Perception

A process by which individuals organise and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment.

Perception

Perception is the process whereby people select, organise, and interpret sensory stimulation's into meaningful information about their work environment. There can be no behaviour without perception and perception lies at the base of every individual behaviour.

Perception

Why Is it Important? Because people’s behaviour is based

on their perception of what reality is, not on reality itself.

The world as it is perceived is the world that is behaviourally important.

Factors that Influence Perception

Perception

The Target

• Novelty

• Motion

• Sounds

• Size

• Background

• Proximity

The Perceiver

• Attitudes

• Motives

• Interests

• Experience

• Expectations

The Situation

• Time

• Work setting

• Social setting

Factors Influencing Perception

Perceiver: Attitudes Motives Interests Experience Expectations

Factors Influencing Perception Target:

Novelty Motion Sounds Size Background Proximity Similarity

Factors Influencing Perception

Situation: Time Work Setting Social Setting

Attribution: Understanding the causes of others behaviour.

When individuals observe behaviour, they attempt to determine whether it is internally or externally caused.

The process through which we seek to identify the causes of others’ behaviour and so gain knowledge of their stable traits and dispositions.

Attribution Theory

When individuals observe behaviour, they attempt to determine whether it is internally or externally caused. Internally caused behaviour are those

that are believed to be under the personal control of the individual.

Externally caused behaviour is seen as resulting from outside causes.

Attribution Theory Distinctiveness

Does individual act the same way in other situations?

Consensus Does individual act the same as others in

same situation? Consistency

Does the individual act the same way over time?

Attribution Theory

Observation InterpretationAttribution

of cause

External

High

Low

High

High

Low

Internal

External

Internal

Internal

External

Individual

behaviour

Distinctiveness

Consensus

Consistency

Low

Attribution: Some Basic Sources of Error

Fundamental Attribution Error: The tendency to underestimate the

influence of external factors and overestimate the influence of internal factors when making judgments about the behaviour of others.

Attribution: Some Basic Sources of Error

Self-Serving Bias: The tendency for individuals to

attribute their own successes to internal factors while putting the blame for failures on external factors.