1. Self-Awareness and Communication: Understanding Perception
Chapter 2
Self-Awareness and Communication: Understanding Perception

2. Why is perception important?
Preview of Chapter 2
What is a perception?
Why is perception important?
How can we enhance our perceptual accuracy?
How do we check our perceptions?

3. What is a Perception?
A perception is the ______ of our senses. (page 49)
Once our senses are activated, we begin to process them.
Our senses shape our perceptions.
Ex: Grey clouds in the sky
Ex: Hear sirens
We use perceptions to draw conclusions about others.

4. Stages of Perception Stage One: Attention and Selection
The process of choosing what you want to focus your attention on.
Stage Two: Organization
Organize information into understandable patterns.
Stage Three: Interpretation
Assign meaning to what you have perceived.

5. Stages of Perception – An Example
You are moving into an apartment and you meet your new roommate…
Attention- what do you focus your attention on?
Organization- is there a pattern?
Interpretation- how do you perceive this person?

6. Assessing Your Learning
What statement describes the “organization stage” of the perception process?
Attaching meaning to what is perceived.
Passively seeking additional information.
Converting information into convenient, understandable, and efficient patterns.
Choosing to focus on a range of stimuli in the environment.

7. Why is Perception Important?
Our perceptual processes serve as a lens.
The messages we send and receive are filtered through this lens.
Perception is in the mind of the receiver. It remains subjective rather than objective.
How you perceive a situation may be very different than your best friend.

8. What Do You Perceive?

9. What Do You Perceive?

10. Why Do We Have Different Perceptions?
Our perceptions are influenced by our self-concept and self-esteem.

11. Self-Concept Your overall identity
Subjective description of who you think you are
How you see yourself as a person
Deeply rooted and slow to change
Ex: Mother, Daughter, Brother

12. Self-Concept Components
Who you are is reflected through:
Attitudes
Reflects what you like an don’t like
Beliefs
Way you structure your understanding of reality
Values
Concepts of good and bad, right and wrong
Which component is easiest to change?

13. Quick Activity: Write down 3 words that describe you.
Why did these 3 words come to mind?
How do you know this about yourself?

14. How the Self-Concept Develops
Communication with others
We learn who we are from the feedback of others.
Ex: Would you think you were funny if no one laughed at your jokes?
Association with groups
Some groups we’re born into, some we choose.
Our awareness of who we are is linked to the groups we are apart of.
Ex: I’m a New Yorker, I’m a soccer player.

15. How the Self-Concept Develops
Assumed roles
Certain labels imply implications for behavior (i.e. Woman, Man)
By age 5, behaviors reflecting masculine and feminine roles start to emerge and are distinguishable by adulthood.
Men = invulnerability, power
Women = likeability, compassion
Self-labels (self-reflexiveness)
The ability to think about what you are doing while you are doing it.
We interpret what we experience (S & W)

16. Self-Esteem Your assessment of your worth
Your current state of mind or view of yourself
How you compare yourself to others
Can rise and fall with in the course of a day (can change)

17. Factors Affecting Self-Esteem
Gender
Girls suffer from a greater loss of SE.
Social comparisons
How we “stack up” against others affects our SE.
Self expectations
Whether or not we achieve our goals affects our SE.
Self-Fulfilling prophecies
How we think can affect our SE.

18. Self Concept vs. Self Esteem
Example 1:
Self Concept
Quiet
Self Esteem
“I’m a coward for not speaking up” or
“I enjoy listening rather than talking”
Example 2:
Self Concept
Argumentative
Self Esteem
“I’m pushy, and that’s obnoxious ” or
“I stand up for my beliefs”

19. How Can We Enhance Perceptual Accuracy?
Avoid the following:
Stereotyping
Assuming similarity
Assuming differences

20. How Can We Enhance Perceptual Accuracy?
Use Indirect Perception Checking:
Seek out additional information in a passive manner (i.e. NV Cues).
Hope the information will confirm or refute your interpretations of someone's behavior.
OBSERVATION.

21. How Do We Check Our Perceptions?
Use Direct Perception Checking:
Involves asking the source or a friend directly about your perceptions.
Three-Step Process:
Describe the behavior—verbal or nonverbal
Offer two possible interpretations
Request clarification

22. Review of Chapter 2 What is a perception?
How and why do we form perceptions?
Why is perception important?
How can we enhance our perceptual accuracy?
How do we check our perceptions?