Factors Affecting Perception

Elizabeth Loftus and Others…

• EXPECTATIONS: what do you think you’re
going to perceive before you perceive it?
• STRESS: how were you feeling when you
perceived something?
• SUBSEQUENT INFORMATION: have new
thoughts or ideas influenced older perceptions?
• TIME ELAPSED: how long has it been since
your perception (mostly tied to memory)?
• SOCIAL PRESSURES: is there an incentive for
perceiving things in a certain way?