Assignment:3

Brief note on social perception and errors while making perception

Submitted to:

Sir Husnain

Submitted by:

Rana Talha Roshan

Roll number : 031

Department:

Mass Communication and Media

Semester :6th

University of Narowal
Contents :
1. Social perception
2. Importance of perception
3. Factors influencing the perceptual process
 Characteristics of precievers
 Characteristics of target object
 Characteristics of the situation
4. Errors while making perception
 Selective
 Projection
 Stereotyping
 Halo type
Social perception

If we talk about perception ,in simple words perception is an opinion of any person about
anything. Perception of one person can be different from other person. There is possibilities that
what you perceive may other person will not Perceive. For example,Sir Ihtisham perceives that
Salman is very intelligent students while sir Tofeeq may perceive that Talha is very intelligent
.on the other hand Salman may perceive that sir Ihtisham is very good teacher while Talha may
perceive that sir Tofeeq is very good teacher so change in perception vary from person to person.
Perception is way of precieving of our mind. The perception will be positive or negative.if we
have one situation like if we gather some people near a road and if we ask what thing they like
there after watching this road then what they will precieve will tell you.like someone may can
say he loves this Prado standing there or vehicle someone may can say that the boy on bus was a
perfect driver and other will tell the articraft on truck was fantastic so we can say if situation
remains same people may have different perceptions.

If we define Perception grammatically or theoretically ,Perception means a process by wich

people select, organize, interpret and respond to information. Every person have his own
perception cause every person have their own mind and thinking capabilities.if we look around
oureself now a days when coronavisrus pandemic is on the peak ,every person have his own
perceptions like someone will says there is no corona ,it is governments agenda that they are
enforcing to us. someone may be very serious and cautious about corona virus and someone may
say government is doing right by enforcing lock down in country.

Making of perception in any person mind may depends upon his past experiences and believes
whome he gives most important. Every person percieve every thing as he wants to be ,he did not
see what they are in reality. Suppose a person is a cigarette lover he will perceive good about
sigrete and he will say without cigerrate he will die but on the other hand another person may
hate cigerate and he will perceive bad about cigarette and he will say cigarette effects person
health.So its all depend on person that what thing he wants to be.

Generally according to social psychology nature of perception is a process by which an

individual gives meaning to the environment.it is a cognitive and psychological process its mean
our mind is envoloved in the process of perception and by default people’s actions feelings and
thoughts will be generated by their perceptions.Its mean if someone like something there will be
a perception in his mind that why he loving that thing.Suppose if we asked two persons about
their choice that what they choose between wrist watch and a motorcycle ,one person may say
that he loves motorcycle and he choose because he loves long drives on bike but other person
will choose branded wrist watch because he pricieves that this thing may increase his
personality.we can define level perception of every person in terms how he saw the world.like a
person living in village may fantasized to go in city because he did not see city before he only
hears about city and makes perceptions that it will look like this.
Perception is the process that operates between us and reality constantly means a person saw a
luxury car ones ,he will make perceptions about car and he will react in future according to his
perception .

Importance of Perception

Perception have greate role in building or creating the personality of any person. Like a person
watching movie looks at the hairs of hero and he makes perception that heroes may have such
hairs and as he wants to be a hero ,he cuts his hairs like that style in future.

Perception determines how we interprete or interact with world around us.if we perceive by
going good things with others ,others will do same to you and so you help other peoples ,you
love that other people will happy with you.but if you precieves that helping other people did not
gives you anything in return your attitude will be different around people.

Human behavior is shaped by his perception cause what he precieves he will react according to
his perceptions.

Factors influencing the perceptual processes:

There are some factors that influence the precievers:

 Characteristics of the perceiver

 Characteristics of the target object
 Characteristics of the situation

Characteristics of Perceiver:

The attitude of the person influence the perceptions he makes .for example a positive person will
precieve a thing positively while a negative person will perceive a thing negatively.

The needs of person can influence his perception ,like a person need car he while perceive car as
something very luxury while a person who have cars a signal car is nothing much for him and he
will perceive car as ordinary thing.

The person interest in anything also influence his perceptions, like for example in a Fair ,if two
friends goes then they will precieve things in which they have interest like one friend have
interest in mud grocery he will go for watching groceries by sellers while if other person have
interest in toys he will go t watch toys displayed by shopkeepers there .

Experience of a person also influence his perception like I am horrified from traveling in bike
because ones I have an accident so that’s why I make perception that travelling through bike is
dangerous.
Expectations of a person also influence on his way of perception. like if a person expect good
from other person he will behave politely.

Characteristics of the Target object

Newness of anything influence the perceivers mindset, like when mobile was newly come it
influence every one mindset and every person makes his own perception and mobile phone,

The thing in motion influence the perceiver mindset ,for example after watching a new movie
people makes new perceptions because a movie directly influence their perception.

Sounds also influence the perceiver Mindset,for example if we listen to Quran by a well known
Qari his voice and Qurans words directly hits on our minds and thus we make perceptions.

Size of thing also influence perceivers mindset.for example if we watch a big pheris wheel we
make perceptions that it cpuld be dangerous although every person will make different
perceptions but big thing will attract more.

Characteristics of the situation:

Time influence perceivers mindset let suppose you are purchasing winter clothes in summer will
affect people around you and they will make perceptions about you.

Work setting is also effect precieves mindset, cause if you where shorts in while going university
in morning every person who is watching you will make an perception which will be bad or good
according to persons mind but it will influence people to make perceptions.

Social setting also influence perceivers mindset cause if you are sitting between your college
friends you can use any time of slang language but if you do same in class ,students and teachers
will make perceptions around you,

Errors in Perception:

 Selective perception
 Proection
 Stereotyping
 Haloeffect
 Contrast effect
Selective perception:

It is very big mistake we do while in making perception is we observe every things and make
opinion on things with our past experiences, background and on interest base. For example if a
person have intrest in production of movies after watching every movie his perception about
movie will be different because his intrest in production of movies. Same like if a person have
background in business and once he is defaulted by bank then he will behave according to this in
future and he will tells his children’s not to come in business because he makes his perception
that owning business is very risky but if his childs starts business they may be successful.

Projection:

Projection is that we consider every person like us ,and we deal them as we want.For example a
crrupt police inspector will haves perceptions that every one in his police station is corrupt
because he is corrupt.may be there are hundrends of police officers who are loyal to their duties
but he thinks them corrupt and this is the big perception error.likewise a good principle who was
a good and passionate teacher will makes his perception that every one there in his staff is active
and passionate and he gives them extra works to teach the students.he will want extra time from
teachers but there may be some teachers who only work for money,who come to spend time
there.so this makes mistakes.

Stereotyping

In this case we judge people on the basis of their specific groups from where he belongs .For
ecample it will bad to perceive that students of university of Narowal are not competent, They
are dull students.it is not necessary all students studying in this university are dull.there will be
such students who have very enough capabilities to do everything which a student of big
university can not do.

We often perceives that Americans are very proudly nation likewise there will be such people in
America who did lot of works for humainity ,who are very humble.

Halo effect:

We often makes perceptions about a person by his single characteristics which will later distort
our perception for example a person speaking English will be a very intelligent person around us
later we will find he is very rude or arrogant by hi nature.

Mean while if we observe a person fighting with other person we will make an perception that he
is very rude or araognat later that we will find he was a good person but situation tends him to to
behave like that.so this can distort our perception and behavior /