Movie review
aldi.6843
reflectrelate5e_lectureppt_ch03.pptxChapter 3
Perceiving Others
Perception as a Process
Perception: The process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting information from our senses
The Process of Perception
figure 3.1
Step 1: Selecting Information
Selection: Focusing our attention on certain sights, sounds, tastes, touches, or smells in our environment
Salience: The degree to which something is noticeable and significant to us
Step 2: Organizing the Information You’ve Selected
Organization: Structuring selected information into a coherent pattern
Punctuation: Structuring information into a chronological sequence that matches how you experienced the order of events
Step 3: Interpreting the Information (1 of 3)
Interpretation: Assigning meaning to selected information
Schemata: Mental structures containing information that defines concepts’ characteristics and interrelationships
Interpreting the Information (2 of 3)
Attributions: Explanations for others’ comments or behaviors
Internal attributions: Presume internal causes (character/personality)
External attributions: Presume causes unrelated to personal qualities
Interpreting the Information (3 of 3)
Three errors in attribution
Fundamental attribution error/
Actor-observer effect
Self-serving bias
Reducing Uncertainty (1 of 2)
Uncertainty Reduction Theory: Our primary compulsion during initial interactions is to reduce uncertainty about others
Reducing Uncertainty (2 of 2)
Uncertainty can be reduced in several ways.
Passive strategies
Active strategies
Interactive strategies
Influences on Perception
Powerful forces outside of our conscious awareness shape our perception.
Culture
Gender
Personality
Perception and Culture
Culture influences perception in at least two ways.
Culture forms our schemata
Ingroupers and outgroupers
Perception and Gender
We are socialized to believe in gender differences.
Studies show that only about 1% of communication behavior is influenced by gender.
Perception and Personality (1 of 3)
Personality: Our characteristic way of thinking, feeling, and acting based on the traits we possess
The “Big Five”(OCEAN)
Openness
Conscientiousness
Extraversion
Agreeableness
Neuroticism
14
Perception and Personality (2 of 3)
Self-enhancement bias: Tendency to perceive our own unique traits more favorably than unique traits possessed by others
Perception and Personality (3 of 3)
Implicit personality theories: Beliefs about different personality types and the ways in which personality traits cluster together
16
Forming Impressions of Others
Interpersonal impressions: Mental pictures of who people are and how we feel about them
Constructing Gestalts (1 of 2)
Gestalts: General impressions of people,
either positive or negative
Positivity bias: Tendency for Gestalts to be positive when first formed
Negativity effect: Tendency to emphasize negative information we learn
Constructing Gestalts (2 of 2)
Halo effect: Positively interpreting what someone says or does because we have a positive Gestalt of him or her
Horn effect: Negatively interpreting the communication of people for whom we have negative Gestalts
Calculating Algebraic Impressions
Algebraic impressions: Most accurate and refined of impressions
We weight some information more heavily than other information, depending on its importance and positivity or negativity.
Using Stereotypes
Stereotyping: Overly simplistic interpersonal impressions
Flawed, but streamlines impression process and is almost impossible to avoid
Improving Your Perception
Offer empathy.
Embrace world-mindedness.
Engage in perception-checking.
Offering Empathy
Empathy: “Feeling into” others’ thoughts and emotions
Two components: Perspective-taking and empathic concern
Empathy mindset: Our beliefs about whether empathy is something that can be developed and controlled
Practicing Responsible Perception
Check:
Your punctuation
Your knowledge
Your attributions
Perceptual influences
Your impressions
24
