Use the concept below on Human Perception and find a news article you think exemplifies the concept, and write a 2 page, double-spaced, MLA formatted paper in 12pt font that does the following:
1) Identifies clearly what the concept is and what it means (1-2 paragraphs)
2) Briefly summarizes the article (you should also provide a link to the article at the end of your paper so I can access it) (1 paragraph)
3) Explains how this article demonstrates the concept you have chosen (2-4 paragraphs)
4) Explains what the individual(s) in the article did right/wrong as far as communication (2-3 paragraphs).
The process of Human Perception
• Perception – making meaning by selection, organizing, and interpreting people, objects, events, situations, and other phenomena
• Perception consists of three processes – selection, organization, and interpretation
- Selection –
we choose what to notice
based upon what stands out, who you are, culture, and what is going on inside us
- Organization – we organize what we see and attach meaning by applying schemata (constructivism)
- Interpretation - Processing and explaining our perceptions so they make sense to us. Attributions – explanation of how or why something happened.
The process of Human Perception · Perception – making meaning by selection, organizing, and interpreting people, objects, events, situations, and other phenomena Active process – always working to make sense · Consists of three processes – selection, organization, and interpretation Selection · Selection – we choose what to notice based upon what stands out, who you are, culture, and what is going on inside us Organization · Organization – we organize what we see and attach meaning by applying schemata (constructivism) Prototypes – the representative example of some category, the ideal · Personal Constructs – mental yardsticks for measuring people or situations on a bipolar scale. · Stereotypes – a predictive generalization applied to a person or situation · Racial Bias can exist without our knowledge · Studies show people of all races tend to have a bias for white people · Stereotyping can cause us not to see differences within groups E.g. Asian means a lot of different things, but lumped all into one · Stereotypes may be inaccurate or accurate May misunderstand groups, or individual may not conform to group · Scripts – guides to action; sequences of activity expected of us and others Interpretation · Processing and explaining our perceptions so they make sense to us · Attributions – explanation of how or why something happened Locus – internal factors (e.g. temperament) or external (e.g. traffic jam) Stability – factors that will/will not change over time (e.g. personality vs. illness) Specificity – how situational is someone’s behavior (e.g. all the time vs. on exception) Responsibility – Can the person control his/her actions? · Attributional errors – self-serving bias (serving our personal interests) and fundamental attributional error (blame outside factors for our failure but internal factors for others’) Influences on Perception · Physiology – our physical state can affect the way we perceive things (e.g. fatigue, drugs, stress) · Expectations – what we expect shapes what we notice · Age – Age brings wider context of experiences from which to draw · Culture – Our beliefs affect our perception Standpoint – social location affects perception (e.g. rich say poor cause own issues) Role – role in situation affects interpretation of it (e.g. doctors perceptive) · Cognitive abilities – how elaborately we think about situations Cognitive complexity – ability to think in-depth about issues; improves with age Person-centeredness – ability to think of person as unique individual · May change communication style to suit other person’s needs · Not the same as empathy; don’t feel other person’s feelings but understand and connect Self – our identity shapes our perceptions; different attachment styles perceive interactions differently · Implicit personality theory – tendency to assume characteristics go together (e.g. talkative and fun means confident and self-assured) Social Media and Perception · Who we follow shapes our perceptions – e.g. Liberal vs. conservative · Our cultural memberships affect the content of our communication – e.g. men and women might post about very different topics · Our relationship with social media affects our concept of time – e.g. those very reliant may expect quicker responses from friends Guidelines for improving perception and communication · Recognize all perceptions are partial and subjective – we cannot see everything, and we will always be affected by our roles, culture, standpoint, etc. · Avoid Mindreading – Assuming we know what others think, feel or perceive opens up to conflict and misinterpretation · Check perceptions with others – ask others whether what you perceive is accurate or true; don’t be accusatory in tone · Distinguish between facts and inferences – what is actually there, and what have we assumed to be true? · Guard against the self-serving bias – be willing to consider what is within your control and others’ so you don’t assume best of yourself/worst of others all the time · Guard against Fundamental Attribution error – notice when others’ behaviors may be influenced by external factors · Monitor labels – respond to behaviors, not labels; respect others’ desires for what they’d like to be called (e.g. person with disability, not disabled person)