2. Perceptual Errors
The perceptual process may result in a person making
errors in judgment or understanding of another person.
Research done at the University of California-Los
Angelas has found that perceptual errors can be
instantly corrected by the brain. It had been previously
thought that the recalibration would take time, and
applied more to long term injuries, disabilities, and
growth periods. The findings of the study could mean
changes in the way rehabilitation is done for strokes
and other brain injuries.
3. The most common types of perceptual errors are :
Accuracy in judgment
Perceptual defense
Stereotyping
The Halo effect
Projection
Role of culture
Expectancy effects
Self-fulfilling prophecy
4. Accuracy in judgment
Similarity error –
Assuming that people who are similar to us ( in terms of
background, interests and hobbies) will behave like us.
Contrast error –
Comparing people to others rather than to some
absolute standard.
Overweighting of negative information –
A tendency to overreact to something negative.
Race, age, and gender bias –
Tendency to be more or less positive based on one’s
race, age, of sex.
5. Perceptual defense
The tendency for people to protect themselves against ideas,
objects, or situations that are threatening.
Stereotyping
The belief that all members of a specific group share similar traits
and behaviors.
Halo effect
A tendency to color everything we know about a person because
of one recognizable favorable or unfavorable trait.
Projection
Tendency to see one’s traits in others.
The role of culture –
Culture influence our perception in selecting information and
exhibiting a behavioral pattern in situations
6. Expectancy effects :
Extent to which expectations bias how events,
objects, and people are actually perceived.
Self-fulfilling prophecy :
Expecting certain things to happen will shape the
behavior of the perceiver in such a way that the
expected is more likely to happen.
