1. Perception, Self, and Communication

2. What is Perception?
“a cognitive process through which we interpret our experiences and come to our own unique understanding” (O’Hair, 2009).
Active perception means that your mind selects, organizes, and interprets that which you sense.
Subjective perception is your uniquely constructed meaning attributed to sensed stimuli.

3. For discussion
Think of an event that recently occurred in your life in which your perception of what happened might be quite different from the perception of others.

4. Why do differences in perception occur?
Physiological factors
Past experiences and roles
Culture and co-culture
Present feeling and circumstances

5. For discussion
Discuss a situation where your first impression of someone was not accurate.
After getting to know the person, did your impression change?

6. Read Out Loud

7. Using Perception: Is it a young woman at her vanity mirror, or a gruesome skull? 

8. Can you find 5 horses in this picture?

9. Explanation
You know when you meet people you have your initial impression. This impression can be completely faulty until you take the time to really understand and fully comprehend whom the person is that you are meeting. Going just by your initial impulse or initial judgment, does not give that person a chance to fully demonstrate to you, who that person is and what that person is really about. Remember: looks can be deceiving.

10. Now look at this picture: Do you see an old woman or young woman or can you see both?

11. Now look at this picture do you see the duck or the rabbit?

12. Explanation
If you only look at the left side of things you will see the duck. But if you are on the right of things you will see the rabbit. Right or left, conservative or liberal, black or white are just perspectives which you bring to the situation. It is imperative to make good decisions, solve problems, and settle conflicts that you are able to set aside your strong biases so that you can get the whole picture into perspective. 

13. Summary
You cannot always trust your initial perceptions because your brain has not caught up with all that it is decoding and translating. So please, slow down, be rational, test out your assumptions, let go of your stereotypes, and be open to reality the way it really is rather than the way you suspect or perceive it to be.

14. Now how about this picture: Do you see the man playing the horn, or the woman's silhouette or both?

15. Explanation
When people go about "tooting their own horn" or acting in ways which are unseemly or impulsive, it is often hard to see the beauty within them. Are you always in a rush to make a quick assessment of a person on their brusqueness, impulsiveness, or abrasiveness.
Or do you take time to get to understand where they are coming from so that you can see the beauty of who they are below the surface they present to you?

16. Perceptual errors
Stereotyping
First impressions

17. For discussion
 What are some of the barriers for building positive self concept and how can they be overcome?

18. Who are you?
Self-fulfilling prophecy: the idea that you behave and see yourself in ways that are consistent with how others see you.
Johari Window (we will discuss more in Chapter 6, p.141.) Assist in understanding the importance of self-disclosure, including areas that are known to others; areas that are not known to others.

19. Self-actualization The fulfillment of one's potential as a person.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

20. Self-evaluation
Self-image: The picture you have of yourself; the sort of person you believe you are.
Self-esteem: The feeling you have about your self-concept; that is, how well you lie and value yourself

21. For discussion
What are some of the barriers for building positive self concept and how can they be overcome?

22. Improving self-concept
Have a goal or objective
Make your goal realistic
Find information about how to achieve your goal
Control and restraint
Gain support from friends and family
Accept yourself

23. For discussion
 What is your self concept? Are there any areas of your self concept that you would like to improve?