Human Skills: Perception

Perception can be defined as a process by which individuals select, organize and interpret their sensory impressions, so as to give meaning to their environment. Perception is a complex cognitive process and differs from person to person. People’s behavior is influenced by their perception of reality, rather than the actual reality.

 Factors influencing perception  

 Following are the factors that influence the perception process:  

A. Characteristics of the Perceiver

When an individual looks at a target and attempts to interpret what he or she stands for, that interpretation is heavily influenced by personal characteristics of the individual perceiver. The major characteristics of the perceiver influencing perception are:  

 a) Attitudes 

 b) Motives

 c) Interest

 d) Expectations

e) Insecurities

B. Characteristics of the Target

1.Physical appearance plays a key role in our perception of other individuals. Extremely attractive or unattractive individuals are more likely to be noticed in a group than the average looking individuals. 

2.Motion, sound, size and other attributes of a target shape the way we see it.

3.The perceiver will notice the target’s physical features like gender, ethnic, height, weight and estimated age. Perceivers tend to notice physical appearance characteristics that contrast with the norm, that are intense, or that are new or unusual.

4.Physical attractiveness often colours our entire impression of another person.

5.Every often, Interviewers rate attractive candidates more favorably and attractive candidates are awarded higher starting salaries.

6.Verbal communication from targets also affects our perception of them. We listen to the topics they speak about, their voice tone, and their accent and make judgments based on this input. Non-verbal communication conveys a great deal of information about the target.

7.The perceiver deciphers eye contact, facial expressions, body movements, and posture all in an attempt to form an impression of the target.

C. Characteristics of the Situation

The situation in which the interaction between the perceiver and the target takes place, has an influence on the perceiver’s impression of the target.

 E.g. meeting a manager in his or her office affects your impression in a certain way that may contrast with the impression you would have formed, had you met the manager in a restaurant. The time at which we see an object or a person can influence our attentions.

 E.g. at a nightclub on weekend night, you may not notice a young guest “dressed to the nines.” Yet that same person so attired for your Monday morning management class would certainly catch your attention. Neither the perceiver nor the target has changed between Saturday night and Monday morning, but the situation is different.