This document discusses perception and the factors that influence it. It outlines attribution theory and the three main determinants of perception - distinctiveness, consensus, and consistency. It describes common errors and shortcuts in perception like the fundamental attribution error, self-serving bias, selective perception, and halo effect. Stereotyping and contrast effects are discussed as additional shortcuts used to make judgments about others. The implications for performance evaluations and subjective measures in organizations are mentioned, noting that perceptual biases can influence these processes.

1. Chapter 6: Perception
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Outline : Perception
Perception and its determinants
Attribution theory
Three determinants
Errors/biases
Shortcuts used in making judgments about others
Applications of Shortcuts in Organizations
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Perception
What?
Process by which individuals organize and interpret their
sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their
environment.
Why?
based on perception of what reality is, not on reality itself.
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Components of Perception
Perceiver
Target
Situation or context in which perception takes place

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Components of Perception
Perceiver
Target
Situation
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Perception
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Attribution Theory & Determinants
Attribution theory
observe behavior
was internally (personal control)

4. externally caused (outside causes)
Determination depends on three factors:
Distinctiveness
Consensus
Consistency
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Determinants
Distinctiveness
whether an individual displays different behaviors in different
situations
Consensus
occurs if everyone who is faced with a similar situation
responds in the same way
Consistency
is there consistency in a person’s actions
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Attribution Theory &Determinants

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Attribution
Fundamental attribution error
underestimate the influence of external factors
overestimate the influence of internal or personal factors.
Self-serving bias
attribute own successes to internal factors.
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Selective perception
Can’t observe everything - ctive perception.
Halo effect
draw general impressions on the basis of a single characteristic.
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Shortcuts Used in Making Judgments About Others

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Shortcuts Used in Making Judgments About Others
Contrast effects
Comparison to others
Example, an interview --- > pool of job applicants
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Stereotyping
Judging --basis of the group to which one belongs.
Advantage
Simplifying a complex world
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Shortcuts Used in Making Judgments About Others

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Employment Interview
Inaccurate perceptual judgments
Early impressions that become very quickly entrenched.
decisions change very little after the first four or five minutes
of the interview.
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Applications of Shortcuts in Organizations
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Performance Evaluation
Many jobs are evaluated in subjective terms.
Subjective measures are problematic because of selective
perception, contrast effects, halo effects, and so on.
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Applications of Shortcuts in Organizations

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Perception
Perception: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx3pxdzWg3Y
Female/male violence:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlFAd4YdQks&feature=relat
ed
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Implications for Managers
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Helena Addae Ph.D
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