What Is Perception in Interpersonal Communication
Perception Essay
Perception is a fundamental process in all interpersonal communication encounters. This essay will describe perception and the role it has in interpersonal communication. It will focus on the perceptual process of stereotyping and I will explore some of my experiences with stereotyping.
The process through which individuals receive and interpret information from the external world is called perception. Perception acts as a filter via which information passes before it impacts on one’s communication. An individuals background, life experience, values and roles may vary the results of this filter process and influence individual perceptions. Therefore, each individual can perceive the same object or situation very differently and behave according to their perceptions. (DeVito, 2004; Lewis & Slade, 1994).
Wood (2007 p. 73) explains that perception occurs through three blended stages. The first stage is where we select certain information or qualities from stimuli. Secondly, the information is organised according to a cognitive constructs. The third stage involves interpreting and evaluating the information and applying attributions.
There are a range of perceptual processes that influence ones interpersonal perception. These processes aid in making the information easier to understand and classify, however, these processes are often inaccurate and may act as barriers (DeVito, 2004). The perceptual process this essay focuses on is stereotyping. Stereotyping is common in our society. From the moment you sight someone, you may stereotype them on the basis of their culture, social status or gender. Weiten (1995, p. 642) classes stereotyping as a normal cognitive process that “…save [us] energy by simplifying our social world.†Hogg and Vaughan (2002, p. 39) concur and explain that stereotyping helps to avoid cognitive ‘overload’ by letting individuals place mental images or stimuli into
Perception is a fundamental process in all interpersonal communication encounters. This essay will describe perception and the role it has in interpersonal communication. It will focus on the perceptual process of stereotyping and I will explore some of my experiences with stereotyping.
The process through which individuals receive and interpret information from the external world is called perception. Perception acts as a filter via which information passes before it impacts on one’s communication. An individuals background, life experience, values and roles may vary the results of this filter process and influence individual perceptions. Therefore, each individual can perceive the same object or situation very differently and behave according to their perceptions. (DeVito, 2004; Lewis & Slade, 1994).
Wood (2007 p. 73) explains that perception occurs through three blended stages. The first stage is where we select certain information or qualities from stimuli. Secondly, the information is organised according to a cognitive constructs. The third stage involves interpreting and evaluating the information and applying attributions.
There are a range of perceptual processes that influence ones interpersonal perception. These processes aid in making the information easier to understand and classify, however, these processes are often inaccurate and may act as barriers (DeVito, 2004). The perceptual process this essay focuses on is stereotyping. Stereotyping is common in our society. From the moment you sight someone, you may stereotype them on the basis of their culture, social status or gender. Weiten (1995, p. 642) classes stereotyping as a normal cognitive process that “…save [us] energy by simplifying our social world.†Hogg and Vaughan (2002, p. 39) concur and explain that stereotyping helps to avoid cognitive ‘overload’ by letting individuals place mental images or stimuli into
References: Davis, M., Fanning, P., & McKay, M. (1995). Messages: The communication skills book (2nd ed.). California: New Harbinger DeVito, J. A. (2004). The interpersonal communication book (10th ed.). New York: Pearson Education. Hogg, M. A., & Vaughan, G. M. (2002). Introduction to social psychology (3rd ed.). New South Wales: Pearson Education. Lewis, G., & Slade, C. (1994). Critical communication. Canberra: Prentice Hall. Wieten, W. (1995). Psychology: Themes and variations (3rd ed.). California: Brookes Cole. Wood, J. T. (2007). Interpersonal communication: Everyday encounters. California: Thomson Wadsworth.