What is “perception”
The process of taking in information from the environment, and interpreting it using our senses to make sense of this information
What are the three components of perception?
1) Perceiver: The person forming a perception
2) Target: The thing that about which an assumption or perception is being developed
3) Situation: The context in which the perception is formed
What are some factors that effect the perceiver?
- Previous experiences are the main driver of perception
- Our needs
- Emotional state
- “Perceptual defense,” a tendency for an individual’s perception to protect them from unpleasant emotions
What is “social identity theory”
A theory that states people’s perceptions of themselves are based on characteristics/personality traits they believe they have as well as what social groups they belong to
What are the 6 steps to the perceptual process?
1) Unfamiliar target encountered
2) Openness to target cues
3) Familiar cues encountered
4) Target categorized
5) Cue selectivity
6) Categorization strengthened
What is the “primacy effect”
The tendency to rely on a set of early cues to form your perception of someone or something
The primacy is extremely long lasting which is why first impressions are so important
What is the “recency effect”
Putting too much weight on cues that happened recently as opposed to ones that are consistent from day to day
What is a “central trait”
A trait the target has that is of interest to the perceiver
People tend to heavily base perceptions off central traits
Ex: A hiring manager who values physical fitness (central trait) perceives an athletic candidate as more disciplined and energetic than a less fit candidate, regardless of their actual work ethic
What is “implicit personality theory”
A personal, subjective, theory each person has about what personality traits go together, developed through past experiences
Ex: You met someone that is hardworking and is also honest, so you might expect the next hardworking person you meet to also be honest
What is “projection”
The tendency for a perceiver to assume that other people are experiencing the same thoughts, emotions, and have the same perceptions as them
What is “stereotyping”
The tendency to generalize your perception of someone based on the social group they belong to and ignoring their differences
What are the three steps/aspects of stereotyping
1) Distinguish a specific group (Ex. By race, gender, age, etc)
2) Come up with traits these people possess
3) Assume that all people in this group possess these traits
What is the “halo effect”
Tendency to assume someone else’s traits based on your impression of them (even if the trait is unrelated)
Ex: You might assume that someone that is good looking is a good person, even though they actually aren’t
What are some techniques for avoiding bias/stereotyping
- Use structured interviews and standardized criteria
- Focus on job-relevant competencies
- Implement multiple raters/panel assessments
- Train evaluators about common biases
- Use behavioral and situational questions
What is “attribution”
The process of assigning causes and motives to a person’s behavior
What is dispositional vs situational attribution
Dispositional attribution: Suggests that a person acted a certain way due to unique, internal causes specific to that person
Situational attribution: Suggests that the situation/environment is responsible for a behavior and the person had little control over it
What are the three questions asked to figure out if a behavior was caused dispositionally or situationally
1) Does the person engage in the behavior regularly and consistently? (Consistency cues)
2) Do most people engage in the behavior, or is it unique to this person? (Consensus cues)
3) Does the person engage in the behavior in many situations, or is it distinctive to one situation? (Distinctiveness cues)
What is “fundamental attribution error”
The tendency to overemphasize dispositional reasons for a behavior and not consider situational ones when judging someone that is not ourself
What is the “actor-observer effect”
The difference in what the actor and observer think is the cause for the actors behaviors
Actors tend to include situational reasons, while observers are likely to commit the fundamental attribution error
What is a “self-serving bias”
The tendency to take responsibility for good outcomes and deny accountability for negative ones
People will describe their behavior dispositionally if the outcome was positive, and situationally if it was negative
What is “DEI”
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
What is a “diversity climat”
The extent to which companies advocate for fair HR policies, inclusion, and equality (one of the best ways to show a you value DEI)
What are stereotypical applications vs threats
Stereotype applications: The degree to which people will act based on their stereotypes when making decisions
Stereotype threat: When a person believes they will be judged based on a stereotype, and they believe their actions will confirm it
What are the five most common workplace stereotypes
1) Racial, ethnic, and religious stereotypes
2) Gender stereotypes
3) Age stereotypes
4) 2LGBTQ+ stereotypes
5) Disability stereotypes
