PERCEPTION

“ we don’t see things as they are, we see

things as we are.”
Think of a
situation…
Perception-Concepts &
Applications
••People’s
People’s behavior
behavior isis
based
based on on their
their
perception
perception of of what
what
reality
reality is,is, not
not on
on
reality
reality itself.
itself.
••The
The world
world as as itit isis
perceived
perceived isis thethe worldworld
that
that isis behaviorally
behaviorally
important.
important.
 Factors Influencing Perception
Factors in the perceiver
• Attitudes
• Motives
• Interests
• Experience
• Expectations

Factors in the situation

• Time Perception
• Work Setting
• Social Setting
Factors in the Perceived
• Novelty
• Motion
• Sounds
• Size
• Background
• Proximity
• Similarity
 Bruner’s Perceptual Process
Unfamiliar
target
encountered Openness to
(New experience
stimulus) (Observation)

Familiar cues Target

encountered categorized
(Similarity/
Dissimilarity)

Categorization Cue
strengthened selectivity
• Perceptual Process Selecting Stimuli
External factors : Nature,
Receiving Stimuli Location,Size,contrast,
(External & Internal) Movement,repetition,similarity
Internal factors : Learning,
needs,age,Interest,

Organizing
Interpreting Figure Background ,
Attribution ,Stereotyping, Perceptual Grouping
Halo Effect, Projection ( similarity, proximity,
closure, continuity)

Response
Covert: Attitudes ,
Motivation,
Feeling
Overt: Behavior
Person Perception: Making Judgments About Others

Distinctiveness:
Distinctiveness:Shows
Showsdifferent
differentbehaviors
behaviorsinindifferent
differentsituations.
situations.
Consensus:
Consensus:Response
Responseisisthe
thesame
sameas
asothers
otherstotosame
samesituation.
situation.
Consistency:
Consistency:Responds
Respondsininthe
thesame
sameway
wayover
overtime.
time.
 Attribution Theory
Observation Interpretation Attribution of cause
H
External
Distictinctiveness
L Internal

H
External
Individual behavior Consensus
L Internal

H
Internal
Consistency
L
External

H –high L- Low
 Example

Consensus is Low

X delays the Internal Attribute

Consistency is High
project (X is inefficient)

Distinctness is Low
Why did the students fall asleep during
the lecture?
• E.g. The majority of the
students fell asleep in Viji
Mam’s lecture on theories of
attribution. They also fell
asleep during her other
lectures, but not lectures given
by other teaching staff.
• High consensus
• High consistency Boring
lecturer?
• High distinctiveness
Why did the students fall asleep during
the lecture?
• E.g. The majority of the
students fell asleep in Viji
Mam’s lecture on theories of
attribution. They never fell
asleep during her other
lectures, or in lectures given
by other teaching staff.
• High consensus Monday morning
blues?
• Low consistency
After lunch?
• High distinctiveness
 To test you…
Yuvaraj: Absent a lot, his team mates are seldom
absent, he was absent a lot on his previous job
(before coming to cricket) .

Raina: Absent a lot, his team mates are also absent

a lot, but was almost never absent in previous
job.

Sachin: Seldom absent, his team mates are seldom

absent, and he was seldom absent in previous
occasions.
Errors and Biases in Attributions
Errors and Biases in Attributions (cont’d)
 Specific Applications in Organizations

• Employment Interview
– Perceptual biases affect the accuracy of interviewers’
judgments of applicants.
• Performance Appraisals
– Appraisals are subjective perceptions of performance.
– Leniency, harshness, central tendency ratings

• Workforce Diversity
– Age, gender, SES, geographical region, nationality, race,
caste, language, educational qualifications.
Frequently Used Shortcuts in Judging Others
/ horns effect
/ prejudice
Self-fulfilling Prophecy/ Pygmalion
Effect
power of expectation…
Goethe said, "Treat a man as he is
and he will remain as he is. Treat a
man as he can and should be and
he will become as he can and
should be."
 The Process…
-> Every supervisor has expectations of the people who
report to him.
-> Supervisors communicate these expectations
consciously or unconsciously.
-> People pick up on, or consciously or unconsciously read,
these expectations from their supervisor.
-> People perform in ways that are consistent with the
expectations they have picked up on from the supervisor.
Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham (1955)