CHAPTER FIVE
Perception
What is perception?
Perception is the way people organize the massive amounts of information they
receive into patterns that give it meaning. People will use their perceptions of reality,
not reality itself, to decide how to behave.
Attribution theory:
determines whether a situation is an internal or external cause.
Internal: based on personal behavior control (overslept).
External: the situation that is forced upon an individual (car accident).
Errors and Biases in Attributions:
Fundamental Attribution Error: The tendency to underestimate the influence
of external factors and overestimate the influence of internal factors when
making judgments about the behavior of others. We blame people first, not the
situation.
Self-Serving Bias: The tendency for individuals to attribute their own successes
to internal factors (such as ability or effort) while putting the blame for failures on
external factors (such as bad luck or unproductive co-workers).
Frequently Used Shortcuts in Judging Others:
Selective perception: building an image of others→ selecting what I’ve seen.
Horn effect: negative.
Halo effect: positive.
Contrast effect: a comparison.
Stereotyping: the thought of someone→ profiling: the action taken towards
someone.
CHAPTER FIVE 1
Perception
What is perception?
Perception is the way people organize the massive amounts of information they
receive into patterns that give it meaning. People will use their perceptions of reality,
not reality itself, to decide how to behave.
Attribution theory:
determines whether a situation is an internal or external cause.
Internal: based on personal behavior control (overslept).
External: the situation that is forced upon an individual (car accident).
Errors and Biases in Attributions:
Fundamental Attribution Error: The tendency to underestimate the influence
of external factors and overestimate the influence of internal factors when
making judgments about the behavior of others. We blame people first, not the
situation.
Self-Serving Bias: The tendency for individuals to attribute their own successes
to internal factors (such as ability or effort) while putting the blame for failures on
external factors (such as bad luck or unproductive co-workers).
Frequently Used Shortcuts in Judging Others:
Selective perception: building an image of others→ selecting what I’ve seen.
Horn effect: negative.
Halo effect: positive.
Contrast effect: a comparison.
Stereotyping: the thought of someone→ profiling: the action taken towards
someone.
CHAPTER FIVE 1
