What are the hindrances that we face in perception?
Individuals have a tendency to
use a number of shortcuts when they judge others. An understanding of these
shortcuts can be helpful toward recognizing when they can result in significant
distortions.
1. Selective Perception
Any characteristic that makes a
person, object, or event stand out will increase the probability that it will
be perceived. It is impossible for an individual to internalize and assimilate
everything that is seen .Only certain stimuli can be taken in selectively.
Selectivity works as a shortcut in judging other people by allowing us to
“speed-read” others, but, not without the risk of drawing an inaccurate
picture. The tendency to see what we want to see can make us draw unwarranted
conclusions from an ambiguous situation.
2. Halo Effect
The halo effect (Murphy &
Anhalt, 1992) occurs when we draw a general impression on the basis of a single
characteristic. For example, while appraising the lecturer, students may give
prominence to a single trait, such as, enthusiasm and allow their entire
evaluation to be tainted by how they judge the instructor on that one trait
which stood out prominently in their estimation of that person. Research
suggests that it is likely to be most extreme when the traits to be perceived
are ambiguous in behavioral terms, when the traits have moral overtones, and
when the perceiver is judging traits with which he or she has had limited
experience.
3. Contrast Effects
Individuals do not evaluate a
person in isolation. Their reaction to one person is influenced by other
persons they have encountered recently. For example, an interview situation in
which one sees a pool of job applicants can distort perception. Distortions in
any given candidate’s evaluation can occur as a result of his or her place in
the interview schedule.
4. Projection
This tendency to attribute
one’s own characteristics to other people – which is called projection – can
distort perceptions made about others. When managers engage in projection, they
compromise their ability to respond to individual differences. They tend to see
people as more homogeneous than they really are.
5. Stereotyping
Stereotyping–judging someone on
the basis of our perception of the group to which he or she belongs.
Generalization is not without advantages (Hilton & Hippel, 1996). It is a
means of simplifying a complex world, and it permits us to maintain
consistency. The problem, of course, is when we inaccurately stereotype. In
organizations, we frequently hear comments that represent stereotypes based on
gender, age, race, ethnicity, and even weight. From a perceptual standpoint, if
people expect to see these stereotypes, that is what they will perceive,
whether or not they are accurate.6. First-impression error Individuals place a
good deal of importance on first impressions. First impressions are lasting
impressions. We tend to remember what we perceive first about a person, and
sometimes we are quite reluctant to change our initial impressions.
First-impression error means the tendency to form lasting opinions about an
individual based on initial perceptions. Primacy effects can be particularly
dangerous in interviews, given that we form first impressions quickly and that
these impressions may be the basis for long-term employment relationships.