Social perception involves forming impressions of other individuals based on three key clues: the person themselves, the surrounding situation, and observed behavior. When perceiving others, people are subject to biases like the halo effect and in-group bias. Attribution processes are used to explain the causes of others' behavior, but the fundamental attribution error means observers underestimate situational influences and overestimate personal factors. Social perception is an important part of social skills and interaction.

1. Social Perception
A View of Others
Marija Vorobjovaite
October 3rd, 2012

2. Ever since
we were kids
we had told
never judge a
book by it‘s
cover.

3. What is Social Perception?
Social perception is the process of forming
impressions of individuals.

4. Halo effect -
Humans tend to
operate under
certain biases
when forming
impression of
other
individuals.

5. In-group bias - tendency to
favor one's own group.

6. Black sheep
effect - the
tendency of group
members to judge
likeable in group
members more
positively and
deviant in group
member more
negatively than
comparable out
group members.

7. Elements of social perception
Three sets of clues help form
the impression of another
person:
1. Person
2. Situation surrounding the
person
3. Observed behavior of the
person

8. Elements of social perception (cont.)
Preconceptions about the situations in which
we see the behavior of other people
Develop from experience with the same or
similar situations
Situation raises expectations about behavior
the situation should cause

9. Attribution processes
People use attribution processes to explain the
causes of behavior they see in others.
Attribution
Situational Personal
processes
attribution attribution
Aspects of the situation, Characteristics of the person
not qualities of the person, such as beliefs, disposition, or
cause the person's personality, and not the
behavior situation, caused the person's
behavior

10. Fundamental attribution error
• Observer underestimates situation as cause of
behavior;
• Explaining their behavior: tend to ascribe
causes to the situation, not to personal qualities
• Explaining other’s behavior: tend to ascribe its
causes to personal qualities, not the situation

11. Social
perception
is a key
component
of social
skills and
social
interaction.