Human Communication

THIRD EDITION

◄ Judy C. Pearson  Paul E. Nelson  Scott Titsworth  Lynn Harter ►

CHAPTER TWO

Perception, Self,
and Communication

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

◄ Chapter 2 Objectives
2

• Explain why differences in perception

occur
• Describe the process of perception
• Identify perceptual errors
• Understand how your view of yourself
is related to communication

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

◄ Chapter 2 Objectives
3

• Differentiate self-fulfilling prophecies,

self-image, and self-esteem
• Explain how you can improve your self-
concept
• Define identity management and
explain its component parts

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

◄ What is Perception ?
4

The process of becoming

aware of objects and
events from the senses

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

◄ What is Perception?
5

• Active perception
– Our minds select, organize, and interpret
what we sense

• Subjective perception
– Our minds construct unique meanings to
sensed stimuli

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

◄ Differences in Perception
6

• Physiological factors

• Past experiences and roles

• Culture and co-culture

• Present feelings and

circumstances

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◄ What Occurs in Perception?
7

• Three distinct activities

– Selection
– Organization
– Interpretation

• Occur quickly and almost

simultaneously

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◄ Selection
8

• Neglect some stimuli and focus on

others
– Selective exposure
– Selective attention
– Selection perception
– Selective retention

Link to Perception
Activities on the Web
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◄ Organization
9

• Group stimuli into meaningful units or

wholes
– Figure & ground

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

◄ Organization
10

• Group stimuli into meaningful units or

wholes
– Figure & ground
– Closure

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

◄ Organization
11

• Group stimuli into meaningful units or

wholes
– Figure & ground
– Closure
– Proximity

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

◄ Organization
12

• Group stimuli into meaningful units or

wholes
– Figure & ground
– Closure
– Proximity
– Similarity

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

◄ Interpretation
13

• Assign meaning to the stimuli

– Blend of internal states and external
stimuli

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

◄ Interpretation
14

• Assign meaning to the stimuli

– Blend of internal states and external
stimuli
– Often rely on context for cues

3 2 I-I 2 3
G I-I I
McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
◄ How Do We Perceive Others?
15

• Attribution
– Assigning meaning to the behavior of
others

– Can lead to perceptual errors

• Attribution errors
• Perceptual errors

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

◄ Attribution Errors
16

• Fundamental attribution error

– Attribute successes of others to the
situation and failures of others to the
individual

• Self-serving bias
– Our successes are due to our personal
qualities and our failures are due to
circumstances

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

◄ Perceptual Errors
17

• Stereotyping
– Oversimplified or standardized image of a
person based on his or her group
membership

• First Impressions
– Initial opinion about another person

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◄ Avoiding Errors
18

• Recognize the subjective nature of

perception

• Use perceptual checking

– Describe what you observed
– Suggest alternative interpretations
– Ask for the “correct” interpretation

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

◄ Who Are You?
19

• What do you know about

yourself?
– Self-perception
– Personal identity

• Who you are develops

through
– Intrapersonal communication
– Symbolic interactionism
• Self-fulfilling prophecy

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

◄ Learning More About Yourself
20

• Understand your
physical self

• Understand how
others perceive you

• Understand your
communication skills
and behaviors

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

◄ What’s Your Future Potential?
21

• Self-actualization
– The fulfillment of one’s
potential as a person

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◄ How Do You Evaluate Yourself?
22

• Self-Appraisal/Self-Concept has two

parts

– Self-Image

– Self-Esteem

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◄ Self-Image
23

• The picture you have of

yourself

• Based on feedback from

others
– Confirmation
– Rejection
– Disconfirmation

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◄ Self-Esteem
24

• How you feel about

yourself
• Based on your
perceptions of your
successes and
failures
• Affects perception
and communication

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

◄ Improving Self-Concept
25

• Have a goal or objective

• Make your goal realistic
• Find information about how to achieve
your goal
• Exercise control and restraint
• Gain support of friends and family
• Accept yourself

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◄ How Do We Present Ourselves?
26

• Self-presentation
– The way we portray
ourselves to others

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◄ How Do We Present Ourselves?
27

• Identity Management
– Control (or lack of
control) of the
communication of
information through a
performance
– High and low self-
monitors
– Face, facework,
politeness

McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.