PERCEPTION

DEFINITIONS

• Stephen P Robbins:” Perception is a process by which individuals organize & interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment”
• Fred Luthans : “perception is an important mediating cognitive process through which persons make interpretations of the stimulus or situation they are faced with”.

External Factors: 

These factors include characteristic of perceived object. These are:-

1. Intensity : High intensity increases the chances of selection.
2. Size     : The bigger the size of perceived stimulus, higher the probability that it is perceived.
3. Frequency: A repeated external stimulus is more attention getting than  a single one.
4. Contrast: The external stimuli stands out against background will receive more attention.
5. Status: Status held by an individual influences the perception about things.
6. Movement: People pay more attention to a moving object than the stationary ones.

• Internal Factors: These factors reside in person concern:-

1. Needs &Desires: Perception varies depending upon his needs & desires.
2. Personality: Optimistic people perceive things in favourable terms while pessimistic people perceive in negative terms.
3. Experience: Experience & knowledge serve as a basis for perception.

Symbolic Factors: These factors in a complex perceptual organisation involve intellectual as well as motivational factors.

Perceptual Organisation                               

·         Figure & ground: Stimuli that contrast with their environment are more likely to be noticed.

·         Our perception is affected by what we assign as figure & what we assign as background.

Similarity & grouping

Stimuli which have common physical similarities are more likely to be grouped together .

Continuation

Occurs when the eye is compelled to move through one object & continue to another object.

Proximity

Occurs when elements are placed close together.

Closure

• Occurs when an object is incomplete or a space is not completely closed.

Social Perception

• Is the process by which individuals attribute characteristics / traits to other people.
• problems 

1.    Halo Effect
2.    Stereotyping

Factors influencing social perception

• Characteristics of the person perceived

1. Appearance
2. Communication
3. Status

• Characteristics of the situation

1. Organization structure
2. Organizational culture

• Characteristics of the perceiver.

1. Cognitive complexity
2. Motivational state
3. Self concept
4. Previous experience

Impression Management

• The process by which people attempt to manage / control the perceptions others form of them
•    Facets of Impression Management

1. Impression motivation
2. Impression construction

Impression Management strategies

• Demotion prevention strategy

1.      Excuses
2.      Apologies
3.     Disassociation

       Promotion –Enhancing strategy

1.   Entitlements
2.   Enhancement
3.   Association