Perception

Introduction

Perception is a psychological process by which individuals select, organize and interpret their sensory impressions to give meaning to their environment.
The world as we see is not necessarily the same as it really is. We perceive things according to our comfort and priorities and take them as reality.
People differ in their reactions due to differences in the perception they have about things.

Nature of Perception

• Perception is the intellectual process through which a person selected data from the environment, originates it and obtains meaning from it.
• Perception is a basic cognitive or psychological process. The manner in which a person perceives the environment affects his behaviour
• Perception is subjective, and individuals may interpret the same event differently based on what they focus on, how they organize information, and their unique perspectives

Difference between Perception and Sensation

Definition

• Perception is the process or organizing, interpreting, and making sense of sensory information received from the environment.
• Sensation refers to the process of detecting and receiving sensory information through our senses (such as vision, hearing, taste, smell and touch)

Nature

• Perception is a cognitive process
• Sensation is a physiological process

Function

• The primary function of sensation is to gather raw sensory data from the environment and transmit it to the brain for further processing.
• The main function of perception is to give meaning and significance to the sensory input received through sensation

Example

• When you touch a hot surface, sensory receptors in your skin detect the temperature and send signals to your brain, resulting in the sensation of heat.
• After touching the hot surface, perception comes into play as your brain interprets the sensory input and identifies the surface as dangerous. You become aware that the object is hot and that touching it could cause harm

Importance of Perception

Interpersonal working relationships

• Organizations are intended to bring about integrated behaviour. Therefore, managers in the organization need to know whether or not members share similar or at least compatible perceptions.

Selection of new employees

• Organizations typically select new employees on the basis of selection tests, interviews and reviews of the applicants’ backgrounds.
• In many instances, much of the information is vague, and managers are subject to many perceptual problems when they make selection decisions.

Performance Appraisal

• The appraisal of a subordinate’s performance is highly affected by the accuracy of a manager’s perceptions.

Perceptual Process

🔳 Inputs 

The perceiver comes across information, objects, events, people, etc., in the environment. These serve as the inputs of the perceptual process.

🔳 Perceptual Mechanism

The perceiver comes across information, objects, events, people, etc., in the environment. These serve as the inputs of the perceptual process.

• Perceptual selection takes account of only those stimuli that are relevant and appropriate for an individual 
• Perceptual organisation is concerned with shaping the perceived inputs and converting them into a meaningful shape or form
• Personal interpretation deals with inferences drawn from observed meaning from the perceived events or objects

🔳 Outputs

As a result of the perceptual process, the outputs that the individual gets are changes in attitudes, opinions, beliefs, feelings, etc.

🔳 Behaviour

The perceiver’s behaviour is shaped by the perceived outputs, i.e., changes in attitudes, opinions, beliefs, etc.

The perceiver’s behaviour generates responses depending upon the situation and these responses further give rise to a new set of inputs

Factors Affecting Perception

The factors that influence perceptual mechanisms are of three kinds:

Characteristics of the Perceiver

When a person looks at a target and attempts to interpret what he sees, the interpretation is greatly influenced by his personal characteristics which are discussed below:

• Needs and Motives : People’s perception is determined by their inner needs
• Beliefs : A person’s beliefs have a profound influence on her perception. Thus, a fact is conceived not what it is but what a person believes to be.
• Self Concept : How a person views the world greatly depends on the self-concept or image she has about herself.
• Past Experience : A person’s past experiences mould the way he perceives the current situation
• Current Experience : The emotional and psychological states of an individual are likely to influence how things are perceived.

Characteristics of the Target

Certain characteristics of the target can affect what is perceived. These include

the following:

• Size : The bigger the size of the perceived stimulus, the higher the probability that it is perceived.
• Intensity : Intensity attracts to increase selective perception.
• Frequency : Repeated external stimulus is more attention-attracting than a single time.
• Status : Perception is also influenced by the status of the perceiver. High-status people can have a greater influence on the perception of an employee than low-status people.

Characteristics of the Situation

The situational factors that affect perception include physical (location, light, heat. etc), social and organisational factors. 

Even the time at which an object or event is seen can affect one’s perception. Perceptual Errors and Distortions

1. Selective Perception : People perceive what is in accordance with their needs, motives and interests.
2. Projection : The act of attributing one’s own traits to the people being judged is called projection.
3. Stereotyping : Judging people based on characteristics of the group to which they belong is called stereotyping.
4. Halo Effect : It refers to the tendency to draw a general impression about an individual based on a single characteristics.
5. Impression : People mostly judge based on first impression. First impression may not be correct, and this leads to perceptual distortion.
6. Inference : There is a tendency on the part of some people to judge others on limited information.
7. Perceptual Set : Previously held beliefs about objects influence an individual’s perception of similar objects. This is called a perceptual set.
8. Attribution

Attribution Theory

Attribution Theory states that we perceive others based on the meaning we attribute and assumptions we make about the person’s internal state.

As we observe a person’s behavior, we tend to determine whether it was internally or externally caused. Our determination of that person’s behavior frames our perception about her. 

3 factors help us determining whether behavior was internally

or externally caused:

Perceptual Defense

Perceptual defence refers to the screening out of those elements which create conflict and threatening situations for people.

There are many forms that defence may take - 

• Outright Denial: When the perceiver refuses the stimuli or information and sticks to his perception.
• Modification of data received: When the perceiver attaches another
• information to the existing stimuli in order to give meaning to his existing
• perception or to justify his perception, it is termed as modification.
• Change in perception but refusal to change: When the perceiver feels that the stimuli or information conflicts with his perception, but he refuses to change his perception.
• Recognition/ change in perception itself: When the perceiver gives away his perception and accepts the stimuli or information as correct.