Perception

PERCEPTION
Meaning: Perception refers to the way we try to understand the world around us.
Definition: Perception is the process by which an individual selects, organizes and interprets stimuli into a meaningful and coherent picture.
Perception can also be defined as the process by which an individual selects, organizes and interprets stimuli into a meaningful and coherent picture of the environment in which he lives.
Perception is a process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment.

The Perceptual Process:

Perception is composed of six processes:
- Receiving
- Selecting
- Organizing
- Interpreting
- Checking
- Reacting to stimuli

The process of receiving stimuli:
It is received through five sensory organs i.e, vision, hearing, smell, touch and taste.

Stimuli may be external or internal. A) External Factors Influencing Selection: nature: visual or audio
1) Intensity: higher intensity objects receive more attention 2) Size: an object with a larger size receives more attention than smaller one 3) Contrast: external stimuli stands out against the background 4) Motion/ Movement: Moving objects receive more attention that the still objects. 7) Repetition: repeated external stimulus is more attention drawing than a single one. 8) Novelty and familiarity: New objects in familiar setting or familiar objects in new setting.
B) Internal Factors Influencing Selection:
1) Learning and Perception
2) Motivation and Perception
3) Personality and Perception

Process of organizing: a) Figure ground b) Perceptual similarity: similarity, proximity, closure and continuity. c) Perceptual constancy: gives a sense of stability in the changing world. 1) Shape constancy: eg. Pot 2) Size constancy: objects moved farther away, we tend to see it invariant size. 3) Colour constancy

PERCEPTUAL SELECTIVITY:
Though people are exposed to several stimuli, they tend to select only a few at a given point of time, this is perceptual selectivity
SUBLIMINAL PROCESS:
When the stimuli is so subtle that an individual may not even be conscious that he is exposed to some stimulus.

FACTORS INFUENCING PERCEPTION: * The Perciever * The Target * The Situation

PERCEPTUAL ORGANIZATION:
Emphasizes on the subsequent activities that take place in the perceptual process after a stimulus is received. 1. Figure ground : Percieved objects are separated from their general background by the perceiver. 2. Perceptual grouping: - Closure (person may sometimes perceive a whole, where it doesn’t exist) * Continuity(Limited to continuous pattern) * Proximity * Similarity 3. Perceptual Constancy: The perception of elements like size, shape, color, brightness of an object remains constant and doesn’t change for one individual to another 4. Perceptual Context: - It provides meaning and value to objects, events, situation and other people in the environment * Different meaning in different situations. 5. Perceptual defense: A person may establish a defense against some stimuli or situation because they may be clashing with his personal values or culture or may be threatening. * Denial * Modification and distortion * Change in perception * Recognition but refusal to change

Process of checking:
Checking by introspection.
Checking about the interpretation with others.
Process of reacting:
Shall indulge in some action in relation to his perception.

Factors Influencing Perception * Charecteristics of the perceiver * Charecteristics of the perceived * Charecteristics of the situation

SOCIAL PERCEPTION: (how an individual perceives others) * Charecteristics that influence the perception: * Understanding of one’s own behavior * Personal charecteristics of a person * Self- esteem * Not on one single skill

1. Attribution: Refers to the process in which an individual assigns causes to behavior he conceives. Factors such as status, intentions and consequences.
-Disposal attribution: (Behaviour is affected by the charecteristics of a person)
-Situational attribution. 2. Stereotyping: It is a process of judging someone on the basis of one’s perception of the group to which the perception belongs. It provides a shortcut to predicting behavior. 3. Halo effect: It refers to the tendency of forming a general impression about an individual on the basis of a single characteristic. Need not always be a positive characteristic.
An individual may be down rated based on the negative evaluation of his or her behaviors. This process is called ‘Rusty Halo’ or ‘Horns Effect.

PERCEPTION