Biases in Perception

SEEMA ARIF

Biases Affecting Perception

Stereotypes
Frame of reference
Perception

Expectations

Selective Exposure

Projection
Interest

Perceptual Bias
1. Stereotyping
It is the tendency to assign attributes to someone

solely on the basis of a category to which that person belongs. Stereotypes are drawn along lines like race, religion, nationality, gender, etc. Women and minorities are usual targets Most of humor and jokes are centered around stereotypes

Perceptual Bias
2. Frame of Reference
It is the tendency to see things from a narrow focus.
E.g. seeing through eyes of Boss. I like what boss likes or

boss is always right. If managers would like to increase productivity, they will emphasize it as positive change; Whereas, labor may perceive it as managements attempt to get more work out of less money.

Perceptual Bias
3. Expectancy.
Effects in the

perceptual process. The extent to which prior expectations bias how events, objects, people, and so on are actually perceived.

Bird

In the
the hand

Perceptual Bias
4. Selective Exposure
We tend to see what we want to see and hear what we

want to hear.
E.g. when managers uses sandwich technique, i.e. telling

the employee something good about the performance, then switching to negative and then back to something good. Employee may perceive the conversation as praise and ignore the negative comments.

Perceptual Bias
5. Interest
Influence both selection of job and

profession and job performance. Consider a course you did not like at all but others thought it was great.

Perceptual Bias
6. Projection is the tendency for people to see their

own traits in other people. That is, they project their feelings, tendencies, motives, and how they would respond onto others. Used to avoid threat.e.g. Everyone steals in the company. All students come late. No one is keen to work hard.

Conclusion
If we stereotype people in negative ways, we may

loose the chance of friendship and interest in them. If we choose to see things only from our frame of reference, we may be in constant conflict with others. If we see and hear what we expect we may turn people off. People usually do not like others to make projective statements about others. People who have continually different perceptions than others tend to be ignored or avoided.

Perceptual Congruence
The degree to which people see things in the same

way Have positive impact and consequence Employers who are congruent with ideas of management are happier and perceive managements performance more favorably.