39 perception

8/3/2019 39 Perception

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MODULE II

Individual Behaviour:

Individual Differences;Personality and Theories of Personality;

Perception;Learning and Behaviourreinforcement;

Classical Conditioning Theory of Learning. 11



PERCEPTION

Definition: The process by which people select,

organize, interpret, and respond to informationfrom the world around them.

Perception (consciously and unconsciously)involves searching for, obtaining, and processinginformation in the mind in an attempt to makesense of the world.

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Definitions of Perception

Perception can be defined as a processby which individuals organize &interpret their sensory impressions in

order to give meaning to theirenvironment.

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Importance of Perception

Perception is an important input in individual behavior.

It is helpful in the judgment about the individuals, eg. Suitability of a candidate in an interview depends on how his behavior is perceived by the interviewers

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Perceptual Lenses

We don’t see thingsthe way they are...

WE SEE THEM AS WE ARE.



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ENVIRONMENTAL STIMULI

FEELING HEARING SMELLING SEEING TASTING

SELECTIVE ATTENTION

PERCEPTUAL ORGANISATIONAND INTERPRETATION

EMOTION AND BEHAVIOUR

THE

PERCEPTUALPROCESS



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Characteristics of stimuli or input

Perceptual inputs• Objects• Events• People

Perceptual MechanismSelection Interpretation

Organisation

Perceptual Outputs• Attitudes• Opinions• Feelings

BEHAVIOUR

INFLUENCED BY

SITUATION AND PERCEIVER’SCHARACTERISTICS

PERCEPTUALPROCESS



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Basic Elements in the Perceptual Process

EnvironmentalStimuli

Observation* Taste * Smell * Hearing * Sight * Touch

Perceptual Selection* External factors

* Internal factors

Interpretation

* Perceptual errors* Attributions

Response* Covert * Overt

PerceptualOrganization

* Perceptual grouping



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Factors Influencing thePerceptual Process

• Perceiver: – Perception influenced by person’s values,

attitudes, past experiences, needs, personality• Setting/Environment:

– Physical context, social context, organizationalcontext

• Perceived/target: – Target’s contrast, intensity, figure-ground

separation, size, motion, repetition.



FACTORS INFLUENCING PERCEPTION

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SITUATIONAL FACTORS• Work setting

•

Social setting• Time

CHARACTERISTICSOF PERCEIVED/TARGET

• Motion• Size

• Appearance• Proximity

• Sound• Background

CHARACTERISTICSOF PERCEIVER

•

Expectations• Experience• Values

• Attitudes• Personality

INDIVIDUAL’SPERCEPTION



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CAN READ IT! CAN YOU?

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too.Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe can.

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrdwaht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of thehmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch atCmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in wahtoerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt

tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghitpclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you cansitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae thehuamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef,

but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I



THE PERCEPTUAL GAP BETWEEN

SUPERVISORS & WORKERSSUPERVISORS WORKERS

SAY THEY GIVE: SAY THEY GET:

PRIVILEGES 52 % 14 %

MORE RESPONSIBILITY 48 % 10 %

A PAT ON THE BACK 82 % 13 %

SINCERE PRAISE 80 % 14 %

TRAINING 64 % 9 %

INTERESTING WORK 51 % 5 %

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BARRIERS/ERRORS/BIASESIN PERCEPTION

Ø The Similar-to-me Effect.

Ø

Attribution error.Ø First Impression Error-confirming one’s

expectation/primacy error.

Ø The Halo/Horn Effect.

Ø Selective Perception.

Ø Stereotyping.

Ø

Self-fulfilling prophecy/pygmallion effect. 1919



Stereotypes Judging someone on the basis of one’sperception of the group to which that person

belongs and thus cause problems inaccurate retrieval of information.

Can be misleading in case of employment

interviews and one can lose a verydeserving candidate too. Basically theperson is having closed windows and doesn’tlet fresh, new ideas to pop-in.

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STEREOTYPING PROCESS

Develop social categoriesAnd assign traits

To them.

Person is identified with aSocial category based onObservable information

Assign social category’sCluster of traitsIn the person



Halo Effects

Halo effect = one attribute of a person or situation

is used to develop an overall impression of thatindividual or situation. (positive aspect)

Happens at organizing stage of perception.

Common – e.g., when we meet a new person who

smiles at us, we have immediate first impressionthat the person is friendly.

Can create distortion in performance appraisals,e.g., good communication skills = intelligent,responsible

Need to ensure appraisal based on facts, not biased2222



SelectivePerception

Click to edit Master text style

Second level● Third level

● Fourth level● Fifth level

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Selective perception = tendency to notice thoseaspects of a person or situation that are

consistent with or reinforce the perceiver’sexisting attitudes, beliefs or needs.

• Influences attention stage – what we notice.

• Most easily overcome by gathering perceptual

info from others to see if one has only picked upon part of the picture.



Projection

Projection = assigning one’s personal attributes

to another individual.Happens at interpreting stage of perception.

E.g., when manager assumes subordinatereacts to a work opportunity the same way asthe manager.

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Projection

Controlled through:

self-awareness (realizingone’s own needs) and

strong empathy (being able

to put oneself in the other’sposition and understandtheir perspective)

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Self-fulfilling prophecy = the tendency tocreate or find in a situation or individual whatone expects to find.

Because one believes something, one acts in away that makes the outcome more likely.

Negative example: assume individual has no ambitionso gives no challenging work; individual is bored and doesnot work well, confirming manager’s initial belief

Positive example: believe exceptional potential inemployee so give challenge, support, praise; employeethrives in this attention and support, performing well,thus confirming manager’s expectations.

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Supervisors formExpectations

About employees

Employee’s behaviour Becomes consistent

With supervisorsexpectations

Supervisor’s behaviour Affect employees’

Abilities and self-efficacy

Expectations affectSupervisor’s behaviour

Towards employeeSELF-FULFIILING

PROPHECYCYCLE



Contrast effect = when an individual’s

characteristics are contrasted with those of people recently encountered who rank higher orlower on those characteristics.

Person in job interview appears stronger when

immediately following a weak candidate.

Awareness of potential distortion from contrasteffect needed.

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FUNDAMENTAL ATTRIBUTION ERROR

The tendency to underestimate theinfluence of external factors and overestimate the influence of internal

factors while making judgementsabout the behaviour of others.

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IS THE CAUSE OF THE BEHAVIOR SEEN ASINTERNAL OR EXTERNAL? WE LOOK FORTHREE TYPES OF INFORMATION TO DECIDE:

DISTINCTIVENESS

IS THIS PERSON’S PERFORMANCE DIFFERENT ON OTHER TASKS AND IN OTHER SITUATIONS?

CONSISTENCY

OVER TIME, IS THERE A CHANGE IN BEHAVIOR OR RESULTS

ON THIS TASK BY THIS PERSON?

CONSENSUS

DO OTHERS PERFORM OR BEHAVE SIMILARLY WHEN IN ASIMILAR POSITION?

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You observe an individual complaining about thefood, service and the décor in a restaurant.

To answer WHY? YOU OBSERVE:

No one elseComplains

( CONSENSUSIS LOW)

This personAlways complains

In this res.(CONSISTENCY

IS HIGH)

This personAlso complainsIn other settings

(DISTINCTIVENESSIS LOW)

He complainedBecause this person

Is difficult to please

INTERNAL ATTRIBUTION



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You observe an individual complaining about thefood, service and the décor in a restaurant.

To answer WHY? YOU OBSERVE:

Several othersAlso Complains( CONSENSUS

IS HIGH)

This personNever complains

In this res.(CONSISTENCY

IS LOW)

This personDoes not complains

In other settings(DISTINCTIVENESS

IS HIGH)

He complainedBecause this restaurant’s

Service is terrible

EXTERNAL ATTRIBUTION



Overcoming the perceptualerrors

In judging and making inferences about others,an individual’s perceptions are influenced byhis beliefs, early experiences etc.

After data have been received and interpreted,the perceiver should check whether his/herinterpretations are right or wrong.

.

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One way of checking is for the personhimself or herself to indulge inintrospection. S/he should put a series

of questions to him/herself and theanswers will confirm whether theperception is correct or otherwise

Another way is to check the veracityabout the interpretation with others.

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For improved usefulness

Train raters.

Regular ongoing observation of employees.

Limit number appraised by one supervisor.

Clear standards.

Avoid ambiguous terms like “average.”

Applying Johari window.

Being empathic.

Impression Management

People often systematically attempt to behave in ways that willcreate and maintain impressions which the person wants others tohave of him or her

● E.g., clothing, handshake, resume preparation for a job interview

● E.g., associating with “right” people, doing favours to gainapproval, agreeing with others.

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39 perception

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