PERCEPTION

PERCEPTION
Perception refers to the interpretation of the sensory data. It is a process through which the information from outside environment is selected, received, organized and interpreted to make it meaningful. This input of meaningful information results in decisions and actions. Perception is primarily an individual process so that different people may perceive an identical situation differently. People behave on the basis of what they perceive reality to be and not necessarily as what reality is.

Major Influences on the perception Process

Characteristics of the perceiver Needs Values Experiences Attitudes

Characteristics of the perceived Appearance Communication Behavior

Characteristics of the Situation Physical Location Social setting Organizational Setting

Perception Overall understanding of perception

PERCEPTUAL ORGANIZATION
Perceptual Organization is the process by which we group outside stimuli into recognizable and identifiable patterns and whole objects.

Factors which contribute to perceptual organization

1.
2.

Figure Ground Perceptual Grouping Continuity Closure Proximity Similarity

Figure Ground
The figure ground principle simply means that we tend to be attentive to such perceived objects that stand out against a background.

Perceptual Grouping

Perceptual grouping identifies our tendency to group several individual stimuli into a meaningful and recognizable pattern.

Factors of Perceptual Grouping

Continuity: - It relates to the tendency to perceive objects as continuous patterns. The continuity principle says that the person will tend to perceive continuous lines or patterns. Closure: - It is the tendency to perceive objects as a whole, even when some parts of the objects are missing.

Contd
c)Proximity: - The principle of proximity states that a group of objects or people who are physically close to each other may be perceived as related to each other so that they stand out as one unit. Similarity: - The principle of similarity states that the greater the similarity among the objects or people, the greater the tendency to perceive them as a common group.

Perceptual Selectivity
It refers to the tendency to select certain objects from the surrounding for attention such that these objects are consistent with our existent beliefs, values and needs.

Factors Influencing Stimuli Selection

Factors of Stimuli Selection

External Factors

Internal Factors

Intensity Size Contrast Repetition Movement Novelty Familiarity Order

Learning and Perception Motivation and Perception

Barriers to Perceptual Accuracy

Stereotyping Halo Effect Expectancy Perceptual Defense Projection

Stereotype: We often tend to classify people and events into already known or perceived general categories. 1. Sex role stereotype 2. Age stereotypes

Halo Effect: It refers to the tendency of judging a person entirely on the basis of a single trait that may be favourable or unfavourable.

Expectancy: It is a tendency to perceive people, objects or events on the basis of what we expected them to be in the first place. It is also called as Pygmallion effect. This phenomenon is also rightly remarked as SELF- FULFILLING PROPHECY

Perceptual Defense: It is the mental process by which we tend to protect ourselves from such objects, situations or stimuli that are emotionally disturbing or perceptually threatening. Projection: It refers to the tendency of people to see their own traits in other people, i.e. they project their own characteristics into others.