Perceptual Errors

Stereotyping

Refer to text book (Pearson)

First Impression

Refer to text book (Pearson)

Leniency

is the perceptual error of overvaluing everyone. If you think that the world is full of only excellent
people then that is a perceptual error because that is not what reality is. For example, not all the
teams playing in the World Cup are excellent.

Central Tendency

is the perceptual error of thinking that everybody is mediocre/ average and that there are no
extremes. But just as we have Mother Teresa, we also have serial killers. So people CAN be extremes
and thinking otherwise is an error. For example, some teams or players are way ahead of other
teams and players in the World Cup where some teams and players are really bad. All teams are not
simply average.

Recency

is the tendency to judge people by their recent actions instead of their overall activities. It is the
tendency to emphasize the most recent impression over earlier impressions when forming
perception. It is kind of in contrast with ‘first impression’. For example, if you assume that
Bangladesh is not going to do well in the World Cup only based on the last match they lost.

Self-serving bias

is the tendency to associate own hard work and credit with success and luck or situation with failure.
On the contrary, when it comes to other people’s success, we tend to associate it with luck and
coincidence where as when it comes to their failure; we connect it with their shortcomings and
mistakes. For example, we tend to credit our cricketers when they win and blame the weather or
umpire when they lose.