2.1: Perception Process

Learning Objectives

• Define perception.
• Discuss how salience influences the selection of perceptual information.
• Explain the ways in which we organize perceptual information.
• Discuss the role of schemata in the interpretation of perceptual information.

Perception is the process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting information. This process, which is shown in Figure 2.1 “The Perception Process”, includes the perception of select stimuli that pass through our perceptual filters, are organized into our existing structures and patterns, and are then interpreted based on previous experiences. Although perception is a largely cognitive and psychological process, how we perceive the people and objects around us affects our communication. We respond differently to an object or person that we perceive favorably than we do to something we find unfavorable. But how do we filter through the mass amounts of incoming information, organize it, and make meaning from what makes it through our perceptual filters and into our social realities?

Selecting Information

We take in information through all five of our senses, but our perceptual field (the world around us) includes so many stimuli that it is impossible for our brains to process and make sense of it all. So, as information comes in through our senses, various factors influence what actually continues on through the perception process (Fiske & Taylor, 1991). Selecting is the first part of the perception process, in which we focus our attention on certain incoming sensory information. How do we decide what to select and what to leave out?

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): The Perception Process

We tend to pay attention to information that is salient. Salience is the degree to which something attracts our attention in a particular context. The thing attracting our attention can be abstract, like a concept, or concrete, like an object. For example, a person’s identity as a Native American may become salient when they are protesting at the Columbus Day parade in Denver, Colorado. Or a bright flashlight shining in your face while camping at night is sure to be salient.

Stimulating Our Senses

It is probably not surprising to learn that visually and/or aurally stimulating things become salient in our perceptual field and get our attention. Having our senses stimulated isn’t always a positive thing. Think about the couple that won’t stop talking during the movie or the upstairs neighbor whose subwoofer shakes your ceiling at night. In short, stimuli can be attention-getting in a productive or distracting way. As communicators, we can use this knowledge to our benefit by minimizing distractions when we have something important to say.

We tend to pay attention to information that we perceive to meet our needs or interests in some way. This type of selective attention can help us meet instrumental needs and get things done. When you need to speak with a financial aid officer about your scholarships and loans, you sit in the waiting room and listen for your name to be called. When we don’t think certain messages meet our needs, stimuli that would normally get our attention may be completely lost. Imagine you are in the grocery store and you hear someone say your name. You turn around, only to hear that person say, “Finally! I said your name three times. I thought you forgot who I was!” A few seconds before, when you were focused on figuring out which kind of orange juice to get, you were attending to the various pulp options to the point that you tuned other stimuli out, even something as familiar as the sound of someone calling your name.

We also find salient information that interests us. Of course, many times, stimuli that meet our needs are also interesting, but it’s worth discussing these two items separately because sometimes we find things interesting that don’t necessarily meet our needs. I’m sure we’ve all gotten sucked into a television show, video game, or random project and paid attention to that at the expense of something that actually meets our needs. Paying attention to things that interest us but don’t meet specific needs seems like the basic formula for procrastination that we are all familiar with.

Our expectations also play a role in what we find salient. For example, if you’re waiting for a package, you may pay extra attention to any sound outside. That’s because you're expecting it. On the other hand, we also notice things that are unusual—like if a normally quiet friend suddenly speaks loudly, or if someone shows up to class dressed as a wizard. Unexpected things have to be noticeably different to stand out. So, we notice what we expect and what surprises us—if it's different enough.

Organizing Information

Organizing is the second step in perception, where we sort information using patterns we’ve learned. We often organize based on proximity (things close together belong together), similarity (things that look or act alike are grouped), and difference (things that stand out are seen as separate). For example, people standing near each other may be assumed to be together, or people who look similar may be seen as related. Differences, especially based on race or background, can lead to incorrect and even offensive assumptions.

These organizing habits are natural and help us manage information, but the judgments we attach to them are learned. While pattern recognition is useful for everyday life, it becomes harmful when it leads to stereotypes or unfair treatment.

We also organize communication experiences based on our personal point of view. This is called punctuation—how we decide where an interaction begins and ends. For instance, if one person thinks a conflict started days ago and the other just became aware of it, their mismatched views can create more tension. Being aware of how we organize and interpret events helps reduce misunderstandings and improves communication.

Image 2.1.1 An Organized Brain

Interpreting Information

Interpretation is the third step in the perception process. It’s when we assign meaning to what we experience using mental frameworks called schemata—stored knowledge from past experiences. These help us make sense of new situations. For example, we have a schema for school that includes things like teachers, homework, grades, and classmates. As we move through different stages of education, we update our schema to match new expectations. If we don’t, we may struggle to understand or adapt to new situations.

Schemata also influence how we act and communicate. If you assume someone is shy based on your schema, you might not ask them to present in a group project. Schemata guide our behavior in familiar situations—like how to act in a classroom or on a job interview.

We often interpret others based on factors like their job, age, race, or background. These impressions help us decide how to interact. But to be effective communicators, we must be open to updating our schemata as we gain new experiences—just like updating apps to improve how they work.