1. Perception and attribution
Interactive lecture III
Dr Jolanta Babiak
Winter semester 2017/2018

2. Perception Ascribing meaning to the environment
Sensory impressions
Organizing and interpreting
Ascribing meaning to the environment

3. What we perceive can be substantially different from objective reality

4. Why is perception important to OB?
Peoples’ behavior is based on their perception of what reality is, not on reality itself

5. Factors that influence perception
Factors in the situation
- Time
- Work setting
- Social setting
Factors in the perceiver
- Attitudes
- Motives
- Interests
- Experience
- Expectations
Perception
Factors in the target
- Novelty
- Motion
- Sounds
- Size
- Background
- Proximity
- Similarity

6. Making judgments about others
Person Perception
Making judgments about others
We have beliefs, expectations, or motives that’s why when we observe people we try to explain why they behave in certain ways. Our perceptions
and judgments will therefore be heavily influenced by the assumptions we make about that person internal state.

7. Attribution theory Judgments we make Meanings we attribute
Observed behavior of another person
1. Distinctiveness
2. Consensus
3. Consistency
Judgments we make
Meanings we attribute
We determine the source of causation of that behavior
Internal vs
External causes

8. Differences between internal vs external causation
Internally caused behavior
Externally caused behavior
Under the control of the individual
Employee is late for work: he was partying and then overslept
Colleague is gaining weight: he is socializing a lot and overeating
Manager is in tensed mood: he wants to evoke fear in us purposefully
What the situation forced the individual to do
Employee is late for work: must have run into tied up traffic due to some accident on the way
Colleague is gaining weight: could have some health issues, maybe thyroid
Manager is in tensed mood: he must have been under fire during yesterday’s board meeting

9. Three determining factors: (1) Distinctiveness
Behavior is unusual
External attribution
Behavior is usual
Internal attribution

10. Three determining factors: (2) Consensus
High consensus: others behav(ed) in similar fashion
External attribution
Low consensus: behavior stands out from among others in a similar situation
Internal attribution

11. Three determining factors: (3) Consistency
Does the person responds in the same way over time? If not…
External attribution
If yes
Internal attribution

12. Attribution theory
observation
interpretation
Attribution of cause

13. Most important finding: fundamental attribution error
While making judgments about the behavior of other people
We tend to overestimate the effects of internal factors; e.g. sales dropped recently - my sales agents are just lazy
We tend to underestimate the effects of the external factors; sales dropped recently – it cannot be the innovative product introduced by the competitor

14. Most important finding: fundamental attribution error
While making judgments about our own behavior
We tend to attribute our own success to internal factors; e.g. ability, effort
We tend to blame failure on the external factors; e.g. bad luck, poor performance of others

15. Fundamental attribution error: cultural differences
non-Western managers are less likely to use self-serving bias: tend to assume responsibility for failure
Asian cultures: group-based attributions – more likely to blame institutions or whole organizations
Western cultures – individuals should get blame or praise

16. Shortcuts in judging others: selective perception
Interests
Background
Experience
Attitudes
Other information

17. Shortcuts in judging others: halo effect
We draw a general impression about an individual on the basis of a single characteristic; here: appearance

18. Shortcuts in judging others: contrast effect
Our reaction is influenced by other persons we have recently encountered; attention: job interviews

19. Shortcuts in judging others: stereotyping
Less difficult to deal with unmanageable number of stimuli if we use heuristics
Problem occurs when we generalize inaccurately or too much
We usually stereotype based on:
Gender
Age
Race
Religion
Ethnicity
Weight
Stereotypes operate emotionally and often below the level of conscious awareness

20. Specific applications of shortcuts in Organizations
Employment interview
We form impressions of others within tenth of a second: first glance
Good applicant: absence of negative characteristics
Performance expectations
Self-fulfilling prophecy: one’s behavior is determined by others’ expectations
Expectations become reality
Performance evaluations
Depend on the perceptual process: subjective
Some are luckily evaluated objectively: sales people

21. Bibliography
Gerrig, R. J., Zimbardo, P. G. (2010). Psychology and life. New Jersey: Person education, Inc.
Robbins, S. P., Judge, T. A. (2013). Organizational behavior. New Jersey: Person education, Inc.
Whetten, D. A., Cameron K. S. (2011). Developing Management Skills. New Jersey: Person education, Inc