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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 .
The process by which an individual selects,
organizes, and interprets stimuli into a meaningful
and coherent picture of the world

PERCEPTUAL PROCESS MODEL

Environmental Stimuli
Feeling

Hearing

Seeing

Smelling

Selective Attention
Organization and
Interpretation (Perception)
Attitudes and
Behaviours

Tasting

THE PERCEPTUAL PROCESS

1.

Sensation

2.

3.

An individuals ability to
detect stimuli in the
immediate environment.

Organization

Selection

The process a person

uses to eliminate some of
the stimuli that have been
sensed and to retain
others for further
processing.

4.

The process of placing

selected perceptual stimuli
into a framework for
storage.

Interpretation

The stage of the

perceptual process at
which stimuli are
interpreted and given
meaning.

THE ABSOLUTE THRESHOLD

The lowest level at which an individual can
experience a sensation is called the absolute
threshold.
The point at which a person can detect a difference
between something and nothing is that persons
absolute threshold for that stimulus.
e.g. the distance through which you spot/notice a
billboard. For a particular stimulus, if the exposure
increases, we notice it less. This is called Sensory
adaptation.
Sensory adaptation is a problem for advertisers.
The advertisers try to increase sensory inputs like
product trial, scented strips, inserts and pop-ups,
product placement.

THE DIFFERENTIAL THRESHOLD

The minimal difference that can be detected

between two similar stimuli is called the differential
threshold or the just noticeable difference (j.n.d.)

Webers Law
The stronger the initial stimulus, the greater the
additional intensity needed for the second stimulus
to be perceived as different

SUBLIMINAL PERCEPTION
As we know that people can be motivated below their
level of conscious awareness. People are also
stimulated below their level of conscious awareness.
It means that they can perceive stimuli without being
consciously aware that they are doing so. This
process is called subliminal perception.

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

ATTRIBUTION THEORY
IS THE CAUSE OF THE BEHAVIOR SEEN AS INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL? WE
LOOK FOR THREE TYPES OF INFORMATION TO DECIDE:

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)

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

Open
Area Open
Area
Hidden
Area
Hidden

Unknown
to Others

Area

Unknown to Self

Blind
Area Blind
Area

Unknown
Unknown
Area
Area

DEFINING PERSONALITY
Relatively

stable pattern of behaviours and consistent

internal states that explain a person's behavioural
tendencies

Sum

total of ways in which an individual reacts and

interacts with others and environment

DETERMINANTS OF PERSONALITY

BIG FIVE PERSONALITY DIMENSIONS

Conscientiousness

Caring, dependable

Emotional Stability

Poised, secure

Openness to Experience
Agreeableness
Extraversion

Sensitive, flexible

Courteous, empathic
Outgoing, talkative

MYERS-BRIGGS TYPE INDICATOR

Extroversion versus
introversion
Sensing versus intuition
Thinking versus feeling
Judging versus
perceiving

Courtesy of Thompson Doyle Hennessey & Everest

LOCUS OF CONTROL AND SELFMONITORING

Locus of control

Internals believe in their effort and ability

Externals believe events are mainly due to external
causes

Self-monitoring personality

Sensitivity to situational cues, and ability to adapt your

behaviour to that situation

PERSONALITY TRAITS