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PERCEPTION

FOUNDATIONS OF INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOUR

 WE DONT SEE THINGS AS THEY ARE,

WE SEE THINGS AS WE ARE.

PERCEPTION
The study of perception is concerned with
identifying the process through which we interpret
and organize sensory information to produce our
conscious experience of objects and object
relationship.
Perception is the process of receiving information
about and making sense of the world around us. It
involves deciding which information to notice, how
to categorize this information and how to interpret
it within the framework of existing knowledge.

PERCEPTION

A process by which individuals organize and

interpret their sensory impressions in order to
give meaning to their environment .

PERCEPTUAL PROCESS MODEL

Environmental Stimuli
Feeling

Hearing

Seeing

Smelling

Selective Attention

Tasting

THE PERCEPTUAL PROCESS

1.

Sensation
An

individuals ability to
detect stimuli in the
immediate environment.

2.

Selection

3.

Organization

The process of placing

selected perceptual
stimuli into a framework
for storage.

4. Interpretation
process a person
The stage of the
uses to eliminate some of
the stimuli that have
perceptual process at
been sensed and to
which stimuli are
retain others for further
interpreted and given
processing.
meaning.

The

SELECTIVE ATTENTION

Characteristics of the object

size,

intensity, motion, repetition, novelty

Perceptual context

Characteristics of the perceiver

attitudes

perceptual

defense
expectations -- condition us to expect events

Factors in the perceiver

Attitudes
Motives
Interests
Experience
Expectations

Factors in the Target

Motion
Novelty
Sounds
Size
Background
Proximity
Similarity
Perception
Factors in the situation
Time
Work Setting
Social Setting

FIGURE-GROUND ILLUSTRATION
Field-ground

differentiation

The tendency to distinguish

and focus on a stimulus that
is classified as figure as
opposed to background.

PERCEPTUAL GROUPING
Our tendency to group several individual
stimuli into a meaningful and recognizable
pattern.
It is very basic in nature and largely it seems
to be inborn.
Some factors underlying grouping are
-continuity
-closure
-proximity
-similarity

IS THE CAUSE OF THE BEHAVIOR SEEN AS INTERNAL OR

EXTERNAL? WE LOOK FOR THREE TYPES OF
INFORMATION TO DECIDE:

ATTRIBUTION THEORY

DISTINCTIVENESS : Is this persons 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
a similar position?
YES answers lead to EXTERNAL attributions (Environmental
causes)
NO answers lead to INTERNAL attributions (Personal
causes)

ATTRIBUTION
THEORY
When individuals observe behavior, they attempt to determine whether it
is internally or externally caused.

observation

Interpretation
Distictinctiveness

H
L
H

Individual
behavior

Consensus

L
H

Consistency
H high L- Low

Attribution of cause

External
Internal
External
Internal

Internal
External

Distinctiveness
Does this person
behave in
this manner
in other situation

Consensus
Do other person
Behave in the
Same manner?

Consistency
Does this person
behave
in this same
manner at other
times ?
Internal
Attribution

YES
Low
Distinctiveness
NO
High
Distinctiveness

No
Low
Consensus
Yes
High
Consensus

Yes
High
Consistency
No
Low
Consistency

20

External
Attributio
n

PERCEPTUAL ERRORS & ATTRIBUTIONS

STEREOTYPES : Based on appearance

HALO (HORN) EFFECTS : One outstanding characteristic

noted
CONTRAST EFFECT : Ordering

RECENCY EFFECT : Limited recall

PROJECTION : Similar to me Error

SKEWING ERRORS : Central tendency, leniency, strictness

bias
SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY : People respond the way
you expected they would
SELECTIVE PERCEPTION (MIND SETS) : Filtering,
selection,

ATTRIBUTION ERRORS

THE FUNDAMENTAL ATTRIBUTION ERROR

the cause of poor performance (by others) is due to

personal factors (lazydidnt try very hard)

SELF-SERVING BIAS

the cause of poor performance (by myself) is due to

situational factors (poor support), not because of a lack of
effort

IMPROVING PERCEPTUAL
ACCURACY
Diversity
Management
Know
Yourself

Compare
Perceptions
With Others

Improving
Perceptual
Accuracy

Empathize
With Others

Postpone
Impression
Formation

KNOW YOURSELF (JOHARI

WINDOW)
Feedback
Known to Self
Known
to Others
Disclosure

Unknown
to Others

Open
Area Open
Area
Hidden
Area
Hidden
Area

Unknown to Self

Blind
Area Blind
Area
Unknown
Unknown
Area
Area