Perceiving Others

Influences on Perception

Physiological Influences The Senses Age Health Fatigue Hunger Biological Cycles

Psychological Influences Mood Self-Concept

Cultural Influences Different cultures have different perceptions of: –Independence vs. Interdependence –Silence vs. Extroversion –Eye-contact or no Eye-contact –Other cultures (stereotypes) –The world and their place in it

Social Influences Gender Roles Occupational Roles Shared Narratives

Gender Roles Undifferentiated “Feminine”“Masculine” Androgynous

Occupational Roles –Have you had your job influence your perceptions? –Does your major influence your perceptions? –Stanford study

Shared Narratives –Perceptions of the world that we construct with others Perception is an interactive process Others’ perceptions of people and situations influence our perceptions, and vice versa.

The Trouble with Perceptions… Some common perceptual mistakes

We tend to judge others more harshly than we do ourselves –We tend to have a self-serving bias, especially in conflicts –Important to check to see how accurate our appraisal is We pay attention to the obvious, and may not perceive other factors that are less obvious We form first impressions quickly, and don’t let go of them –Halo (or horns?) effect –Important to keep an open mind, and to allow your impressions to change We tend to assume others are just like us –Important to ask, check with others, &/or examine your assumptions We tend to focus on negative impressions of others

Some Suggestions for Improving Perceptions

Recognize that all perceptions are subjective Avoid mindreading (e.g., “I know why you’re upset,” “I know how you feel,” “Why are you mad at me?”) Distinguish between facts and inferences (This person “is” vs. “seems”) Monitor the self-serving bias Monitor labels And…

Check your perceptions! –A complete perception check has 3 parts: A nonjudgmental description of the behavior you observed Two possible interpretations of the behavior A request for clarification about how to interpret the behavior “You bit my head off when I came in the door. You’re still angry about last night aren’t you?” Vs. “You started asking me a lot of questions when I got home tonight, and there was something about the look on your face that made me wonder if you’re mad at me. But maybe you just had a bad day today. What’s on your mind? And…

“Do Not judge a man (or woman) until you walk a mile in his (or her) moccasins.” Exercise your empathy skills! –Empathy involves: Perspective taking: “What might this other person be thinking? What is their situation? Where would I be walking if I were walking in their shoes?” Emotional contagion: “What might this other person be feeling? How would that feel for me? What would it feel like to walk in this person’s shoes? Are there any rocks in their shoes?” Concern for the welfare of the other person –Keep an open mind –Use your imagination (empathy isn’t easy) –Make a commitment to be empathetic