Perception and Perception-Checking
*Attribution: This Chapter is attributed to Communication in the Real World, Ch. 2. Section One – What is Perception?
Defining PerceptionIn Intercultural Communication, perception, along with the associated skills of perception-checking (often stressed in Interpersonal Communication), is necessary for the intercultural communication process . Perception is more of a process whereby each of us creates “mental images” of the world that surrounds us, that is, of the “world out there” (Green, Fairchild, Knudsen, & Lease-Gubrud, 2018). Moreover, Green, Fairchild, Knudsen, & Lease-Gubrud (2018) explain:
The nature of communication evidences the importance of perception as a concept. Communication, recalling Professor Tucker’s three questions (Who am I, Who are you, and What are we doing here together?), may be understood as an intentional relationship between the Self and the Other. Fundamentally, then, the perception of one’s and the , and vice-versa, inform the nature and character of the communication which establishes, forms, and furthers (or, unfortunately, perhaps may fail to do so) the relationship between the two. What Is Othering?Kendra Cherry explains Othering in her article, “What is Othering:”
Perception and Barriers to Communication:Creative Commons photo from burst.shopify.comPerception, according to De Fleur, Kearney, and Plax (1993), is “seeing, hearing, or feeling something (with the senses) and then identifying what it is within the interpretations learned from one’s language and culture” (p.19). According to Gamble and Gamble’s definition (1996), “Perception is the process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting sense data in a way that enables people to make sense of our world.” (p. 77). Culture shapes Individual perceptions and and hence ; that is, culturally ingrained and instilled attitudes, beliefs, values, media, worldview, and language shape perception (Samovar, Porter, McDaniel, & Roy, 2017). For De Fleur, Kearney, and Plax (1993), perception is using one’s senses, i.e., “seeing, hearing, or feeling something and then identifying what it is within the interpretations learned from one’s language and culture” (p. 19). From these definitions, one can see that environment, or culture, profoundly affects how one organizes perception. Humans sense and perceive the world in ways unique to their culture. Perceptions, then, may differ significantly between cultures. Western cultures, by in large, promote individualism — the individual controls their own life. Further, society and culture encourage , individuals as discrete from their environment and the rights of individuals. Eastern cultures, on the other hand, are more . In Eastern cultures, one’s perception and behavior are focused on and emerge from the collective, e.g., a family, a village, and a nation. Intercultural formed behaviors, mindsets, and worldviews exist to further harmony. Perception, or misperception, raises barriers to intercultural communication. These misperceptions cause barriers to successful intercultural communication. There are several reasons for (Cavanaugh, 2015). Heightened sensitivity or intense fear and anxiety when communicating with the Other of another culture, or communication apprehension, poses a significant barrier to accurately understanding another and may prevent the beginning and continuing process of intercultural communication/interviewing competence (Communication, 2016). First, remember that communication apprehension is quite natural, especially if neither person trying to engage has substantial knowledge of the other’s culture. Thus, one barrier to intercultural communication occurs when one perceives their culturally ingrained attitudes, beliefs, values, worldview, and language as superior to the Other’s culture, that is, . At the outset, ethnocentrism breeds fear, anxiety, and misunderstanding leading to extreme communication apprehension, which poses a barrier to intercultural communication. For example, Americans (more talkative as a rule) view silence as a negative characteristic of other cultures when communicating. Americans often interpret silence as disinterestedness, unwillingness to communicate, or a personal dislike. Asian cultures, however, perceive silence differently. Silence is considered a virtue. In Eastern cultures, perceptions often emerge from Taoist sayings and principles — “In much talk, there is great weariness;” and “One who speaks does not know, one who knows does not speak” (Adler and Proctor III, p. 116). Unlike most Americans, they are comfortable with silence. These two perceptions of silence in two cultures may cause apprehension, frustration, mistrust, and an ethnocentric view. If apprehension is not addressed early, occurs. Second, given the profound differences characterizing various cultures, heightened sensitivity or apprehension on the part of one or both of the intercultural participants in the dialogue, whatever their intercultural source, can arise and pose some difficulties. For example, some introverted individuals are, by nature, less comfortable and have difficulty communicating with others of their own culture, much less those of other very different cultures (Communicataion, 2016). often approach a self-other situation, intercultural or otherwise, with a need to process their feelings and thoughts to be prepared before moving into any intercultural conversation or experience. Extroverts, on the other hand, may very well have moved on or prematurely jumped in before thinking through the situation’s complexities. As always, the middle ground of an equal measure of thought and action is helpful. Third, for many, especially those who have grown up without any contact or experience with people of a different culture, initial encounters with people of different cultures may be anxiety-producing. Such persons experience culturally ingrained and misguided perceptions of unknown cultures (Cavanauagh, 2015). It is crucial, then, as Green, Fairchild, Knudsen, & Lease-Gubrud (2018) point out, that there is a responsibility involved: to “…gain greater insight into how there can be multiple, equally valid perceptions of the same stimuli, increasing our ability to respect a range of diverse views” (Module 2, Section 2). Finally, in the interview process between those of different cultures, some students worry about sounding like a “therapist” or “salesperson” of their culture. Others fear that they might be too dependent upon stereotypes in understanding the world. Gudykunst and Kim (1995) provide an insight aptly summarized by Glaser (n.d.): creative commons photo from burst.shopify.com
Overcoming Perceptual BarriersThe concepts of perception and , then, are skills that help to avoid the above perceptual barriers. In this instance created by the television show “What would you do?” Shows us how checking one’s perception in a situation can be used. The materials below will lead to the skill of perception checking. The key to accurate perception and perception-checking is possessing an informed cultural sensitivity. According to McCrosky (2001), sources of communication and intercultural communication anxiety are related to trait, context, audience, and situation. Thus, in the process of communicating, taking time to acquire and exercise one’s perception-checking skills with one’s intercultural dialogic partner (and vice versa) is essential. An informed cultural sensitivity is necessary for the interviewer to communicate with the interviewee. This sensitivity succinctly conveys respect, honest curiosity, and a desire to learn from and hear the story of the Other — this is something akin to “compassionate listening” (sometimes also referred to as “deep listening”) explored later. Practically, it also lessens communication apprehension, thus allowing for richer, deeper conversation. What would you do in this situation? Selection, Organization, and InterpretationNeuliep (2018) defines perception itself as the “mental interpretation of external stimuli via sensation” (the accumulating of external stimuli through visual, auditory, olfactic, taste, and tactile senses). Human Perception, as a process, consists of a three-step process. Culture dramatically influences each perception step (Jandt, 2013, p. 62). The first stage of perception must be the of sense data or the “raw information,” perceived and taken in by the senses (p. 157). As Mclean (2018) explains: creative commons photo from burst.shopify.com Now, as Samovar, Porter, McDaniel, & Roy (2017) point out, we humans live in “an information-saturated world [or culture].” [We are]…constantly inundated by physical and psychological factors that, due to sheer number, we cannot select and process. Scholars in the Intercultural Communication field usually posit some steps, perceptual filters, consisting of a three-step process– selection, organization, and interpretation –to help order stimuli (Jandt, 2013). Keep in mind, during the first step of selection, the individual communicator chooses consciously or unconsciously which stimuli to pay attention to and which to ignore. In the second step, the selected stimuli must be organized, after which, in the third step, our interpretation assigns meaning to perceived sense data (Samovar, Porter, McDaniel, & Roy, 2017). :creative commons photo from burst.shopify.comCommunication in the Real World: An Introduction to Communication Studies (2016) expands upon how selection works:
:Again, drawing in part from the Open Education Resource (OER), Communication in the Real World: An Introduction to Communication Studies (2016), note that the second step of perception — organization — is also complex: CC photo – burst.shopify.com The free “OER” online textbook, Communication in the Real World: An Introduction to Communication Studies (2016), explains more about the third step of the perception process –interpretation: creative commons photo from burst.shopify.com Putting it Togher: The Process of Perception Explained in VideoThe process of perception is explained in detail by Professor Steven Klien. What would you add to his explanation? Dr. Steve Klien Shares:
Summary of the Steps of Perception:Creative commons photo from burst.shopify.comSelecting, organizing, and interpreting, then, all have unique roles in formulating the overall perception one has of a person, place, or thing. McLean (2018) stresses the intercultural elements involved in perception:
The perception process raises the need to check if our perceptions are correct. is a skill used to do just that. We will explore Perception checking in the last section. Next, we turn to perceive others.
Section Two: Perceiving Others
Perception and OthersThe following materials were adapted from Communication in the Real World (2016) and help to explain perception’s impact on our notion of others:
Frustrated drivers often use internal attributions to explain other drivers’ behaviors Beelgin – ROAD RAGE FIST – CC BY 2.0.
*[Note from Lori and Mark – recall this writing is from the free OER book, Communication and the Real World. We hope to update this section to also include a nonbinary example to update and enhance this section. Feel free to add examples to the class discussion board or email them to ].
Case Study of America Ferrera: My identity is a superpower — not an obstacleDo perceptions matter? Listen to this TED talk by America Ferrera. Think about how selection, organization, and interpretation apply to her pondering: “what has been said about me?” She concluded she was “asking the system to change vs. asking the system to let me in.” In the TED Talk, Ms. Ferrera shares a story about an audition early in her career. As a child, she was asked to speak “more like a Latina.” She wonders why she, a Latina, did not “sound like a Latina?” The casting staff asks her to add “more broken Spanish.” The process of perception, as noted above, is impacted by a number of barriers. Another barrier is “confirmation bias” – this term relates to how the director perceives “Latinas.” In the video, the director is looking to cast someone who meets the stereotype they hold and are selecting to portray in their commercial. Timn Retting (2017) shared that there are 3 Cognitive Biases that affect your intercultural communication skills: 1) confirmation bias; 2) selective perception bias; and 3) familiarity bias. He explains as follows:
The director also holds a when forgetting that most Latinos in the United States have immigrated years ago and the accent one possesses will most likely depend upon the region one is raised in, not just ethnicity. Retting (2017) further explains:
Finally, a third bias mentioned by Retting (2017) is the :
If you “interpret” yourself as an obstacle vs. a “superpower,” your life changes, so Ms. Ferrera shares. Below, the table outlines the perceptional process that Ferrera experiences and shares in the video:
TED Talk Description:
Section Three: Perception Checking
“So far, we have learned about the perception process and how we perceive others and ourselves Now we will turn to a discussion of how to improve our perception Our self-perception can be improved by becoming aware of how schema, socializing forces,, and negative patterns of thinking can distort our ability to describe and evaluate ourselves How we perceive others can be improved by developing better listening and empathetic skills, becoming aware of and , developing through self-reflection, and engaging in perception checking” (Communication in the Real World, 2016). As humans, we often assume that we are aware of, and even understand, what other people are thinking and feeling, that our perceptions of others are correct and updated. In truth, though, we usually do not take the time to attempt to ascertain in a nonjudgmental and clarifying way through perception-checking questions: “You seem upset;” “Are you?;” or “I get the impression that this exchange has hurt your feelings in some way Is this true?” (Brookfield & Preskill, 2005) Gudykunst & Kim (1995) point out that frequent perception checking can reduce ambiguity and facilitate intercultural communication. Through , we describe what we perceive the other person to be thinking or feeling and then request clearly and in a non-threatening manner that the other person confirms or corrects our perception. According to Brookfield and Preskill (2005), perception checks send a valuable message to one’s interlocutor of another culture who genuinely wants to listen, observe, and then understand their verbal or nonverbal communication. As we shall see, there is a necessary tie between perception checking and compassionate listening. creative commons photo from burst.shopify.comis most simply defined as a “quality of listening which creates a safe container for people to be free to express themselves and to go to the level of their deep concerns….[It means] listening deeply to the needs and suffering of others and respecting their rights to their opinions…[forming the] basis of…successful dialogue, [which] can only take place when people are really ready to listen to each other and to themselves” (Hwoschinsky, 2006, p.3) To adequately practice the dynamic process of compassionate listening, then, perception checks, Brookfield and Preskill (2005) accentuate, are especially important in intercultural communication encounters Given that individuals from different cultures sense, interpret, and understand the world in different ways, perception checks can help ameliorate the inherent ambiguity that is part of intercultural communication (Samovar, Porter, McDaniel, & Roy, 2017). creative commons photo from burst.shopify.comIn the process of successful intercultural communication, one need not overly worry about perception checks interrupting the flow of conversation and thus creating a burden or barrier to effective communication. It is just the opposite and should take precedence over the discussion. If a perception check occurs, for example: “I heard you mention the term ‘class’ several times as you described your upbringing.” “I am wondering, are you saying that racism always has an underlying economic cause or is it primarily a finite issue? Can you explain that a bit more?” Another less “technically structured” example of a simple perception-checking question is: “Did I paraphrase your last comment correctly?” Note, the discussion itself stops so that the person of the other culture may think about and answer the given perception check. The conversation is allowed to check and clarify what was previously said and then confirm the perception check. Only after both interlocutors involved in the conversation have checked their perceptions and clarified their meanings so that they are satisfied with the meaning and nuance of the conversation can the discussion continue (Brookfield and Preskill, 2005). Brookfield and Preskill (2005) remind us that though the natural flow of the conversation was interrupted, it was necessary to clarify the accuracy of the communication and enhance a mutual common understanding lest the meaning and message of the conversation be lost or diminished and cause unnecessary discomfort or even halt the conversation. Ren Olive submitted photo used with permission from the photographerPerception-checking is vital to ensuring that all involved interpret the meaning and message fully and accurately. Importantly, this process gives those whose voice is habitually misunderstood and are victims of miscommunication, for several reasons, e.g., a persecuted minority or practitioner of an alternative lifestyle incongruent with the dominant culture, etc., an opportunity to put forth or communicate honestly and accurately the message or part of their life-narrative that they may desperately want to communicate. Such a process allows those persecuted and misunderstood to express their narrative or story in a dignified, humane fashion, thus allowing them to express their felt human experience. When creating a perception check, you will use three steps, as quoted below from the free open education resource textbook, Communication in the Real World: An Introduction to Communication Studies (2016):
Perception Check FormatDuring a perception check, the standard format is as follows: Step 1: Perception checks include “I” language and a clearly stated observation or fact: “I heard you mention ____. Step 2: This is followed by two possible interpretations: I wonder if ___ or ___ is the case for you? Step 3: Finally, the perception check is completed with a clarification request: Can you clarify?” Sample Perception CheckAdditional Tips for Better CommunicationAgain, drawing upon the previous work of Communication in the Real World (2016), the University of MN authors share the following tips for better communication:
Sample Observations & Inferences: As a reminder, we make observations through our five senses (in this case, what we see/hear); then, we build inferences based upon our observations. For example, Do you notice Cindy’s smile? Did you infer that, as she shares, she possesses great pride in her culture? Did you hear her mention her grandfather’s role in the Secret War and guess she wants others to understand why Hmong individuals and families sought asylum in Minnesota? Sample Perception Checks:
Watch the following interview between Kao Kalia Yang, Cindy Thao (a COMM student), and Lori Halverson-Wente Kao Kalia Yang’s Story – Thinking more about Making Visiblephoto credit: pexel.comResearchers describe the “model minority” stereotype as one of the most pervasive and harmful assumptions about Asian Americans. It contends that Asian Americans are a uniformly high-achieving racial minority that has assimilated well into American society through hard work, obedience to social mores and academic achievement” (Abrams, 2019). Consider Ms. Yang’s explanation about how Hmong children in the United States should grow up to be doctors or lawyers, “Doctors to heal our bones and lawyers to stand up for the rights we have never had before.” The pressure to succeed is described in many research articles. In thinking about the Hmong-American experience, researchers Lee, Xiong, Pheng, & Vang (2017) sought to understand better the impact of the “model minority” stereotype’s influence on young Hmong-Americans in the midwest:
Hmong-American youth, then, face two different stereotypes – that of “being the least successful of Asian Americans” when also held to the demanding, high stereotypical standard of the “model minority.” The pressure of living between the two stereotypes aforementioned has consequences. Communication in the Real World (2016) helps us understand the power of stereotypes and our self-development. Please review this below: photo: pexel.com Self-fulfilling prophecies are ubiquitous—teachers’ expectations about their students’ academic abilities can influence their school performance (Jussim, Robustelli, & Cain, 2009). Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968) found that disadvantaged students whose teachers expected them to perform well had higher grades than disadvantaged students whose teachers expected them to do poorly. From this study, we generalize that when given positive feedback, others will seek to fulfill that expectation. At the same time, when we fail to meet that expectation, we can feel more than disappointment; it can cause what theorists call “cognitive dissonance.” Students and their families gather at the Macalester College Hmong New Year More recent studies on expectations placed on Hmong youth and students and the expectations of the perfect minority stereotype where one can not fail can cause cognitive dissonance. One strategy people use to deal with the tension of cognitive dissonance is to “avoid it in the future by shunning challenging situations and limiting information to that which affirms their current beliefs.” “Compared to all other racial groups, Hmong Americans fare the worst across nearly all measures of income. When it comes to educational attainment, almost 30 percent of Southeast Asian Americans haven’t completed high school or passed the GED tests, compared to the 13 percent of the general population who have experienced the same” (Yam, 2021). Being expected to be a “model minority” is often excluded in the binary of white-black race discussions and research. Being expected to be perfect while facing statistics that say you are from the refugee group that is the “most poor in the United States” is part of the experience shared in the following video by Nakita Yang. What did you learn about perception? Discussion Questions.
Deeper Dive – Hmong American Experience: Life Between Two WorldsThe following video highlights one more challenge for Hmong younger generations: the expectation that they are both thoroughly American and fully Hmong. More youthful Hmong feel suspended between the traditional culture of their parents and the dominant culture they must deal with daily. Nakita Vang shares on her YouTube channel, “I was requested to upload this piece I created in celebration of #APIHeritageMonth back in May. This is a digital poetry piece on my Hmong-American journey juggling life and identity between two worlds. Although this is rooted in the narrative of my Hmong people, I know many ethnicities have voiced how they too share this experience. I think that is a beautiful thing for many of us who have no country on the map to explain where we are from and who we are. That we still have our very existence and story to tell” (YouTube Description). Keep in Touch:
Additional Case Studies about the Challenges to Perception“Because it is often difficult to recognize our own prejudices, several tests have been created to help us recognize our own “implicit” or hidden biases. The most well-known implicit measure of prejudice—the Implicit Association Test (IAT)—is frequently used to assess stereotypes and prejudice (Nosek, Greenwald, & Banaji, 2007). In the IAT, participants are asked to classify stimuli that they view on a computer screen into one of two categories by pressing one of two computer keys, one with their left hand and one with their right hand. Furthermore, the categories are arranged such that the responses to be answered with the left and right buttons either “fit with” (match) the stereotype or do not “fit with” (mismatch) the stereotype” (Coleman, King & Turner, 2022). The Harvard Implicit Project offers individuals an opportunity to take an Implicit Association Test. Please visit their website described as follows:
Consider this Case Study on PolicePolice Officers, Schemata, and Perception/Interpretation(From Communication in the Real World, 2016) Prime-time cable and network television shows like the Law and Order franchise and Southland have long offered viewers a glimpse into the lives of law enforcement officers. COPS, the first and longest-running prime-time reality television show, and newer reality-themed and educational shows like The First 48 and Lockdown offer a more realistic look into techniques used by law enforcement. Perception is a crucial part of an officer’s skill set. Specifically, during police-citizen encounters, where tensions may be high and time for decision-making is limited, officers rely on schemata developed through personal experience off the job and training and experience on the job (Rozelle & Baxter, 1975). Moreover, police officers often have to make perceptions based on incomplete and sometimes unreliable information. So, how do police officers use perception to help them do their jobs? Research has examined how police officers use perception to make judgments about personality traits, credibility, deception, and the presence or absence of a weapon, among other things. Just like you and me, officers use the same selection, organization, and interpretation process. This research has found that officers rely on the same schemata as the general public to help them make decisions under time and situational constraints. In terms of selection, expectations influence officer perception. At pre-shift meetings, officers are briefed on ongoing issues and “things to be on the lookout for,” which provides them with a set of expectations—for example, the make and model of a stolen car—that can guide their selection process. They must also be prepared for things that defy their expectations, which is not a job skill that many other professionals have to consider every day They never know when a traffic stop could turn into a pursuit or a seemingly gentle person could turn violent These expectations can then connect to organization strategies For example, if an officer knows to be alert for a criminal suspect, they will actively organize incoming perceptual information into categories based on whether or not people look similar to or different from the suspect description Proximity also plays into police work If a person is in a car with a driver who has an unregistered handgun, the officer is likely to assume that the other person also has criminal intent While these practices are not inherently wrong, there are obvious problems that can develop when these patterns become rigid schema Some research has shown that certain prejudices based on racial schema can lead to perceptual errors—in this case, police officers mistakenly perceiving a weapon in the possession of black suspects more often than white suspects (Payne, 2001) Additionally, racial profiling (think of how profiles are similar to schemata) has become an issue that’s gotten much attention since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the passage of immigration laws in states like Arizona and Alabama that have been critiqued as targeting migrant workers and other undocumented immigrants As you can see, law enforcement officers and civilians use the same perception process, but such a career brings with it responsibilities and challenges that highlight the imperfect nature of the perception process.
Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT)The following video (prepared by students of (MC244) Bachelor of Mass Communication (Hons), Advertising UiTM Shah Alam Selangor, Malaysia) demonstrates that awkward shifting of one’s communication style based upon the desire to fit in when we perceive that we are not matching the communication styles of others. In the video skit above, the students demonstrate “Communication Accommodation Theory.” The following explanation is from “Communication Accommodation Theory” by Daniel Usera & contributing author; LibreTexts is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA .
Works Cited:Armenta, B. E. and Jennifer S. Hunt, “Responding to Societal Devaluation: Effects of Perceived Personal and Group Discrimination on the Ethnic Group Identification and Personal Self-Esteem of Latino/Latina Adolescents,” Group Processes and Intergroup Relations 12, no. 1 (2009): 11–12. Ballew II, C. C. and Alexander Todorov, “Predicting Political Elections from Rapid and Unreflective Face Judgments,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 104, no. 46 (2007): 17948. Beer, A. and David Watson, “Personality Judgement at Zero Acquiantance: Agreement, Assumed Similarity, and Implicit Simplicity,” Journal of Personality Assessment 90, no. 3 (2008): 252. Brewer, M. B., “The Psychology of Prejudice: Ingroup Love or Outgroup Hate?” Journal of Social Issues 55, no. 3 (1999): 429–44. Communication in the Real World (2016) The University of MN. Coren, S., “Principles of Perceptual Organization and Spatial Distortion: The Gestalt Illusions,” Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance 6, no. 3 (1980): 404–12. de la Baume, M., “First Lady without a Portfolio (or a Ring) Seeks Her Own Path,” The New York Times, May 15, 2012, accessed June 6, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/16/world/europe/frances-first-lady-valerie-trierweiler-seeks-her-own-path.html?pagewanted=all. Encina, G. B., “Milgram’s Experiment on Obedience to Authority,” The Regents of the University of California, 2003, accessed June 6, 2012, http://www.cnr.berkeley.edu/ucce50/ag-labor/7article/article35.htm. Fiske, S. T., and Shelley E. Taylor, Social Cognition, 2nd ed. (New York, NY: McGraw Hill, 1991). Guyll, M., et al., “The Potential Roles of Self-Fulfilling Prophecies, Stigma Consciousness, and Stereotype Threat in Linking Latino/a Ethnicity and Educational Outcomes,” Social Issues 66, no. 1 (2010): 116. Hargie, O., Skilled Interpersonal Interaction: Research, Theory, and Practice (London: Routledge, 2011), 280. Katz, M., “Tossing Out the Diet and Embracing the Fat,” The New York Times, July 16, 2009, accessed June 6, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/16/health/nutrition/16skin.html. McCornack, S., Reflect and Relate: An Introduction to Interpersonal Communication (Boston, MA: Bedford/St Martin’s, 2007), 93. McCrea, R. R., “Trait Psychology and Culture,” Journal of Personality 69, no. 6 (2001): 825. Payne, B. K., “Prejudice and Perception: The Role of Automatic and Controlled Processes in Misperceiving a Weapon,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 81, no. 2 (2001): 181–92. Rozelle, R. M., and James C. Baxter, “Impression Formation and Danger Recognition in Experienced Police Officers,” Journal of Social Psychology 96 (1975): 54. Sillars, A. L., “Attributions and Communication in Roommate Conflicts,” Communication Monographs 47, no. 3 (1980): 180–200. Stinson, D. A., et al., “Rewriting the Self-Fulfililng Prophecy of Social Rejection: Self-Affirmation Improves Relational Security and Social Behavior up to 2 Months Later,” Psychological Science 20, no. 10 (2011): 2. Usera, D., & contributing authors (2021, April 30) Communication Accommodation Theory Austin Community College https://socialsci.libretexts.org/@go/page/90688 Watzlawick, P., Janet Beavin Bavelas, and Don D. Jackson, Pragmatics of Human Communication: A Study of Interactional Patterns, Pathologies, and Paradoxes (New York, NY: W. W. Norton, 1967), 56.
AttributionsCommunication in the Real World (2016) The University of Minnesota https://open.lib.umn.edu/communication/chapter/2-1-perception-process/#jones_1.0-ch02_s01_s01_f01 “Communication Accommodation Theory” by Daniel Usera & contributing authors, LibreTexts is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA . What are the four steps in the perception process?The perception process consists of four steps: selection, organization, interpretation and negotiation. In the third chapter of our textbook, it defines selection as the stimuli that we choose to attend to.
What part of the perception process is involved when we direct our attention to specific stimuli while ignoring other stimuli?We must engage in sensory selection. Sensory selection is the process of determining which stimulus gets our attention and which stimuli we ignore.
What is the perception process in communication?Perception is the process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting information. This process affects our communication because we respond to stimuli differently, whether they are objects or persons, based on how we perceive them.
What does interpretation refer to in the perception process?Interpretation is the third part of the perception process, in which we assign meaning to our experiences using mental structures known as schemata. Schemata are like databases of stored, related information that we use to interpret new experiences.
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