PLAN OF ACTION
Exercise 1 -10 groups of 6 members
Watch any of the following popular channels
Zee TV, Star TV, BBC , NDTV, AXN, Doordarshan,
HBO, NATGEO, STAR SPORTS ,HISTORY Channel
Task to perform = note down the examples of
individual behaviour, interpersonal dynamism,
organizational characteristics and other processes
and concepts relevant to perception.
After watching prepare one list for the entire group
In the next class we will summarize the plot of the
show and list the group’s perceptions about the
channel
Business Games – 2 nos to be played in the class
What Is Perception, and Why Is It
Important?
• People’s behavior is based
on their perception of what
reality is, not on reality
itself.
• The world as it is
perceived is the world that
is behaviorally important.
Factors that affect perception
• The perceiver
• The target
• The situation
• E.g. – A 22 year old man in the late
night working as a cab driver and
attending the morning management
class.
PERCEPTUAL PROCESS
RECEIVING STIMULI
INTERNAL – Learning, vision, smell,
touch tastes
& EXTERNAL – Light waves, sound waves
SELECTING STIMULI
EXTERNAL
Nature
Location
Size
Contrast
Movement
Repetition
Novelty & Familiarity
INTERNAL
Learning
Needs
Age
Interests
Ambivalence
Paranoid
Organizing – sensory
organs tasting, smelling,
hearing and touching
Ambiguous figures,
Figure Ground, Grouping
, Constancy
Responses
Covert
overt
Interpreting
Attitudes
Behavior
Stereotyping, Halo Effect
Attribution Perceptual Set
Motivation
Feeling
Perceptual Filters
We notice
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Rather than
Large
Bright
Loud
Strong
Unfamiliar
Stand out from background
Moving
Repeated
E.g A supervisor scolding /shouting an employee
E.g A satyanarayan pooja in the society.
small
dull
quiet
weak
familiar
blend in with background
stationary
on –off
Perceptual Organization
• A process by which people group stimuli
into recognizable patterns
1) Ambiguous Figures – PO becomes a
difficult task when there are confusing and
disorganized stimuli in the environment
Perceptual Organization
2) Figure Ground – Perceived objects stands out as
a separable from their general background Egconversation in a noisy crowd.
3) Perceptual Grouping – Defined by Gestalt
psychologist
Principle of Similarity – objects have the same shape, size and
color
Principle of Proximity – to perceive stimuli which are near to
another
Principle of Closure- the perceivers ability to perceive a whole
object even though only part of the object is evident
Principle of Continuity - a person will tend to see continuous
lines or patterns
Figure Ground Principle
Process of Interpreting
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Perceptual set- Previously held belief’s about objects influence an
individual’s perception
Attribution – refers to the process by which the individual assigns
causes to the behaviour which he or she conceives
• Halo Effect – the tendency of perceiving people in terms of good and
bad and ascribing all good qualities to one who is liked and all bad
qualities to one who is not liked
• Stereotyping – to assign attributes to someone solely on the basis of a
category of people to which that person belongs
Process of Interpreting
• Perceptual Context - the context in which the object is
placed
• Perceptual Defense – individual is likely to put up the
defense when confronted with conflicting , unacceptable or
threatening stimuli
• Projection – people tend to see other person’s traits
that they possess
Process of Checking
Attribution Theory – Fritz Heider HH
Kelly
Distinctiveness: To which a person behaves similarly in different situations.
Consensus: the degree to which other people are engaging in the same
behaviour
Consistency: the degree to which a person engages in the same behaviour at
different times.
EG - A student who gives test.
Attribution Theory
Fundamental attribution error
• “The tendency to underestimate the
influence of external factors and
overestimate the influence of internal
factors when making judgments about
the behavior of other.”
• Eg- Shop floor supervisor who attributes a high injury
rate to employee carelessness instead of considering
the machine old and in poor condition
Errors Biases in Attribution Theory
Self – serving bias
• “ The tendency for individuals to
attribute their own successes to
internal factors while putting the
blame for failures on external factors.”
When Perception Fails
• Self Fulfilling prophecy
The story of Pygmalion sculptor
People’s expectations or beliefs determine their behaviour and performance
thus serving to make their expectations come true
Illusions – Incorrect Perceptions
1. those due to physical processes- distortion of physical conditions include mirages, in which an individual
perceives objects which are non existent for eg.- an oasis
2. those due to cognitive process
• Poggendorf Illusion – In this a line
disappears at an angle behind a solid
figure, reappearing the other side at what
seems to be the incorrect position.
Implications for managers
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Communication
Judgment of other people
Recruitment and Selection
Discrimination
Performance Appraisals
Impression Management
Specific Applications in Organizations
• Employment Interview
– Perceptual biases affect the accuracy of interviewers’ judgments
of applicants.
• Performance Expectations
– Self-fulfilling prophecy (pygmalion effect): The lower or higher
performance of employees reflects preconceived leader
expectations about employee capabilities.
• Performance Evaluations
– Appraisals are subjective perceptions of performance.
• Employee Effort
– Assessment of individual effort is a subjective judgment subject
to perceptual distortion and bias.
Managing Perceptions
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Collect Information
Take Time – avoid snap judgments
Develop self awareness
Check attributions ( obtain feedback)
Diversity Management
Know yourself