Perception

•Definition,Nature, importance
•Factors influencing perception
•Perceptual process
•Perceptual organization
•Perceptual errors
Ref : OB, S.P.Robbins
OB,Text & cases, Suja R.Nair
“ WE DON’T SEE THINGS AS

THEY ARE, WE SEE THINGS

AS WE ARE.”
Story:
Three workers were breaking rocks at the
construction site of a huge temple. When
asked, ’what are you doing?’, one of
them answered, ‘Don’t you see I’m just
breaking rocks?’ The other one said, ‘I
am working for Rs.30 a day’ whereas the
third man replied, ‘I’m proud of the fact
that I’m helping to build this huge
temple!’
What
What isis Perception?
Perception?
 A process by which individuals organize and
interpret their sensory impressions in order to give
meaning to their environment.
 People’s behavior is based on their perception of
what reality is, not on reality itself.
 The world as it is perceived is the world that is
behaviorally important.

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Importance
Importance of
of perception:
perception:
 Helps in understanding the difference between the
perceptual world and the real world.
 Individuals have different degrees of readiness to
respond to objects, people, and events.
 Perception is what helps individuals to use the
knowledge they have in an entirely different situation
from that in which they learned it.
Ex. Uses of knife.
Ex. A universal managerial assumption that subordinates
always want promotion even though in fact, many
subordinates really feel psychologically compelled to
accept a promotion.
Nature
Nature of
of perception:
perception:
 Is a complex cognitive process
 Information is selected, cognitively organizes the
perceived information in a specific fashion, and then
interpreted.
 Is a subjective process.
Factors
Factors that
that Influence
Influence Perception
Perception
,,
 Classification of perceptual selectivity

Perceptual selectivity

External factors Internal factors

Size Learning
Intensity
Needs
Repetition
Novelty Age
differences
Contrast

Motion Interest
Perceptual
Perceptual organization
organization
 Process by which people group environmental
stimuli into recognizable pattern
 Forms of perceptual organization:
– Figure ground principle
– Perceptual grouping
• Closure
• Continuity
• Proximity
• Similarity
– Perceptual constancy
– Perceptual context
1. Figure- ground principle: perceived objects
is viewed as separate from the background
• Figure is viewed in contrast to the background
• Positioning of the object
Closure
Closure
Only
Only  great
 great minds
minds  can
 can read this …
read this …
fi yuo cna  
raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too  
Cna  yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe  
out of 100 can.  
i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht  
I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan
mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde
Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres
in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit
and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a
taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm.  
Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey
lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh?
yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!  
Proximity
Proximity
Similarity
Similarity
Perceptual constancy: (higher form of
perceptual organisation)
Attributing some constant and repeatable
characteristics to events and people and
objects.Irrespective of the information received
by the senses,the size ,color& the characteristics
of the object remains constant.

Ex. An apple in different colors & context

A newspaper print of a photo of 3X 5 inches
A CA Person hired in organization A, B, C
Perceptual context: ( highest form of perceptual
organization)
You perceive the stimulus based on the context
gives meaning and value to simple stimuli, objects,
events, situations and people in the environment.
Ex. Within an organisation, a piece of information
communicated in the form of a circular, a notice, a
suggestion, a pat on the back, a smile, a raised
eyebrow, will acquire a special meaning and added
value when placed in the context of the work
organisation.
Attribution
Attribution Theory:
Theory: Judging
Judging Others
Others
 Our perception and judgment of others is significantly
influenced by our assumptions of the other person’s
internal state.
– When individuals observe behavior, they attempt to
determine whether it is internally or externally caused.
• Internal causes are under that person’s control
• External causes are not – person forced to act in that way
 Causation judged through:
– Distinctiveness
• Shows different behaviors in different situations.
– Consensus
• Response is the same as others to same situation.
– Consistency
• Responds in the same way over time.
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Elements
Elements of
of Attribution
Attribution Theory
Theory

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Errors
Errors and
and Biases
Biases in
in Attributions
Attributions
 Fundamental Attribution Error
– The tendency to underestimate the influence of external
factors and overestimate the influence of internal factors
when making judgments about the behavior of others
– We blame people first, not the situation

 Self-Serving Bias
– The tendency for individuals to attribute their own successes
to internal factors while putting the blame for failures on
external factors
– It is “our” success but “their” failure

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Frequently
Frequently Used
Used Shortcuts
Shortcuts in
in Judging
Judging Others
Others
 Selective Perception
– People selectively interpret what they see
on the basis of their interests,
background, experience, and attitudes
 Halo Effect
– Drawing a general impression about an
individual on the basis of a single
characteristic
 Contrast Effects
– Evaluation of a person’s characteristics
that are affected by comparisons with
other people recently encountered who
rank higher or lower on the same
characteristics
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Another
Another Shortcut:
Shortcut: Stereotyping
Stereotyping
Judging someone on the basis of one’s perception of the
group to which that person belongs – a prevalent and often
useful, if not always accurate, generalization

Profiling
– A form of stereotyping in which members of a group are
singled out for intense scrutiny based on a single, often
racial, trait.

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Specific
SpecificShortcut
ShortcutApplications
Applicationsin
inOrganizations
Organizations
 Employment Interview
– Perceptual biases of raters affect the accuracy of
interviewers’ judgments of applicants
– Formed in a single glance – 1/10 of a second!
 Performance Expectations
– Self-fulfilling prophecy (Pygmalion effect): The lower or
higher performance of employees reflects preconceived
leader expectations about employee capabilities
 Performance Evaluations
– Appraisals are often the subjective (judgmental) perceptions
of appraisers of another employee’s job performance
– Critical impact on employees

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Summary
Summary and
and Managerial
Managerial Implications
Implications
 Perception:
– People act based on how they view their world
– What exists is not as important as what is believed
– Managers must also manage perception

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