Chapter 2 – Perception and
Learning
Part 1: Perception
January 27, 2009
Perception
• Combining, integrating, & interpreting info
– 3 stages
• 1. Selection – influenced by internal &
external factors.
– Internal – implications?
– External – implications?
– What is figural (salient) versus background
(filler)?
Perception (stages cont…)
• 2. Organization
– Use schemas to make sense and infer
relationships among targets
• Correspondent inferences -
– Schemas differ between people
– …leading to incorrect inferences
• Focus on ‘weak’ situations for more information?
• 3. Evaluation
– Interpret events in subjective fashion –
influenced by biases
– Can be barrier to cross-cultural communication
– Adler’s sources of cultural misinterpretation
• What are these?
• Subconscious cultural blinders –
• Projected similarity –
Attribution Process - Kelley
• Attribute actions to internal (trait) or
external (situation) causes
• Consensus –defined as…
• Consistency – defined as…
• Distinctiveness – defined as…
Attribution
• Why is your friend complaining about her
manager?
• Assume high consensus &
distinctiveness, but low consistency –
which attribution is predominant?
• Assume low consensus &
distinctiveness, but high consistency –
which attribution?
Attribution errors
• Self-serving bias
– What is the bias?
– Generalizability to other cultures?
• Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE)
– Opposite of self-serving (judging others)
– What is the error?
– Linked to perf appraisals
• Halo effect –
• (** See book for similar-to-me, selective perception,
Pygmalion & Golem effects, performance appraisals and
selection applications**)
Perceptions of Performance Appraisals
• DeNisi & Gonzalez (2004) – propose
importance of ratee’s perceptions of the
appraisal:
• How would each of these help?
– 1. importance of clear standards –
– 2. simple-to-use rating instruments –
• Example of performance diaries or incident logs
Stereotyping
• Dangers of relying on stereotype of group
to categorize a person from that group
• Reasons stereotypes can become
problematic?
– 1)
– 2)
– 3)
• Stereotype threat – fear being evaluated
by stereotype  lowers performance
– Examples?
Johari Window
• One way to minimize biases by making
people aware of their values, prejudices
• Divides info about you into 4 ‘windows’
based on whether your values/beliefs are
known to you & others
– Open, blind, hidden, unknown areas
– What is the goal?
Johari Window
Feedback
Known Unknown to
to self self
Known to
others
Disclosure
Open
area
Blind area
Unknown to Hidden Unknown
others
area
area
Johari Window (cont.)
• Can work w/360 degree feedback program
• Problems:
– 1)
– 2)
– 3)
Dual Attitude System
• Wilson proposed we have implicit
(subconscious) attitudes & explicit (stated)
attitudes
– Implicit –
– Explicit –
– See www.understandingprejudice.org/iat/
– How does it measure each type of attitude?