Perception

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Chapter 3

• Perception
• June 4th, 2001

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What do you think of this Man?
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What do you think of this Woman?
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What do you think of these People?
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Perception A definition

• The process through which we select, organize,
  and interpret information gathered by our senses
  in order to understand the world around us. (p.
  67)
• Social Perception
• The process through which individuals attempt to
  combine, integrate, and interpret information
  about others (p. 68)
• WHO?WHAT?

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Attribution A Definition

• The process through which individuals attempt to
  determine the cause of others behaviour. (p.
  68)
• WHY?

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Correspondent Inferences

• Judgements made about what someone is like based
  on observations of his or her behaviour
• Dangerous because
• Behaviour is complex and has many different
  causes
• People sometimes disguise their true
  characteristics

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Kelleys Theory of Causal Attribution

• Consensus
• Do others behave similarly in similar situations
• Consistency
• Does the individual behave similarly in other
  similar situations
• Distinctiveness
• Does the individual behave similarly in other
  contexts

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DISCUSSION QUESTION

• When you see a homeless person asking for money,
  do you tend to attribute their position in life
  to external or internal factors?

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Perceptual Biases

• Fundamental Attribution Error
• What do you think when someone
• Cuts you off in traffic
• Does not return your phone call for 3 days
• Gets your order mixed up in a restaurant
• The Halo Effect
• Perceiving high correlations between
  characteristics that may be unrelated
• Be Like Me
• Interests and hobbies can help in job search
• First Impression Error
• Selective Perception

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Stereotypes

• Beliefs that all members of specific groups share
  similar traits and behaviours
• False positives and false negatives
• Discussion Question
• How may stereotypical judgements be overcome?

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Overcoming Social Perception

• Do not overlook the external causes of others
  behaviour
• Identify and confront your stereotypes
• Evaluate people based on objective factors
• Avoid making rash decisions

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Organizational Applications of Perception

• Performance Appraisals
• Selling yourself at the interview
• Selling Corporate image

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What is learning?

• We learn best by doing
• Relatively permanent change
• Based on experience
• Cannot be observed

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Theories of Learning

• Stimulus Response Theories
• Classical Conditioning
• Operant Conditioning
• Cognitive Learning Theory

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Classical Conditioning

• Pavlovs dogs
• Paired bell with meat powder to get dogs to
  salivate
• Learner is passive
• Stimulus before response
• Pairing of neutral stimulus with unconditioned
  stimulus or previously conditioned stimulus to
  elicit response
• Uses
• Invisible fencing
• Consumer behaviour

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Operant Conditioning

• Behaviour learned based on consequences
• Learner is active
• Stimulus after response
• Fundamental principle Law of effect

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Types of reinforcement

• Positive reinforcement
• Negative reinforcement
• Punishment
• extinction

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Reinforcement schedules

• Ratio schedules
• Fixed
• Interval
• Interval schedules
• Fixed
• Interval

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Cognitive Learning/Modelling

• New knowledge acquired vicariously
• Key factors for learner
• Pay attention
• Good retention
• Similar capabilities of model
• motivation

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Discussion Question

• If you were teaching this class, what
  methods/tactics would you use to ensure learning?

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Learning in Organizations

• Training
• Applied/practical
• Feedback (360 degrees)
• OB Management
• Systematic rewards
• Quality control/standards
• Monitor progress
• Discipline
• Systematic punishment