Perceptions

Interpersonal Communication: Perception

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Listening:

“the process of receiving, constructing meaning from, and responding to spoken and/or nonverbal messages.” p. 175

Perception The process of selectively attending to sensory information and assigning meaning to it. (pg. 30) Our perception becomes our reality.

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Attend

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Three psychological factors that influence selection/attending:

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Our needs

2.

Our interests

3.

Our expectations

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A sensory test of expectations:

Paris

Once

Bird

in the

in a

in the

the springtime

a lifetime

the hand

Attend

Organize

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Organization  Simplicity--the brain simplifies complex stimuli

into a commonly recognized form (what we expect to perceive)  Pattern -- the brain organizes information according to patterns, sets of characteristics that differentiate some things from others. (differentiating by forming patterns)

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521-4456

080-44-7889 5360-7856-8834-3278 i.e. telephone #’s, SS #’s, credit card #’s 3-4 3-2-4 4-4-4-4 10

Attend

Organize Interpret 11

Interpretation The process of assigning meaning to the information that has been selected and organized

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Social Perception aka Social Cognition A set of processes by which people perceive themselves and others.

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Pause Here

Self-concept –

Self-esteem -

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Self-concept - the idea or mental image that we have about our skills, abilities, knowledge, competencies, and personality

Self-esteem - our overall evaluation of our competence and personal worthiness 16

Positive Self-Esteem Perception of having a characteristic

+ Personal belief that the characteristic is of positive value

= Positive self-esteem -Mruk

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Some Concept Definitions

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1 - Incongruence The gap between our inaccurate self-perceptions and reality

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2 - Self-fulfilling Prophecies Events that happen as the result of being foretold, expected, or talked about and that serve to reinforce an individual’s self-concept

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Presenting Self We present our self-image to others through various roles we enact.

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3 - Role – A pattern of learned behaviors that people use to meet the perceived demands of a particular context

4 - Working self-concept – The specific aspects of your identity that are activated by the role you are enacting at a particular time 22

5 - Stereotypes Simplified and standardized conceptions about the characteristics or expected behavior of members of an identifiable group

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1.

6.

2.

7.

3.

8.

4.

9.

5.

10.

Prejudice –

Discrimination –

Racism, Sexism, Ageism, & Able-ism – 25

Prejudice – a preconceived judgment, belief or opinion that a person holds without sufficient grounds ( + or - )

Discrimination – treating members of one group differently from members of another in a way that is unfair or harmful

Racism, Sexism, Ageism, Able-ism – belief that the behaviors or characteristics of one group are inherently superior to those of another 26

Factors that Influence Our Social Perceptions  Physical characteristics, social behaviors,

emotional states  Cultural backgrounds  Stereotyping

 Who we are and what our experiences have

been 27

Improving Social Perceptions  Come in Thursday prepared with a list of how we

can “Improve Social Perceptions.”

 HINT: Read the textbook.

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Improving Social Perceptions  Seek more information  Actively question the accuracy of perceptions

(avoid mind reading)  Realize that perceptions change  Check perceptions verbally  Realize that perception check is descriptive rather

than judgmental 29

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