Perception and attribution

Dr. Nivedhitha KS
 Perception (Refer Case titled: Blurred Lines )

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 Perception
It is a process by which we organize
and interpret sensory impressions to
give meaning to our environment.
Go to CASE:
• What is the problem statement?
Defining the problem statement itself
is perceptually biased How?
• What are the key notes that has drawn
Brian’s attention and yours?

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 Attribution Theory
• Explain the ways in which we judge people differently, depending on the meaning we attribute to a given
behavior.

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 Attribution Theory
• Attribution theory tries to explain the ways in which we judge people differently, depending on the meaning
we attribute to a given behavior. It suggests that when we observe an individual’s behavior, we attempt to
determine whether it was internally or externally caused. That determination, however, depends largely on
three factors: (1) distinctiveness, (2) consensus, and (3) consistency. First, let’s clarify the differences between
internal and external causation, and then we’ll elaborate on each of the three determining factors.
• Internally caused behaviors are those we believe to be under the personal control of the individual. Externally
caused behavior is what we imagine the situation forced the individual to do.
• Distinctiveness refers to whether an individual displays different behaviors in different situations.
• If everyone who faces a similar situation responds in the same way, we can say the behavior shows consensus.
• Finally, an observer looks for consistency in a person’s actions. Does the person respond the same way over
time?

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 Actor Observer Bias
• Fundamental attribution error: When you judge others, you may overerestimate the influence of
internal factors and underestimate the influence of external factors. A sales manager is prone to
attribute the poor performance of her sales agents to laziness rather than to the innovative product
line introduced by a competitor.

• Self serving bias: Individuals and organizations also tend to attribute their own successes to
internal factors such as ability or effort, while blaming failure on external factors such as bad luck
or unproductive co-workers.
• Attribution different across countries?
Go to CASE:
• How would you attribute the behaviour? Externally caused or internally caused?

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 Shortcuts and biases
Selective perception: Any characteristic that makes a person, an object, or aevent stand out will increase the probability we will perceive it. Why?
Because it is impossible for us to assimilate everything we see; we can take in only certain stimuli because we can’t observe everything going on
about us, we engage in selective perception .
E.g., GESTALT: The principle involves
• Figure-ground: the figure (patch) on the ground (surround) may have different ideological and complex features which may make individuals
perceive in different ways based on which place the individuals focus on.
• Similarity: Tendency to integrate units (individuals/traits/groups) which are similar in nature
• Proximity: Tendency to integrate units which are proximal in nature.
• Closure: Tendency to fill the missing information and interpret a holistic meaning by including pieces of available information and stored memory
• Continuity: Tendency to follow a particular direction where a particular symbol is placed.
Contrast Effect: Evaluation of a person’s characteristics that is affected by comparisons with other people recently encountered who rank higher or
lower on the same characteristics.
Over confidence bias (E.g., Icarus Paradox!): Individuals whose intellectual and interpersonal abilities are weakest are most likely to overestimate
their performance and ability.
Icarus Paradox: Refer: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/000768139290112M
Anchoring bias: The anchoring bias is a tendency to fixate on initial information and fail to adequately adjust for subsequent information
Confirmation bias: The rational decision-making process assumes we objectively gather information. But we don’t. We selectively gather it. The
confirmation bias represents a specific case of selective perception: we seek out information that reaffirms our past choices, and we discount
information that contradicts them.

Availability Bias: The tendency for people to base their judgments on information that is readily available to them.

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 Shortcuts and biases

Randomness error: Most of us like to think we have some control over our world and our destiny. Our tendency
to believe we can predict the outcome of random events is the randomness error . Decision making suffers when
we try create meaning in random events particularly when we turn imaginary patterns into superstitions.

Risk aversion: Given the absence of privileges, humans may prefer Low risk/low profit over High risk/High
profit. Contingent on personality traits too.

Hindsight: The hindsight bias is the tendency to believe falsely, after the outcome is known, that we’d have
accurately predicted it.

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 Shortcuts and biases

Halo/Horn Effect:
The tendency to draw a general impression about an individual on the basis of a single characteristic. Positive: Halo and
Negative: Horn
Stereotyping: When we judge someone on the basis of our perception of the group to which he or she belongs, we are using
the shortcut called Stereotyping. It can be both positive and negative.
Availability bias: The availability bias is our tendency to base judgments on information readily available.
Events that evoke emotions, are particularly vivid, or are more recent tend to be more available in our memory,
Escalation of commitment: Escalation of commitment refers to staying with a decision even when there is clear evidence it’s
wrong.
GO TO CASE:
What are the perceptual errors you find when you analyse the case as the HR director?

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 GESTALT PRINCIPLES

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 Shortcuts and bias in Perception(Halo, Horn, Positive and negative stereotyping)

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