SOCIAL PERCEPTION Chapter 4

Social Perception The study of how we form impressions of other people and make inferences about them

Non-Verbal Communication Facial expressions Body posture and movement Tone of voice Gestures Touch Eye contact

Basic Facial Expressions Fear Anger Surprise Sadness Happiness Disgust

Inaccurate Decoding Affect Blends Cultural display rules Hiding of emotions

Implicit Personality Theories The stereotype without a group. Cultural

Explaining People’s Behavior: Attributing Motives Internal attribution: any explanation that locates the cause as inside the person (personality) External attribution: any explanation that locates the cause as outside the person (situation)

Covariation Model

Fundamental Attribution Error Too much emphasis on personal motivation Too little consideration of the situation Perceptual Salience Two-step Process. East vs. West Analytic vs. Holistic thinking

Other tendencies Self-serving attributions Just-world hypothesis Blaming the victim Bias blind spot