Lecture 5 - Perception

Question 1

perception

Answer 1

While information seems to enter our conscious minds without bias, our perception is not an objective lens
-perception is the process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting information from our senses

Question 2

Three steps of perception

Answer 2

1. selection
2. organization
3. interpretation

Question 3

1st step of perception - selection

Answer 3

• perception is an incomplete version of reality.

- selection involves focusing attention on certain sights, sounds, tastes, touches, or smells in our environment.

Question 4

what kind of information do we tend to selectively pay attention to?

Answer 4

we tend to notice things which are:

• salient (outstanding)
• relevant to ourselves
• abnormal (out of our expectations)
• attractive

Question 5

2nd step of perception - organization

Answer 5

• usually happens unconsciously

- it involves structuring the information you have selected into a coherent pattern in your mind

Question 6

What are the three ways to organize the information?

Answer 6

1. organization by rules
2. organization be schema (schemata)
3. organization by script

Question 7

organization by rules (1st way to organize)

Answer 7

1. Punctuation
2. Proximity / Physical closeness
3. Similarity

Question 8

Punctuation (organization by rules)

Answer 8

we structure the selected information into a chronological sequence that matches how you experienced the order of events

Question 9

Proximity / Physical closeness (organization by rules)

Answer 9

we group the information that are physically close to each other

Question 10

Similarity (organization by rules)

Answer 10

We group information into categories of items that share something similar

Question 11

organization be schema (schemata) (2nd way to organize)

Answer 11

Schemata: mental structures that contain information defining the characteristics of various concepts
-schemata enables us to organize and classify information and stimuli into manageable groups or categories
(we have different schemata depending on our culture)

ex: chair and phone example

Question 12

organization by script (3rd way to organize)

Answer 12

• script: an organized body of information about some action, event or procedure
• developed form your experiences

ex: first day of class

Question 13

3rd step of perception - interpretation

Answer 13

• as we organize information we selected into a coherent mental model, we also engage in interpretation, assigning meaning to that information
• it is a process we compare our current perceptions with knowledge we already possess.
• inevitably subjective and greatly influenced by our experiences, needs, values, expectations, emotional state, etc

Question 14

How we interpret information?

Answer 14

1. expectancy
2. using familiar information (schemata)
3. Attributions/inferences

Question 15

expectancy (how we interpret information)

Answer 15

we interpret information based on what we expect to perceive

Question 16

using familiar information -schemata (how we interpret information)

Answer 16

Our sense-making also relies on schemata.

1. Self-schemata – knowledge that you know about yourself. (ex: I’m allergic to seafood but love dessert so I make decision based on that information)
2. Event schemata (script) - certain procedure that you need to follow (if you want to dine in a restaurant)
3. Role schemata (stereotypes) – for a group of people
4. Person schemata – for a particular person that you know (ex: her husband is not romantic so she doesn’t expect a gift from him on their anniversary)

Question 17

Attributions/inferences (how we interpret information)

Answer 17

we create explanations for other’s comments or behaviors

• internal attributions
• external attributions

Question 18

internal vs external attributions

Answer 18

-Internal attributions: Personalities; outcomes form internal factors.
Sometimes we are trying to figure out the cause and what leads to this outcome. Something the person can control. Ex: their personality.
-External attributions: outcome is caused external (environment) and people don’t have control over it. Ex: weather
-kind of like nature vs. nurture

Question 19

Memory/Recall

Answer 19

• stored perceptions and their interpretations and evaluations for later recall
• your eyes deceive
• deja vu

Question 20

deja vu (memory/recall) - reproductive and reconstructive memory

Answer 20

• reproductive memory – memory we really have that we retrieve from our minds; we recall memory
• reconstructive memory – we don’t have the memory there; but instead we make up the memory; we thought it was our memory but we are really constructing memory