What is Perception?

Perception is defined as the process by which an individual selects, organizes

and interprets stimuli into a meaningful and coherent picture of the world.
It is a cognitive process by which people attend to incoming stimuli, organise and
interpret such stimuli into behaviour.
Stimulus is any unit of input to any of the senses; examples of stimuli (i.e.
Sensory inputs) include products, packages, brand names; advertisement and
commercials. Sensory receptors are the human organs (the eyes, ears, nose,
mouth and skin) that receive sensory inputs. These sensory functions are to see,
hear, smell, taste and feel respective.
The study of perception is largely the study of what we subconsciously add to or
subtract from raw sensory inputs to produce a private picture of the world.
Sensation is the immediate and direct response of the sensory organs to simple
stimuli and advertisement, a package, a brand name. Human sensitivity refers to
the experiences of sensation.

 Perception Meaning

The word Perception comes from the Latin words, “percipio” meaning
“receiving, collecting, action of taking possession, apprehension with the
mind or senses”.

Perception Definition

 a process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory

impressions in order to give meaning to their environment
 Perception is an important meditative cognitive process through which
persons make interpretations of the stimuli’s or situation they are faced
with

Perception in Organizational Behavior

Why is perception important in the study of Organisational Behavior?

Simply because people’s behavior is based on their perception of what reality is,
not on reality itself. The world as it is perceived is the world that is behaviorally
important.

For example, in appraising performance, managers use their perceptions of an

employee’s behaviour as a basis for evaluation. One work situation that
highlights the importance of perception is the selection interview. Perception is
also culturally determined. Based on our cultural backgrounds, we tend to
perceive things in certain ways.
Nature of perception

1. Perception is the process by which an individual gives meaning to the

environment.
2. People‘s actions, emotions, thoughts and feelings are triggered by their
perceptions of their surroundings.
3. Perception has been defined in a variety of ways; it basically refers to the
manner in which a person experiences the world.
4. Perception is an almost automatic process and works in the same way within
each individual, yet it typically yields different perceptions.
Factors that Influence Perception

1. Characteristics of the Perceiver

2. Characteristics of the Target
3. Characteristics of the Situation

Characteristics of the Perceiver

Several characteristics of the perceiver can affect perception. When an individual
looks at a target and attempts to interpret what he or she stands for, that
interpretation is heavily influenced by personal characteristics of the individual
perceiver.
The major characteristics of the perceiver influencing perception are:

1. Attitude
2. Motives
3. Interest
4. Experience
5. Expectation
6. Self-Concept
 Attitude
The attitude and aptitude of employees influence perception formation. If they
have positive attitudes towards the management, they directly perceive the
stimuli given by management. In the case of negative attitudes, the employees
suspect the management’s approach. Employees of high aptitude have a desire
and attitude for growth. They behave positively toward the management of an
organization.
 Motives
The motives and desires of employees cause them to view stimuli differently as
per their level and angle. Helpful motives of the employees will always assist the
management. If they desire to develop themselves and the organization, they will
perceive objects and situations positively. Employees having low motives will
not work sincerely. The perception will differ depending on different types of
motives.
 Interest
The interest of individuals draws more attention and recognition to stimuli. Less
attention and recognition lowers the impact of stimuli or objects on behaviour. If
employees lack interest, behaviour pattern will be less effective, and the
perception will be weak.
 Experience
The experience of employees results in different levels of perception. A young
employee takes time to understand the object and situation. Experienced
employees generally understand objects quickly and correctly. However, in
contradictory situations, it is difficult to correct aged persons, whereas the young
are easily moulded towards achieving the objectives of the organization.
 Expectation
Expectations distort perceptions. People see what they expect to see. If they see
the object and the situation differently from their expectations, they get
frustrated. They are unable to modify their behaviour. The employees may
expect more pay and so they perceive the management from that angle. The real
stimuli are not properly perceived if expectations exist there on. The
management has to evolve expectations for proper perception.
 Self-Concept
Another factor that can affect social perception is the perceivers’ selfconcept. An
individual with a positive self-concept tends to notice positive attributes in
another person. In contrast, a negative self-concept can lead a perceiver to pick
out negative traits in another person. Greater understanding of self allows us to
have more accurate perceptions of others.

Characteristics of the Target

Characteristics in the target that is being observed can affect what is perceived.
Physical appearance plays a big role in our perception of others. Extremely
attractive or unattractive individuals are more likely to be noticed in a group
than ordinary looking individuals.

Motion, sound, size and other attributes of a target shape the way we see it.

1. Physical appearance
2. Verbal communication
3. Non-verbal communication
4. Objects

 Physical appearance
Physical appearance plays a big role in our perception of others. The perceiver
will notice the target’s physical features like height, weight, estimated age, race
and gender. Perceivers tend to notice physical appearance characteristics that
contrast with the norm, that are intense, or that are new or unusual.
 Verbal communication
Verbal communication from targets also affects our perception of them. We
listen to the topics they speak about, their voice tone, and their accent and make
judgements based on this input.
 Non-verbal communication
Non-verbal communication conveys a great deal of information about the target.
The perceiver deciphers eye contact, facial expressions, body movements, and
posture all in an attempt to form an impression of the target.
Targets are not looked at in isolation; the relationship of a target to its
background influences perception because of our tendency to group close things
and similar things together.
 Objects
Objects that are close to each other will tend to be perceived together rather than
separately. As a result of physical or time proximity, we often put together
objects or events that are unrelated.

People, objects or events that are similar to each other also tend to be grouped
together. The greater the similarity, the greater the probability we will tend to
perceive them as a group.

Characteristics of the Situation

Change in situation leads to incorrect perception about a person.

The factor that influence the perception are:

1. Time
2. Work setting
3. Social setting
 Time
The situation in which the interaction between the perceiver and the target takes
place has an influence on the perceiver’s impression of the target.
For Example, a person decked up for a party may not be noticeable but the same
dress in office would be noticed distinctly, though the person has not changed.
 Work setting
You would have very frequently heard people say that their manager is different
during working hours and 1800 opposite while in a social setting.
 Social setting
The strength of the situational cues also affects social perception. Some
situations provide strong cues as to appropriate behaviour. In these situations,
we assume that the individual’s behaviour can be accounted for by the situation
and that it may not reflect the individual’s disposition. This is the discounting
principle in social perception.
For example, you may encounter an automobile salesperson who has a warm
and personable manner, asks you about your work and hobbies, and seems
genuinely interested in your taste in cars. Can you assume that this behaviour
reflects the salesperson’s personality? You probably cannot, because of the
influence of the situation. This person is trying to sell you a car, and in this
particular situation, he probably treats all customers in this manner.