Perceiving Others
Try to connect all of these nine dots using no more than four
straight lines, which must be connected to one another…
Perception:
• Selection
• Organization
• Interpretation
Selection – We pay attention to
things that…
• Stand out:
• Larger
• More intense
• More unusual
• We have an emotional reaction to
• Have personal significance
But be careful not to oversimplify…
Organization – Making sense of
what we’ve noticed
Perceptual Schema
Here’s one way to look at this…
• Physical constructs
• Role constructs
• Interaction constructs
• Psychological constructs
Or here’s another…
• Prototypes
• Personal constructs
• Stereotypes
• Punctuation
• Scripts
Interpretation – Attaching
meaning to what we’ve
constructed
• Degree of Involvement
• Relational Satisfaction
• Past Experience
• Assumptions about Human Behavior
• Expectations
• Knowledge of others
Influences on Perception
Physiological Influences
• The Senses
• Age
• Health
• Fatigue
• Hunger
• Biological Cycles
Psychological Influences
• Mood
• Self-Concept
Cultural Influences
• Different cultures have
different perceptions of:
– Independence vs.
Interdependence
– Silence vs. Extroversion
– Eye-contact or no Eye-contact
– Other cultures (stereotypes)
– The world and their place in it
For example…
Social Influences
• Gender Roles
• Occupational Roles
• Shared Narratives
• Gender Roles
Undifferentiated
Masculine
Feminine
Androgynous
• Occupational Roles
– Have you had your job influence your
perceptions?
– Does your major influence your perceptions?
• Shared Narratives
– Perceptions of the world
that we construct with others
Perception is an interactive process
Others’ perceptions of people and situations
influence our perceptions, and vice versa.
The Trouble with Perceptions…
Some common perceptual mistakes
• We tend to judge others more harshly than we do
ourselves
– We tend to have a self-serving bias, especially in conflicts
– Important to check to see how accurate our appraisal is
• We pay attention to the obvious, and may not perceive
other factors that are less obvious
• We form first impressions quickly, and don’t let go of
them
– Halo (or horns?) effect
– Important to keep an open mind, and to allow your impressions
to change
• We tend to assume others are just like us
– Important to ask, check with others, &/or examine your
assumptions
• We tend to focus on negative impressions of others
Some Suggestions for Improving
Perceptions
• Recognize that all perceptions are subjective
• Avoid mindreading (e.g., “I know why you’re
upset,” “I know how you feel,” “Why are you
mad at me?”)
• Distinguish between facts and inferences
(This person “is” vs. “seems”)
• Monitor the self-serving bias
• Monitor labels
And…
• Check your perceptions!
– A complete perception check has 3 parts:
• A nonjudgmental description of the behavior you observed
• Two possible interpretations of the behavior
• A request for clarification about how to interpret the behavior
“You bit my head off when I came in the door. You’re still angry
about last night aren’t you?”
Vs.
“You started asking me a lot of questions when I got home
tonight, and there was something about the look on your face
that made me wonder if you’re mad at me. But maybe you just
had a bad day today. What’s on your mind?
And…
“Do Not judge a man (or woman) until you walk a mile in his
(or her) moccasins.”
•
Exercise your empathy skills!
– Empathy involves:
•
•
•
–
–
–
Perspective taking: “What might this other person be
thinking? What is their situation? Where would I be
walking if I were walking in their shoes?”
Emotional contagion: “What might this other person be
feeling? How would that feel for me? What would it feel
like to walk in this person’s shoes? Are there any rocks in
their shoes?”
Concern for the welfare of the other person
Keep an open mind
Use your imagination (empathy isn’t easy)
Make a commitment to be empathetic