment
We define perception as the process by which we receive and interpret information from our environment
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Components of the Selection Process
Factors which can influence/distort perception.
The Perceiver.
The Environment.
The Focal Object.
Neck, Organizational Behavior. © SAGE Publications, 2017.
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A number of factors influence and perhaps distort perception, including the perceiver, the environment, and the focal object. These will be discussed in depth in the following slides.
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Components of the Selection Process
The Perceiver
Perceptions are shaped by
Past experiences.
Culture.
Attitude.
Values.
Upbringing.
Neck, Organizational Behavior. © SAGE Publications, 2017.
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Perceptions are shaped by past experiences, culture, attitude, values, upbringing, and more. This means the nature of the perceiver has a strong influence on the perceptual process. For example, say you were raised in an environment where working hard and being on time were considered very important. You might have a negative attitude towards a co-worker who comes to work late or takes long work breaks. Once you have formed this perception, it might be difficult for you to change your mind about your co-worker even if he or she performs well.
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Components of the Selection Process
The Environment
The Environment
The context or the setting affects the perception process.
Neck, Organizational Behavior. © SAGE Publications, 2017.
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The context or the setting also affects the perception process. For example, you may not notice a person dressed in athletic attire running on the street, but if she turned up at high-level work meeting in the same clothes, she would definitely look out of place. People flocked to see Joshua Bell perform in a concert hall but failed to recognize him in the Metro station. The person remained the same, but the situation or context had changed, which in turn influenced the perception of him.
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Components of the Selection Process
The Focal Object
The Focal Object
The person, thing, or event being interpreted affects our perception.
Neck, Organizational Behavior. © SAGE Publications, 2017.
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The person, thing, or event being interpreted also affects our perception. Many business people choose to drive expensive cars because they feel it makes a good impression on others, who they hope will perceive them as wealthy, successful, and professional. However, in today’s social context, do people really perceive owners of expensive cars in this way, or do they resent them for flaunting their success?3 We tend to perceive objects in terms of contrast. For example, we might interpret the driver of the expensive car in a different way to someone else depending on their situation. Similarly, we perceive people who stand out differently from others – a work colleague who is vocal in meetings might be perceived differently from one who says very little.
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Why Is Perception Important?
Perceptions of Reality
People act not upon reality, but upon their “perceptions” of reality. (Kurt Lewin)
In the workplace, the way we are perceived and the way in which we perceive others are crucial for organizational success, especially for building our relationships.
Neck, Organizational Behavior. © SAGE Publications, 2017.
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In 1936, psychologist, Kurt Lewin observed that people act not upon the basis of reality, but upon their perceptions of reality. In other words, we tend to interpret events differently from what actually happens in our environment. Therefore, understanding perception is a critical part of understanding behavior. In the workplace, the way we are perceived and the way in which we perceive others are crucial for career progress, and for building our relationships. For example, a salesperson’s success or failure depends on how he is perceived by prospective customers. He could have all the knowledge in the world about a product, but if he is perceived as over-eager or too talkative, he is unlikely to make the sale. This is why many people in a sales role use self-critiquing techniques such as videoing themselves or seeking feedback from others in order to perceive themselves as others do. Salespeople who actively listen, communicate sincerely, and show a genuine interest in the person to whom they are selling tend to excel and to have more successful customer relationships.
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Common Perceptual Distortions
Stereotypes.
Selective Attention.
Halo Effect.
Primacy/Recency Effect.
Contrast Effect.
Projecting.
Self-fulfilling Prophecy.
Impression Management.
Neck, Organizational Behavior. © SAGE Publications, 2017.
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Each and every day we are expected to take in and process a huge amount of complex information. Our attempts to organize and sift this information can lead to inaccuracies and clouds our perceptions of different people, situations, and events. Using the WTRT scenario as an example, let us explore some common perceptual distortions.
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Common Perceptual Errors
Stereotypes.
Selective Attention.
Halo Effect.
Primacy/Recency Effect.
Neck, Organizational Behavior. © SAGE Publications, 2017.
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Common Perceptual Distortions
Stereotypes are an individual’s fixed beliefs about the characteristics of a particular group.6 When we have a particular feeling or attitude (often negative) towards members of a specific group, we call this prejudice.
Selective Attention is the tendency to selectively focus on aspects of situations that are most aligned with our own interests, values, and attitudes.7
Halo Effect is a perception problem in which we form a positive or negative view of one aspect of an individual based on our overall impressions of that person.
Primacy Effect is a perception problem in which an individual assesses a person quickly on the basis of the first information.
Recency Effect is a perception problem in which an individual assesses a person quickly on the basis of the most recent or last pieces of information.
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Common Perceptual Errors
Contrast Effect.
Projecting.
Self-fulfilling Prophecy.
Impression Management.
Neck, Organizational Behavior. © SAGE Publications, 2017.
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Common Perceptual Distortions
Contrast Effect takes place when people rank something higher or lower than they should as a result of exposure to recent events or situations.
Projecting is a process in which people transfer their own thoughts, motivations, feelings, and desires to others..
Self-fulfilling Prophecy occurs when a person bases behavior on pre-existing expectations about another person or situation in order to create an outcome aligned with those expectations.
Impression Management is the process by which we attempt to influence the perceptions others may have of us.
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Common Attribution Errors
Attribution theory holds that people look for two causes to explain the behavior of others.
Internal attributions.
External attributions.
Neck, Organizational Behavior. © SAGE Publications, 2017.
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When we see someone behave in a certain way, we tend to try and make sense of it or at least attach some meaning to it. Attribution theory holds that people look for two causes to explain the behavior of others: internal attributions, which are personal characteristics of others, and external attributions, which are situational factors.
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Determinants of Attribution
Neck, Organizational Behavior. © SAGE Publications, 2017.
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SOURCE: Based on Mehlman, Rick C., and C. R. Snyder. “Excuse Theory: A Test of the Self-Protective Role of Attributions.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 49, no. 4 (October 1985): 994–1001.
Figure 4.2: Determinates of Attribution
Common Attribution Errors
Three factors influence our internal and external attributions: distinctiveness, consensus, and consistency.
Distinctiveness is the extent to which a person behaves consistently in similar situations.
Consensus looks at how everyone else responds in the same situation. For example, if more people in the office are absent on the same days, we might ascribe this behavior to an external attribution such as stress due to overworking, or a virus or flu that has spread through the office.
Consistency is the extent to which a person responds in the same way over a period of time.
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Fundamental Attribution Error
Fundamental attribution error is the inclination to attribute internal factors to the behavior of others more than external factors.
Neck, Organizational Behavior. © SAGE Publications, 2017.
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Common Attribution Errors
When it comes to our perception of others, we sometimes make erroneous judgments when assessing their behaviors. There are two common attribution errors: fundamental attribution error, and self-serving bias. Fundamental attribution error is the inclination to attribute internal factors to the behavior of others more than external factors. For example, Laura initially feels Abigail’s carelessness is mostly to blame for WTRT’s debt. It is only when she calms down and listens to Abigail addressing the rest of the staff that she realizes other factors are at play that are out of Abigail’s control.
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Self-serving bias
Self-serving bias is the tendency to attribute their own successes to internal factors and put the blame for failures on external factors (i.e., lack of accountability).
Neck, Organizational Behavior. © SAGE Publications, 2017.
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Common Attribution Errors
Self-serving bias is the tendency to attribute external factors to the behavior of others more than internal factors. For example, Abigail blames external factors such as the economic recession and the aging patron base for her woes and never accepts responsibility for her carelessness and overspending, instead perceiving herself as the true savior of WTRT.
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