Critical Thinking in Management

Week 3: Understanding the process

of perception and thinking critically
about the world around us.
K Hilliger
 Session outline & aims
• Understand the process of • Become more aware of the
perception. nature of our own/others
• How perception relates to our thought processes and the
ability to think effectively. potential for distortion &
bias.
• Understand that we are active •
Examine how the process of
participants in the process of perception impacts of
perception. business communications.
• Introduce the concept of
listening & perception
( to be developed in later
sessions as “active
listening”).
K Hilliger
 Pictures
1. Looking at • We attribute information to
images images/situations
• We make judgements,
assumptions
• We select/focus on different
things, we organise &
interpret that information
2. Individually, differently
• Some of our inferences are
write down what not accurate
you see – what is • We use our own
the picture all “backgrounds” – values,
education, opinions,
about? What is psychology, experiences,
the story? culture to “fill in gaps”

K Hilliger
 A confusing world?

“We live in a world of objects and people, a world

that bombards our senses with stimuli. Only in the
most unusual circumstances are we aware of a
single stimuli, a point of light, a pure tone, or a
regular pattern. Instead we see a 3D world of light
and colour and hear words, music and other
complex sounds. We react to elaborate
patterns of stimuli, usually with little
awareness of their individual parts.”

(Atkinson et al, 1981: 133)

K Hilliger
 Introducing Perception Process/Theory

“Perception is the process by which we organise

and interpret patterns of stimuli in the
environment.
(Atkinson et al 1981:133)

Selecting
Organising = Perceiving
Interpreting

K Hilliger
 Selecting

• Certain sensations to pay attention/focus on:

certain lines, shapes, shading, smells, noises. Our
attention is selective.

 The familiar/unexpected ROAR!!!!

 Face in a crowd
 Hearing one person’s voice
in a crowded room

K Hilliger
 Organising
• These sensations into a design, pattern or
meaningful relationship: lines, shapes,
shading, smells, sounds

• The complete whole means more to us than

the sum of the individual
parts.
Recognising an object from
a cropped image

K Hilliger
 Interpreting
• What this design or pattern means to us:
recognise a shape, word, meaning, noise,
smell, action.

• The context or overall situation is important

– influences our interpretation of what we
are perceiving.

K Hilliger
 The neuro-physiological approach to visual
perception
• Perception = biology not psychology
• Based on understanding the central nervous system
• Neuron (specialised brain cells) communicate with each
other to trigger brain function

– Chemical changes occur producing electrical

impulses across the brain. We call these
impulses thinking.
– Perception therefore is simply a chemical
process

K Hilliger
 People Perceive Things Differently

Event

Person A Person B

Select
Organise
Interpret

Perception B Perception A

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 People Perceive Things Differently

• Emotions • Our interests

• Beliefs & values
• Education
• Attitudes
• Personal factors
• Self image
• Cultural background
• Opinions
• Familiarity/unexpected
K Hilliger
• Desires/motivations
• The situation you are
in
• Past experiences
• Selective attention
• Technological
• Facts
• Peer pressure
 Perception is a constructive process

Empiricism =
“the idea that perception is something more than
the direct registration of senses, that somehow
other events intervene between the stimulation and
experience.” (Gordon, 1997: 157)

• There is a process that interprets what we see,

touch, hear, feel, smell.
• It is predictive, paradoxical & ambiguous.

K Hilliger
 Thinking critically about perception

“ Because we actively participate in selecting, organising &

interpreting the sensations we experience, however, our
perceptions are often incomplete, inaccurate, or
subjective.” (Chaffee, p.190)

• We must consider this is all our interactions (ourselves and

others) so that we do not misperceive.
• Communicate, question, see things from different
perspectives, check your own perceptions, what are the
reasons for misperceptions: ambiguity, unclear evidence?

Q. Do organisations create ambiguity in order to persuade?

K Hilliger
 Misreading the feedback?
Nicola: (Walking into office with a smile, waving a report) “Well, Brian, the
Sales Report certainly looks a lot better this month.”
Brian: (Jumps up from a paper-strewn desk) “And what do you mean by
that?”
Nicola: (Folding arms) “Hang on a second, Brian, there’s no need to get all
aggressive about it!”
Brian: (Leaning back on desk) “I knew it. You’re at it again, Nicola, aren’t
you? Ever since that….”
Nicola: (Gesturing with hands) “WHAT? Look, all I said was…”
Brian: “Alright. Look, just forget it Nicola. You know, I’m just completely
sick… (Turns away from Nicola and picks up a ringing telephone) Oh,
hello Jim, how was the skiing? (Laughs loudly) Yeah, I bet you did!
… anyhow, what can I do for you, my old mate?”
Nicola: (Storms out of office, muttering) “Chauvinist pig!”

K Hilliger