Perception

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Perception Self Perception Self
Awareness is the Key

• Prepared by Ken Cheng, Chaya Merrell,
  Nick Smith, Andy Wislock

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Definitions

• Perception how you look at others and the world
  around you
• Self Perception using past experiences to see
  yourself in your own way

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Perception Self-perception

• How you look at the world depends on what you
  think of yourself
• Most people communicate best with people of
  similar culture
• Your perception and attributions affect the way
  you communicate

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Self Perception

• The knowledge of ones particular mental states,
  including ones beliefs, desires, and sensations
• The looking glass model
• How we think we appear to others
• How we think they evaluate that appearance
• The resulting shame or pride that we feel

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Self Perception and the Sexes
Males Females
social comparisons are the most important reflected appraisals are the most important
value reflected appraisals of parents value reflected appraisal of friends
self confidence comes from achievement self confidence from attachment
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Cultural Differences

• Stereotype oversimplifications or distorted
  views of another race, ethnic group, or culture
• Racism the belief that one race is inferior to
  another
• Ethnocentrism the belief that ones ethnic group
  is the most important and/or that some or all
  aspects of its culture are superior to those of
  others

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Ethnocentrism

• Leads to misunderstanding others
• What is meaningful to other people is falsely
  distorted
• Inhibits constructive resolutions when facing
  conflicts between social groups
• Examples
• Racism
• Colonialism
• Ethnic cleansing Persecution through
  imprisonment, expulsion, or killing members of an
  ethnic minority by a majority to achieve ethnic
  pureness in majority-controlled territory

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Addressing Ethnocentrism

• One must be made aware that they are falsely
  assuming something that is not the case, or is
  out of context
• Watch for reactions
• Reactions tell one that they are assuming
  something and that their assumptions are not
  working
• Seek to develop a better understanding
• First step We are the learners
• What are their meanings about the behavior and
  situation
• What are the adaptive functions of the behavior
  and situation

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Fundamental Attribution Error

• Definition blaming ones behavior on outside
  influences while blaming others behavior on
  internal flaws
• Reducing the errors effects
• Taking heed of consensus information
• When most people behave the same way when put in
  the same situation, then the situation is more
  likely to be the cause of the behavior
• Asking oneself how one would behave in the same
  situation
• Look for unseen causes, especially less prominent
  factors

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Improving Self-Perception

• Take a self-perception inventory Such as the one
  from Belbin Associates here
• Analyze your behaviors first, others behaviors
  second
• Keep a journal highlight feelings, rethink the
  situation, and consider causation
• Reflect, reflect, reflect yourself

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Any questions?