Interpersonal Interpersonal PerceptionPerception
Module Four
Watch This Video:Watch This Video:
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Interpersonal PerceptionPerception: (insight)• An active process by which you
become aware of what is around you
Interpersonal perception: • A continuous series of processes
that blend into one another
Look at the following picture and write down the first thing you see.
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Now check out the next one and
write down the first thing you see.
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The Stages of PerceptionThe Stages of Perception
Stimulation
Organization
Interpretation–Evaluation
Memory
Recall
Stage 1: StimulationStage 1: Stimulation
Sensory stimulation occursSelective Attention
◦ You attend to those things that you anticipate will fulfill your needs or will prove enjoyable
Selective Exposure◦ You expose yourself to people or
messages that will confirm your existing beliefs, contribute to your objectives, or prove satisfying
Stage 2: OrganizationStage 2: OrganizationSensory stimulation is organized in the
following three ways:◦By rules
Proximity Similarity contrast
◦By mental structures General ideas you have about people,
yourself, social roles◦By scripts
General idea of how an event should unfold
Stage 3: Interpretation-Stage 3: Interpretation-EvaluationEvaluation
Sensory stimulation is interpreted/evaluated
Dependent on your personal frame of reference (Harlowe et al., 2005)
-your experiences, needs, wants, values, beliefs about the way things are, expectations, physical and emotional state
Stage 4: MemoryStage 4: MemoryYour perceptions and their
interpretations – evaluations are stored so you can retrieve them later
Stage 5: RecallStage 5: Recall
Sensory stimulation is held in memory and recalled.
A reconstruction of what you’ve
heard or seen into a whole that is meaningful to you (dependent on your schemata and script).
Perception ModelPerception Model
Everyone uses shortcutsShortcuts may mislead youMemory is influenced by
preconceptionsMemory is especially unreliable when
information is ambiguousJudgments about others are often
ethnocentricStereotypes may distort perception
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The Processes of The Processes of PerceptionPerception
Implicit Personality TheoriesSelf-Fulfilling PropheciesPrimacy–RecencyConsistencyStereotypesAttributions
Implicit Personality TheoryImplicit Personality TheoryHalo Effect
-If you believe that a person has some positive qualities, you’re likely to infer that she/he also has other positive qualities.
Reverse Halo Effect-If you know that a person has some negative qualities, you’re likely to infer that the person has other negative qualities.
Self-Fulfilling ProphecySelf-Fulfilling Prophecy
You make a prediction about a person.
You act as if the prediction is true.
Your behaviour causes the prediction to come true.
What you see then strengthens your belief.
Primacy–RecencyPrimacy–RecencyThere’s a tendency to use early
information to get a general idea about a person and to use later information to make this impression more specific.
The first impression you make on others is likely to be the most important.
ConsistencyConsistencyThe tendency to maintain balance
among perceptions or attitudes.The expectation that certain things
go together and certain things do notFor example: You would expect
someone you like to possess characteristics you like. And you would expect your enemies to not have the characteristics that you like.
Read the next slide fast
A Sensory Test of ExpectationA Sensory Test of Expectation
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A Sensory Test of Expectation A Sensory Test of Expectation (cont)(cont)
Parisin thethe springtime
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Birdin thethe hand
StereotypesStereotypes
are a fixed impression of a group of people
may be influenced by nationality, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic that defines a group
distort accurate perceptionsprevent seeing someone as an
individual
Stereotype the following groups:◦Women drivers◦Jocks ◦Blacks◦Gays and lesbians◦Jews◦Francophones
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Stereotype your best friend
Stereotype a relative
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AttributionAttributionThe process by which we try to
explain the motivation for a person’s behaviour.
Self-serving biasOverattributionThe fundamental attribution error
Increasing Accuracy in Increasing Accuracy in PerceptionPerception
Analyze your perceptions.Check your perceptions.Reduce uncertainty.Be culturally sensitive.