CHAPTER 3

PERCEPTUAL ASPECTS OF BEHAVIOR

BY
ROSLIZA MD ZANI

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 Lesson Outcome - Perception

• Definition of perception
• Factors influencing perception
• How to organize perceptual data
• Perceptual distortion
• How to manage perceptual distortion

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 PERCEPTION

 The process of creating an internal representation

of the external world by selecting, receiving,
organizing and interpreting the info from it.

 The process which involves classifying,

interpreting and giving meaning to what we see.

 The result of the final interpretation would vary from

person to the other.

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FACTORS INFLUENCING PERCEPTION

1. Factors in the PERCEIVER

2. Factors in the SITUATION
3. Factors in the TARGET

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 Factors
Influencing
Perception

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 FACTORS IN THE PERCEIVER

• PERCEIVER is the person who is making the perception on

the target.
• Thecharacteristics OF THE PERCEIVER INFLUENCE
PERCEPTION.
• THE CHARACTERISTICS ARE:
• Attitudes
• Motives
• Interest
• Past experience
• Expectations
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 FACTORS IN THE TARGETS

• Target is the person, object, place or thing where the

perception is made.
• The characteristics OF THE TARGET INFLUENCE
PERCEPTION.
• THE CHARACTERISTICS are:
• Motion  action, movement, signal.
• Intensity  forceful of feeling or things.
• Novelty  new, unusual. ( baju kurung at night club)
• Sound  melody, things that can be heard.
• Size  how small or big of something.
• Background  conditions that existed before or something seen
or heard behind of other thing.

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 FACTORS IN THE SITUATION

1. TIME
2. SETTING/environment
a) Work ENVIRONMENT
b) Social ENVIRONMENT
• E.g.: A student wearing an appropriate attire during class
time gets good perception from others, and vice versa.

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 ORGANIZING PERCEPTUAL DATA

• The way one person organize the information which

was processed from the environment would also have
an impact towards perception.

• Information tend to be organized in 4 ways.

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ORGANIZING PERCEPTUAL DATA

1) Figure and Ground

refers to the tendency to be able to distinguish a central object from its
surroundings
2. Set
is the tendency to respond to a situation in term of prior information
acquired rather than what actually exists. (interview and the candidate is good)
3. Gestalt
is the tendency to avoid the discomfort of unorganized information by
assigning to its overall meaning ( one place is a place where DBS students hang out)
4. Attribution
is the tendency to try to understand behavior of a person or events by
interpreting them as caused by certain environmental factors. i.e.:
internal or external factor

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WATCH THIS VIDEO & THINK (how do you perceive
things?

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 PERCEPTUAL DISTORTION
(shortcuts in Judging others)

1. Selective perception
2. Halo effects
3. Projection (Similar-to-me effect)
4. First impression error
5. Stereotypes
6. Contrast effects

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 PERCEPTUAL DISTORTION

1. Selective Perception
• People selectively interpret what they see on the basis of
their interest, background, experience & attitudes.

• Tendency to focus on a certain aspect and ignore others.

• E.g. products brands (Maggi is a good brand for instant

noodles, ignoring other good instant noodles brands)

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 PERCEPTUAL DISTORTION

2. Halo Effects
• One’s general impression of a person usually based on one’s
prominent (something that easily be seen) characteristics,
biases one’s perception of other characteristics of that person.

• Tendency to draw general impression based on a single

characteristic.

• E.g. If we meet a client who speaks in a friendly manner, we

perceive that the person has favorable qualities.

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PERCEPTUAL DISTORTION

3. Projection (similar-to-me effect)

• It is when one tend to believe that other people hold the
same beliefs & attitudes that one does.

• The tendency to perceive others are similar to us.

• E.g. If we want a challenging task & responsibility, we

perceive/think other people want or feel the same.

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 PERCEPTUAL DISTORTION

4. Stereotype???
5. Contrast Effect???
6. First Impression Error???

*Blended Learning

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 MANAGING THE PERCEPTUAL
DISTORTION

a) Have a high level of self-awareness

b) Seek information from various sources.
c) Be empathetic
d) Help to rectify incorrect perceptions
e) Avoid common perceptual distortions

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 BLENDED LEARNING

Define, explain and provide examples on the following

Perceptual Distortions:

1. Stereotype
2. Contrast Effect
3. First Impression Error

*Please use various sources to provide answers. Do not

copy from the textbook. Use your own words.
 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Explain with examples, the factors influencing perception.

2. Briefly explain four (4) ways of organizing perceptual data.

3. Discuss five (5) types of perceptual distortion with

examples.

4. Explain five (5) ways to manage perceptual distortion.

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THANK YOU

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