3: Perception and Communication

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Page ID: 136535

Hilary Altman & Alex Mata
ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative (OERI)

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Learning Objectives

Explain the perception process and how it influences interpersonal relationships.
Discuss the factors, including psychological tendencies that affect how we perceive others and impact our interactions.
Identify both implicit and personal biases in your perception, and use strategies to separate observable facts from assumptions, in order to mitigate stereotyping.

3.1: Introduction to Perception and Communication
Using a vignette and reflection questions, this introduces and previews some concepts covered in the chapter.
3.2: Perception Process—Parts 1 and 2 (Selection and Organization)
The Perception Process involves three parts. In this section, we will discuss the first two parts of the perception process: selection and organization. Selection is how we determine what to pay attention to, while organization refers to how we categorize or sort information.
3.3: Perception Process - Part 3 (Interpretation)
The final stage of the perception process is interpretation. This refers to how we assign meaning to the stimuli we encounter in our everyday interactions.
3.4: Influences on Perception
There are many factors that influence how we perceive others. Our own health and physiology, the culture or cultures we are raised within, the social/professional roles we take on, our cognitions, and the physical and environmental surroundings are just some of the circumstances that affect how we see, hear, feel, and react to other people. This section will focus on these influences on perception.
3.5: Stereotyping, Microaggressions, and Bias
As humans, we often make assumptions about other people, based on surface physical characteristics. Stereotyping provides a shortcut to reducing uncertainty about others, but many times comes with the cost of inaccuracy. We will discuss stereotyping, as well as the role of bias in our perceptions. As effective communicators, we want to avoid microaggressions and treat each individual with respect.
3.6: Guidelines for Effective Perception
It is essential for us to use strategies that decrease the inevitable biases each of us have, if we are going to practice effective communication. Perception checking involves taking extra time and effort to examine a situation from multiple perspectives, with the goal of increased understanding between two parties.
3.7: Summary and Review
3.8: References

Thumbnail: Photo by KaLisa Veer on Unsplash