This document summarizes key concepts around perception and self-concept. It discusses that perception is the process through which we interpret our senses and give meaning to what we experience. It is impacted by various filters like education, religion, and social status. The document also outlines that self-awareness involves understanding yourself, your past experiences and future plans. Self-concept refers to a person's self-image and self-esteem, which can be influenced by past successes or failures as well as expectations others have of you. Improving self-concept involves gaining awareness, establishing a positive attitude, and having an internal locus of control.

1. Chapter 2
Perception: The Process of Understanding

2. Perception Defined
•The mental process through which we
interpret that which we sense.
•Active perception: Individually, we
provide meaning
•Language is an ARBITRARY system

3. Filtering
• Developmental features which impact our
perception
– Education, Religion, Occupation, Social
status
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•Organization
Figure/Ground
•Closure
Proximity
•Similarity
Interpretation

4. Self-Awareness and
Self-Concept:
Understanding Yourself

5. Self-Awareness
• Your sense of self; your accommodation
with your past; plans for your future;
and all the prejudices, potentialities, and
possibilities that are you.
• Symbolic interactionism---previous
communicative events that make you who
you are today.

6. Self
Actualization
Self-Esteem Needs
Love and Belonging Needs
Safety Needs
Basic Needs: Water, Shelter, Food

7. Self-Concept
• Self-Image: The
picture you have of
yourself, the sort of
person you believe
you are.
– Descriptors
– Roles
– Categories
• Self-Esteem: How
we feel about
ourselves, how well
we like & value who
we are.
– Past
successes/failures
– Self-consciousness

8. Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
• Tendency to become
what people
(including yourself)
expect you to become

9. Gender Differences
in Self-Concept
• MEN
• WOMEN
• ANDROGYNY:
Female & Male Traits

10. Improving Self-Concept
AWARENESS
Establish a POSITIVE ATTITUDE
Locus of Control:
Internal/External

11. What Occurs In Perception?
• Selection--Some stimuli gains our attention while we neglect
some stimuli
• Selective Attention--Focus on certain cues and ignore others
• Selective Retention--We categorize, store, and retrieve
certain information…while we discard other information
• Stereotyping--placing people/things into convenient
categories rather than perceiving them based on individual
characteristics.
Time to stop stereotyping