Chapter 2 Connecting Perception and Communication

Learning Objectives 2.1 Make the connection between perception and your communication competence. 2.2 Understand the three stages of perception and how they affect your communication. 2.3 Identify seven reasons why different people may perceive the same situation in different ways. 2.4 Accurately interpret and check your perceptions to improve your communication competence.

Perception and Communication (1 of 2) Learning Objective 2.1: Make the connection between perception and your communication competence.

Perception and Communication (2 of 2) Perception involves selecting, organizing, and interpreting information to give personal meaning to the communication we receive. Perception is at the heart of our communication. Perception, like communication, is a complex phenomenon. Our perceptions—whether complete or incomplete, accurate or inaccurate, influence our communication and decisions.

The Perception Process (1 of 7) Learning Objective 2.2: Understand the three stages of perception and how they affect your communication.

The Perception Process (2 of 7) Selection (1 of 2) The first stage of perception is awareness of our surroundings and selecting what we will attend to. Selection is the sorting of one stimulus from another and takes three forms. Selective Exposure Selective exposure is the term for the deliberate choices we make to experience or avoid particular stimuli.

The Perception Process (3 of 7) Selection (2 of 2) Selective Attention Selective attention refers to focusing on a specific message while ignoring or downplaying other stimuli.  Selective Retention Selective retention is the term for processing, storing, and retrieving information that we have already selected, organized, and interpreted.

The Perception Process (4 of 7) Organization (1 of 2) Second, we organize the information in a way that makes sense to us. How we organize and sort information has a profound effect on how we perceive others, how we talk to them, and how they respond to us. Cognitive complexity is a term used by psychologists to measure and explain our ability to process, interpret, and store simple to intricate information.

The Perception Process (5 of 7) Organization (2 of 2) Closure Closure involves filling in details so that a partially perceived entity appears to be complete. Proximity Proximity is the grouping of two or more stimuli that are close to one another based on the assumption that because objects or people appear together, they are similar. Similarity Similarity refers to the grouping of stimuli that resemble one another in size, shape, color, or other traits.

The Perception Process (6 of 7) Interpretation (1 of 2) Third, we interpret or assign meaning to the information we receive; this is known as interpretation. Interpretation Based on Past Experience Our interpretations of stimuli depend on our past experience. Interpretation Based on New Situations Past experiences, while important, must not keep us from finding fresh meanings in new situations or events.

The Perception Process (7 of 7) Interpretation (2 of 2) Interpretations Based on Others’ Opinions Our perceptions are often altered or influenced by how and what others communicate to us. Interpretation Based on Verbal Communication We most often associate perception with what we see but also form perceptions based on the sound of speech patterns, which include voice, grammar, and word choices.

Perceptual Differences (1 of 9) Learning Objective 2.3: Identify seven reasons why different people may perceive the same situation in different ways.

Perceptual Differences (2 of 9) Perceptual Set and Stereotyping When we ignore new information and instead rely solely on our past experiences to interpret information, we are using a perceptual set. This is a form of stereotyping, which refers to the categorizing of events, objects, and people without regard to unique individual characteristics and qualities. Stereotypes often oversimplify, generalize, or exaggerate traits or qualities and thus are based on half-truths, distortions, and false premises.

Perceptual Differences (3 of 9) Attribution Error Attribution is the complex process through which we attempt to understand the reasons behind others’ behaviors. Two factors influence our assumptions about our own and others’ behaviors; they are the situation (environment) and the disposition (traits of the person). Fundamental attribution error occurs when we perceive others acting as they do because they are “that kind of person” rather than because of any external factors that may have influenced their behavior.

Perceptual Differences (4 of 9) Physical Characteristics Our physical characteristics account for differences in what we perceive: Height Weight Body shape Health Strength Ability to use our five senses When we meet someone for the first time, we react to factors, no matter how superficial, resulting in emotional reactions that lead to a positive or negative image of that person.

Perceptual Differences (5 of 9) Psychological State Our psychological state also influences or alters our perceptions of people, events, and things. All information coming to us passes through filters and screens that color what we receive and how we perceive it.

Perceptual Differences (6 of 9) Cultural Background (1 of 2) Cultural background can affect the perception of other people, events, and things. There are many different definitions of culture. For our purposes, culture may be defined as a set of interpretations about beliefs, values, norms, and social practices, which affect behaviors of a relatively large group of people.

Perceptual Differences (7 of 9) Cultural Background (2 of 2) Culture is an integral part of each of us and determines many of our individual characteristics. The connection between culture and communication is extremely complex. Ethnocentrism is the learned belief that our own culture is superior to all others.

Perceptual Differences (8 of 9) Gender Another factor that affects the way we perceive our world is gender, socially constructed and learned behaviors related to masculinity, androgyny, and femininity. Some theorists believe that where we fall on the masculine-and-feminine scale determines how we learn to understand the world around us. Our view of gender not only communicates who we believe ourselves to be but also helps us construct a sense of who we want to be.

Perceptual Differences (9 of 9) Media Advertisers, government leaders, political advocates, and many others attempt to shape our views. It is important to recognize that our selection of Internet sites may be based on our biases and our desire to reinforce our own beliefs and convictions. Our use of social media should always be accompanied by an awareness that the messages we send or post are open to inferences and interpretations by those who receive them.

Improving Perception Competencies and Perception Checking (1 of 2) Learning Objective 2.4: Accurately interpret and check your perceptions to improve your communication competence.

Improving Perception Competencies and Perception Checking (2 of 2) To become a more competent communicator, you must realize that your perceptions are partial and subjective and could be wrong. There are steps to take to avoid misperceptions: Become an Active Perceiver Recognize That Each Person’s Frame of Reference Is Unique Distinguish Facts from Inferences Become Aware of the Role of Perceptions in Communication Keep an Open Mind Perception Checking: Being a Competent Communicator