Social Perception

Feb 23
Q1 – 2016 / PSY110: Social Psychology / Prof. Joyce G. Davis 2016

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Introduction

TECHNOLOGY Simplicity
PUZZLES SKITS Innovation
MUSIC TRAVEL
PHOTOGRAPHY Transparency

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 Activity A

Look at the above image for 30 secs

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 Activity A

Q: What do you see?

A. Butterfly B. Bat C. Moth D. Something Else

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Perception

“a way of regarding, understanding, or

interpreting something;
a mental impression”
Dictionary definition from google.com

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6 or 9?

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Lines: Parallel or Divergent?

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Animated or Still?

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Young Lady or Old Lady?

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 Activity A

Inkblot

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Social Perception

“The process through which we seek to

know and understand other people.”
Baron, Robert A., Nyla Branscombe. Social Psychology, 13th Edition. Pearson Learning Solutions, 09/2011.

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Social Perception – The Process

Impression
Management
Impression
Formation
Attribution

Non-verbal
Communication

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Nonverbal Communication

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Nonverbal Communication

HUMAN COMMUNICATON

60% 30% 90%

is body is tone of what you are saying is
language non-verbal

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Nonverbal Communication

How many times have you said or written

words that expressed something, but, in
your heart, you meant something else?

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Nonverbal Communication

How many times have you nodded in

agreement for what is being said, but your
foot shook involuntarily showing complete
disapproval?

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Nonverbal Communication

• Use of eyes and facial expressions as reaction

• Use of hands while talking to make a point
• Understanding and using body language is necessary in
the workplace, with friends, and in close relations

Hand gestures, facial expressions, and body language,

in general, take many forms and convey many meanings.

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 Activity B
Nonverbal Communication

Lets examine what you already know about

non-verbal communication

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 Activity B
Nonverbal Communication
1. What is the most expressive part of your body?
A. Hands
B. Eyes
C. Shoulders
D. Face 

Face can say much without you having to say a single word. If you are
skeptical, optimistic, or overwhelmed, your facial expressions will show
exactly what you are thinking unless you can put on a poker face.

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 Activity B
Nonverbal Communication
2. What is the part of your body that adds important
information to your face-to-face interaction?
A. Hands and upper-body movement 
B. Eyes
C. Lips
D. Nose
Hands and upper-body movement can help you illustrate and reinforce a
point you are trying to make with your words. Hands and upper-body
movement are essential in nonverbal communication.

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 Activity B
Nonverbal Communication
3. Crossing your arms over your chest and leaning back is
a
A. Sign of friendliness
B. Sign of boredom and defiance 
C. Sign of cooperation
D. Sign of expectation and admiration
Crossing your arm over your chest and leaning back is taken as a sign of
boredom and defiance. However, if you lean slightly towards the person you
are talking to, this might be taken as a sign of interest.

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 Activity B
Nonverbal Communication
4. Attractive people, who dress nicely, tend to be seen
as:
A. More intelligent than unattractive people 
B. Less likable than unattractive people
C. Less convincing than unattractive people

Attractive people are seen as more intelligent, more likable, and more
persuasive than unattractive

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 Activity B
Nonverbal Communication
5. Fiddling with your hands, swinging with your foot, and
crossing and re-crossing your legs means:
A. You are ready to leave
B. You are not interested in what has been said 
C. You know more than the person talking
D. All of the above
Keeping still while communicating with someone may not be easy but it
indicates that you are interested and care about what they are saying and this
could bring better results.

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 Activity B
Nonverbal Communication
6. People who are nervous speak:
A. Faster 
B. Slower
C. Normal pace
D. Silent

Nonverbal communication has lot to do with the voice quality, tone, pitch and
accent of the speaker.

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 Activity B
Nonverbal Communication
7. When you meet a person for the first time you can:
A. Hug, shake hands, and kiss
B. Greet formally 
C. Never touch at all
D. Pat on the back

Touch is a very delicate issue and can be understood differently by people

coming from different cultures.

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 Activity B
Nonverbal Communication
8 . Which is the best communication space zone
between two?
A. 5 cm- 25 cm
B. 25 cm- 50 cm
C. 50 cm- 100 cm 
D. 100 cm- 150 cm

A distance of 15 cm to 25 cm is considered very intimate and should be

infrequent and brief, perhaps to shake hands or pat someone on the back.
A distance of 25cm to 50cm is good for close friends’ conversation.

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 Activity B
Nonverbal Communication

Summary of your score:

7 – 8: Excellent communicator
6 : Good communicator
3 – 5: Learn some more non-verbal communication
0 – 2: Improve your non-verbal skills

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Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84OT0NLlqfM  2:47 mins

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Attribution
Kelly’s Covariation Model
Kelley believed that there were three types of causal
information which influenced our judgments.
Consensus the extent to which other people behave in the same
way in a similar situation
Distinctiveness the extent to which the person behaves in the same
way in similar situations.
Consistency the extent to which the person behaves like this
every time the situation occurs.
Low factors: Internal attribution | High factors: External attribution

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Attribution
Example of Kelly’s Covariation Model
Consensus: Alison smokes a cigarette when she goes out for a meal with her
friend. If her friend smokes, her behavior is high in consensus. If only Alison
smokes it is low.
Distinctiveness: If Alison only smokes when she is out with friends, her behavior
is high in distinctiveness. If she smokes at any time or place, distinctiveness is
low.
Consistency: If Alison only smokes when she is out with friends, consistency is
high. If she only smokes on one special occasion, consistency is low.
Low factors: Internal attribution | High factors: External attribution

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Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jg-O7f_1Ngc  2:32 mins

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Impression Formation

Most people are concerned with making

good first impressions on others because
they believe that these impressions will
exert lasting effects

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Impression Formation

First impressions are formed very quickly

and even if based on limited information,
can be somewhat accurate

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Impression Formation

Many techniques are used for this purpose,

but most fall under two major headings:

• self-enhancement: efforts to boost one’s

appeal to others
• other-enhancement: efforts to induce
positive moods or reactions in others

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Impression Management
Impression Management refers to the
activity of controlling information in order
to steer other’s opinions

The goal is for one to present themselves

the way in which they would like to be
thought of by the individual or the group
they are interacting with
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Impression Management: Tactics

Ingratiation Intimidation Self Promotion

Exemplification Supplication

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People are very possessive
about their perception

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Image Sources
• http://searchfedrick.weebly.com/uploads/3/8/0/9/38098211/9219177_orig.jpg
• http://mentalhealthandhappiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/perception1.jpg
• http://www.slideshare.net/iclaudius/verbs-of-perception
• https://www.google.com/search?q=perception&espv=2&biw=1600&bih=775&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&
sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjUgO-DoLbKAhXBXR4KHY99DRgQsAQIaQ#imgrc=sRC6NhFAXhZFcM%3A
• http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/128/30526/leighwells1.jpg
• http://a1925.phobos.apple.com/us/r1000/018/Purple/39/61/5d/mzl.pxdjgvae.png
• http://mercercognitivepsychology.pbworks.com/f/1353889995/optical_illusions_15.jpg
• http://www.vth.biz/driver/sites/vth.biz/files/blogimages/trickold.jpg
• http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CZAYLQXYy-4/UQDGHNAlXNI/AAAAAAAABd0/rig_SoVDaO0/s1600/cafewall.jpgs
• https://up.metropol247.co.uk/082011/1312299875_2099753669.jpeg
• http://www.onesweetwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Screen-Shot-2012-06-10-at-10.05.29-PM.png

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References
• Baron, Robert A., Nyla Branscombe. Social Psychology, 13th Edition. Pearson Learning Solutions, 09/2011.
• http://www.ccis.edu/courses/psyc101a/Major%20Perspectives%20in%20Psychology.htm
• http://psychology.about.com/od/psychology101/a/perspectives.htm
• http://advancedlifeskills.com/blog/how-your-beliefs-create-your-reality-part-1/
• http://johnstepper.com/2013/10/26/the-five-monkeys-experiment-with-a-new-lesson/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0344qRfAOtA
• https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140825115534-60304459-test-your-nonverbal-communication-skills-learn-
to-hear-what-is-not-being-said
• http://www.simplypsychology.org/attribution-theory.html
• http://www.slideshare.net/sk_prince/impression-managementperception-of-self-image-behaviour

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QUESTIONS / COMMENTS?

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME

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