500 word assignment due by 5pm est 1/26 $15 NO LATE WORK MUST FOLLOW DIRECTIONS

Theory Application Journal Assignments

The journal assignment has three entries. Each entry has the same directions, but each has a unique topic for analysis and the number of theories/concepts applied. Submit each entry during the assigned Lesson (see Syllabus Page 2).

Journal 1: Perception – discuss how you and a chosen friend/family member/ romantic partner used interpersonal perception in a specific interaction.

One theory or concept for analysis**
The analysis portion should be about 500 words.
The description section should be no more than 250 words length
Use only concepts/theories about perception – see that chapter in your text for this entry

DescriptionContext: Type the context at the top of this section (you will write the context of the interaction – where and when it occurred.) If you are unsure of what we mean by context of interpersonal interactions, read about it online and in the text. Remember, we use theory to explain, not general terms. For the Challenges Entry, your incident will focus on just one challenge from the following: jealousy, termination of a relationship, the impact of distance on a relationship, or deception. See the textbook and online lessons for information about how theories and concepts help us understand challenges in important relationships.Interaction: Here, write the actual event, giving enough detail of what occurred so the analysis will be easily understood. Most people find it easier to write in a narrative form rather than a dialogue form, but it is your choice. The “Description” portion is about ½ – 1 page in length, no more than 250 words.AnalysisBegin by writing the name of the theory or concept ( bold face so it is obvious to me) and write a 1 or 2 sentence explanation of the theory or concept, so it is clear you know what the theory or concept means. The theory or concept you choose should come directly from the chapter applying to the lesson. So, for the conflict journal, the theories and concepts you use to analyze your experience should come from the chapter dealing with conflict.Now, APPLY the theory or concept to the event you have described above. In this area you will explain why this theory or concept helps us to understand the interaction YOU PROVIDED IN THE “Description.” See the Sample.NOTE: Short entries will lose points – about 500 words per theory analysis. See the Sample. NOTE: IN THE SAMPLE i HAVE WRITTEN MORE THAN 500 WORDS ON THE ANALYSIS. I WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF MULTIPLE WAYS TO APPLY A THEORY IN ANALYSIS.NO FLUFF – I want theory application. As with all assignments, writing errors will damage your grade. Edit your work carefully; this is a college level course and college level writing is expected. All assignments are accessed through the lessons and submitted there. The bulk of your writing will be in the Analysis portion, not the Description portion.You submit each entry as one document through the correct link on the Lesson Pages. There is no credit for partial work – you must have both parts (description and analysis) organized just as you see here, to receive credit. Finally, remember, the most important section in this assignment is the theory or concept application. Read and understand the theory or concept, show me you know why and how the theory or concept explains the event you describe. Read the sample journal entry for further guidance. The analysis in the Sample Paper is actually longer than 500 words to show you some examples of how you can fully dissect an event to analyze it.

IMPORTANT**** PLEASE USE THE CONCEPTS PRESENTED IN THE TWO POWERPOINTS ATTACHED. THERE IS A SAMPLE JOURNAL TO GUIDE YOU

Journal Entry 1

Description

Context: My husband, and I discussing how important it is to follow rules and him receiving a no seatbelt citation along with a running through a stop sign violation while driving home from his parents’ house.
Interaction: A few years ago my husband and I were returning home from a visit to his parents’ house in San Francisco. While getting into the car I mentioned to him that he should put his seatbelt on because “tickets are not cheap.” He responded by saying he didn’t have to because we were not traveling far. When we were almost home he decided to take a back road to get to our house faster. This road just so happens to be known for cops staking the area to catch drivers, like my husband, who disregard the rules of the road. As we were getting close to our house I spotted an officer sitting in his usual spot on the side of the road. When my husband finally saw the cop car sitting facing us he quickly attempted to fasten the seatbelt but was too late. He had already been seen, the lights began to flash and we were pulled over.
In the excitement and being distracted my husband dangerously rolled through a stop sign. As my husband frantically grabbed his license and insurance he was acting as if his life was over. The officer asked Joe, my husband, if he knew why he had stopped him. The answer given to him was, “No sir was I speeding?” Then the officer went on to explain that he was pulled over due to him not properly wearing a seatbelt while operating a motor vehicle. Also that he has to issue a second citation for running a stop sign. While the officer collected Joe’s license and walked back to his squad car all I could do was look at him and mouth, “I told you so.”
This led to a small argument about how he feels that everybody is out to get him. He felt that he was the target or scapegoat for everyone else’s problems. In reality he brought the whole ordeal on himself. Everything would have been ok if he had taken the 5 seconds to simply put on the seatbelt. I did my best to not sound like his mother and sound like a concerned wife but he was not up for hearing what anybody had to say. After we arrived home he apologized for putting us in danger when he ran the stop sign and realized that he was indeed overreacting. He now wears his seatbelt regularly and stops at all stop signs.
Analysis

ATTRIBUTION
THEORY- THEORY THAT EXPLAINS
HOW YOU
ATTRIBUTE YOUR
BEHAVIOR
TO SOMEONE
WHEN THE BEHAVIOR IS BAD AND ATTRIBUTE IT TO YOURSELF WHEN IT IS GOOD

My husband’s actions describe the attribution theo
ry. This theory explains how we judge a person’s actions AND BLAME THEM ON SOMEONE OTHER THAN THAT PERSON. This is an example of how we make impulsive judgments of others based on their actions to help ourselves make sense of the behavior. My husband believed that since the officer was just sitting around doing nothing that he personally and spitefully chose him out of all the other cars on the road, thereby attributing the ticket to the officer not himself. He argued that if the officer was doing his job, he’d be after a real criminal and not someone who had a simple driving mistake. That he chose to pull him over for entertainment purposes only because the officer had nothing better to do, not because of the traffic violations. I then tried to explain my thoughts about the situation. I explained to him that these rules are set into place in hopes to keep us safe and alive. These rules allow us to return home to our children and our families. If he breaks these rules, he might not get hurt, but he could kill someone else and spend his life in prison. That it also allows our fellow drivers to return to their families safely as well, which may had not happen if we were hit or we hit another car because he rolled through the stop sign. I basically said that the officer was doing the right thing. The officer’s actions could be attributed to his career and commitment of keeping people safe and his years of experience on the force. My husband’s behavior can be attributed to his thinking the rules are for others, not him. He kind of got what he deserved. But I didn’t say that to him.
This is also a statement about how we as humans harshly judge others and have difficulty coming to grips with our own thinking and acting.
The Attribution Theory applies here because it explains that if we don’t like our own actions and we attribute them to another person, we will feel less guilt and responsibility. That’s exactly what my husband did. In order to not feel bad about ourselves for something we do we will search out someone else to blame, even using stereotyping to get off the hook. My husband did this by thinking the cop had nothing to do but sit in his car and look-out for my husband to ticket. I believe that we are all guilty of this. We can cause so much emotional harm on ourselves and others with one bad judgment. It did not help that my husband did not have the best of luck with running into cops. I am pretty sure at one point in time he held the world record for the number of warnings given out in one year. When we believe we are right, it takes a while for us to admit fault, if we admit it all. And if we attribute it to someone else, as The Attribution Theory points out, we may never admit our own fault and responsibility. This is something that my husband is currently working on and has improved significantly.

Interpersonal Communication
Eighth Edition

Chapter 2
Interpersonal Communication and Self
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Learning Objectives
After reading this chapter, you should be able to:
2.1 Define self-concept and identify factors that shape the development of your self-concept.
2.2 Define self-esteem and compare and contrast self-esteem with self-concept.
2.3 Define facework and discuss how you project your face and protect others’ face.
2.4 Identify and describe seven strategies for improving your self-concept.
2.5 Identify the effects of your self-concept and self-esteem on your relationships with others.
*

Self-Concept: Who You Think You Are (1 of 10)
2.1 Define self-concept and identify the factors that shape the development of your self-concept.
Self-Concept: Who You Think You Are
The labels you use to describe yourself are part of your self and your self-concept, and they are changeable.
Self
Self-concept

Self: the sum total of who a person is; a person’s central inner force
Self-concept: a person’s subjective description of who he or she is
*

Self-Concept: Who You Think You Are (2 of 10)
Attitudes, Beliefs, and Values Reflect Your Self-Concept
Attitude, beliefs and values are learned constructs.
They shape your behavior and self-image.
They often function independently of each other.
Figure 2.1 Values, Beliefs, and Attitudes in Relation to Self

Attitude: the learned predisposition to respond to a person, object, or idea in a favorable or unfavorable way
Belief: the way in which you structure your understanding of reality—what is true and what is false for you
Value: enduring concept of good and bad, right and wrong
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Self-Concept: Who You Think You Are (3 of 10)
Mindfulness: Being Consciously Aware
Being self-aware involves mindfulness.
There are 3 ways of being mindfully self-aware.
Subjective self-awareness
Objective self-awareness
Symbolic self-awareness

Mindfulness: the ability to consciously think about what you are doing and experiencing
Subjective self-awareness: the ability to differentiate the self from the social and physical environment
Objective self-awareness: the ability to be the object of one’s own thoughts and attention—to be aware of one’s state of mind and what one is thinking
Symbolic self-awareness: the uniquely human ability to think about oneself and use language (symbols) to represent oneself to others
*

Self-Concept: Who You Think You Are (4 of 10)
Mindfulness: Being Consciously Aware (continued)
Maslow’s four-stage model
Unconscious incompetence
Conscious incompetence
Conscious competence
Unconscious competence

Unconscious incompetence: you are unaware of your own incompetence
Conscious incompetence: you become aware that you are not competent
Conscious competence: you are aware that you know something, but applying it has not yet become a habit
Unconscious competence: your skills become second nature to you
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Self-Concept: Who You Think You Are (5 of 10)
The artist sought to explore her self-dimensions by painting her self-portrait. What qualities does this self-portrait reveal about the artist?

Young woman standing next to a large painting self portrait.
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Self-Concept: Who You Think You Are (6 of 10)
One or Many Selves?
Each of us has a core set of behaviors, attitudes, beliefs and values, but our concept of self changes.
Material self
Social self
Spiritual self

Material self: concepts of self as reflected in the total of all the tangible things you own
Social self: concept of self as reflected in social interactions with others
Spiritual self: concept of self based on thoughts and introspections about personal values, moral standards, and beliefs
*

Self-Concept: Who You Think You Are (7 of 10)

Looking-glass self: suggests you learn who you are based on your interactions with others, who reflect your self back to you
Attachment style: a style of relating to others that develops early in life, based on the emotional bond one forms with one’s parents or primary caregiver
Secure attachment style: the style of relating to others that is characteristic of those who are comfortable giving and receiving affections, experiencing intimacy, and trusting other people
Anxious attachment style: the style of relating of relating to others that is characteristic of those who experience anxiety in some intimate relationships and feel uncomfortable giving and receiving affection
Avoidant attachment style: the style of relating to others that is characteristic of those who consistently experience discomfort and awkwardness in intimate relationships and who therefore avoid such relationships
*

Self-Concept: Who You Think You Are (8 of 10)
How Your Self-Concept Develops (continued)
You are who you are through five basic means (continued)
Associations with groups
Roles you assume
Electronically mediated communication (EMC)
Androgynous role
Self labels
Self -reflexiveness
Your personality

Electronically mediated communication (EMC): messages that are send via some electronic channel such as the phone, email, text, or the Internet
Androgynous role: gender role that includes both masculine and feminine qualities
Self-reflexiveness: ability to think about what you are doing while you are doing it
*

Self-Concept: Who You Think You Are (9 of 10)
In American culture, behavior among girls is in many ways quite distinct from that of boys.

Self-Concept: Who You Think You Are (10 of 10)
How Your Self-Concept Develops (continued)
Your personality and biology
Psychology
Personality
Big Five Personality Traits: extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, openness
Communibiological approach
Social learning theory
Shyness
Communication apprehension
Willingness to communicate

Psychology: the study of how a person’s thinking influences his or her behavior
Personality: a set of enduring behavioral characteristics and internal predispositions for reacting to your environment
Extraversion: Outgoing, talkative, positive, and sociable
Agreeableness: Friendly, compassionate, trusting, and cooperative
Conscientiousness: Efficient, organized, self-disciplined, dutiful, and methodical
Neuroticism: Nervous, insecure, emotionally distressed, and anxious
Openness: Curious, imaginative, creative, adventurous, and inventive
Communibiological approach: perspective that suggests that genetic and biological influences play a major role in influencing communication behavior
Social learning theory: suggests people can learn behavior that helps them adapt and adjust their behavior toward others
Shyness: a behavioral tendency not to talk or interact with others
Communication apprehension: fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated communication with other people
Willingness to communicate: a behavioral trait that describes a person’s comfortableness with and likelihood of initiating communication with other people
*

Self-Esteem: Your Self-Worth (1of 1)
2.2 Define self-esteem and compare and contrast self-esteem with self-concept.
Self-Esteem: Your Self-Worth
Related to your self-concept
Self-worth
Self-efficacy
Social comparison
Life position

Self-worth (self-esteem): your evaluation of your worth or value based on your perception of such things as your skills, abilities, talents, and appearances
Self-efficacy: a person’s belief in his or her abiity to perform a specific task in a particular situation
Social comparison: process of comparing yourself to others who are similar to you, to measure your worth and value
Life position: feelings of regard for self and others, as reflected in one’s sense of worth and self-esteem
*

Facework: Presenting Your Self-Image to Others (1 of 4)
2.3 Define facework and discuss how your project your face and protect others’ face.
Facework: Presenting Your Self-Image to Others
Your face is a focal point of your self-image
Facework

Face: a person’s positive perception of himself or herself in interactions with others
Facework: using communication to maintain your own positive self-perception or to support, reinforce, or challenge someone else’s self-perception
*

Facework: Presenting Your Self-Image to Others (2 of 4)
Projecting a positive image of yourself—positive face—means being mindful of how you talk to and interact with others.

Positive face: an image of yourself that will be perceived as positive by others
Preventative facework: efforts to maintain and enhance one’s positive self-perceptions
Corrective facework: efforts to correct what one person perceives as a negative perception of oneself on the part of others
*

Facework: Presenting Your Self-Image to Others (3 of 4)
Projecting Your Face
Facework helps us be perceived as we want to be perceived, and is also used when we support, reinforce or challenge someone’s else’s face.
Positive face
Preventative facework
Corrective facework

Facework: Presenting Your Self-Image to Others (4 of 4)
Protecting Others’ Face
Be other-oriented, polite, generous and supportive.
Face-threatening acts
Politeness theory

Face-threatening acts: communication that undermines or challenges someone’s positive face
Politeness theory: theory that people have positive perceptions of other who treat them politely and respectfully
*

How to Improve Your Self-Esteem (1 of 5)
2.4 Identify and describe seven strategies for improving your self-concept
Engage in Self-Talk
Positive self-talk boosts confidence and improves self-esteem.
Intrapersonal communication
Visualize a Positive Image of Yourself
Visualization can help change long-standing feelings of inadequacy.

Intrapersonal communication: communication within yourself—self talk
Visualization: technique of imagining that you are performing a particular task in a certain way; positive visualization can enhance self-esteem
*

How to Improve Your Self-Esteem (2 of 5)
Although positive self-talk will never be able to make all of us become champion athletes, it can help us focus on our own goals and improve our performance levels.

Reframing: process of redefining events and experiences from a different point of view
*

How to Improve Your Self-Esteem (3 of 5)
Avoid Comparing Yourself with Others
Be mindful of how your comparisons may influence yourself self-esteem.
Reframe Appropriately
Use reframing to redefine events and experiences from a different point of view.

Reframing: process of redefining events and experiences from a different point of view
*

How to Improve Your Self-Esteem (4 of 5)
Develop Honest Relationships
Objectively and honestly reflect on your virtues and vices.
Let Go of the Past
Don’t stay fixated on events and experiences that happened in the past; become aware of the changes that have occurred to help you develop a more realistic assessment of your value.

How to Improve Your Self-Esteem (5 of 5)
Seek Support
Social support is one of the most helpful ways to restore self-esteem.
Use talk therapy to gain insight into why you experience the pain and difficulties that you do.

Social support: expression of empathy and concern for others that is communicated while listening to them and offering positive and encouraging words
Talk therapy: technique in which a person describes his or her problems and concerns to a skilled listener in order to better understand the emotions and issues creating the problems
*

Self and Interpersonal Relationships (1 of 8)
2.5 Identify the effects of your self-concept and self-esteem on your relationships with others.
Self and Interaction With Others
Your image of yourself and your sense of self-worth directly affect how you interact with others.
Symbolic interaction theory
Self and Your Future
What people believe about themselves often comes true because they expect it to happen.
Self-fulfilling prophecy

Symbolic interaction theory: people make sense out o the world based on their interpretation of words or symbols used by others
Self-fulfilling prophecy: prediction about future actions that is likely to come true because the person believes that it will come true
*

Self and Interpersonal Relationships (2 of 8)
You can increase your chance for success by having a positive mindset and high expectations of yourself and your abilities.

Self and Interpersonal Relationships (3 of 8)
Self and Interpretation of Messages
People with low self-esteem interpret messages and interact with others in a way that is negative.
People whose self-worth is high have more positive interactions and outcomes.

Self and Interpersonal Relationships (4 of 8)
Self and Interpersonal Needs
Schultz’s three primary social needs
Need for inclusion
Need for control
Need for affection

Need for inclusion: interpersonal need to be include ad to include others in social activities
Need for control: interpersonal need for some degree of influence in our relationships, as well as the need to be controlled
Need for affection: interpersonal need to give and receive love, support, warmth, and intimacy

Self and Interpersonal Relationships (5 of 8)
Self and Disclosure to Others
Disclosing personal information not only provides a basis for another person to understand you better, it also conveys your level of trust and acceptance of the other person.
Self-disclosure
Asking others for information about yourself and then listening to what they tell you can enhance your self-awareness.
Self-awareness

Self-disclosure: purposefully providing information about yourself to others they would not learn if you did not tell them
Self-awareness: a person’s conscious understanding of who he or she is
*

Self and Interpersonal Relationships (6 of 8)
Self and Disclosure to Others (continued)
The Johari Window model
Open: Known to self and known to others
Blind: Not known to self but known to others
Hidden: Known to self but not known to others
Unknown: Not known to self or others

Figure 2.5 Johari Window of Self-Disclosure

Johari Window model: model of self-disclosure that summarizes how self-awareness is influenced by self-disclosure and information about yourself from others
*

Figure 2.6 Variations of the Johari Window

A new relationship for someone who is very self-aware
An intimate relationship
A
B

Self and Interpersonal Relationships (8 of 8)
Self and Communication Social Style
Carl Jung’s communication social styles
Thinkers, feelers, intuiters, and sensors
Two fundamental dimensions of social style
Assertiveness
Responsiveness
Adapt your style to enhance communication quality.

Communication social style: an identifiable way of habitually communicating with others
Assertiveness: tendency to make requests, ask for information, and generally pursue one’s own rights and best interests
Responsiveness: Tendency to be sensitive to the needs of others, including being sympathetic to others’ feelings of others above one’s own feelings
*

Interpersonal Communication
Eighth Edition

Chapter 3
Interpersonal Communication and Perception
This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law:
any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network;
preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images;
any rental, lease, or lending of the program

Learning Objectives
After reading this chapter, you should be able to:
3.1 Define perception, and explain the three stages of interpersonal perception.
3.2 List and describe the strategies we use to form impressions of others.
3.3 List and describe the strategies we use to interpret the behavior of others.
3.4 Identify the eight factors that distort the accuracy of interpersonal perception.
3.5 Identify and apply five suggestions for improving interpersonal perception.
*

Understanding Interpersonal Perception (1 of 5)
3.1 Define perception, and explain the three stages of interpersonal perception.
Defining Perception
Your perceptions of people go beyond simple interpretations of sensory information.
Interpersonal perception
Passive perception
Active perception

Perception: the process of experiencing the world and making sense out of what you experience
Interpersonal perception: process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting your observations of other people
Passive perception: perception that occurs without conscious effort, simply in response to one’s surroundings
Active perception: perception that occurs because you seek out specific information through intentional observation and questioning
*

Understanding Interpersonal Perception (2 of 5)
What do you think is happening in this photograph? Your interpretation reflects interpersonal perception.

Understanding Interpersonal Perception (3 of 5)
The Stages of Perception
Stage 1: Selecting
We perceive and remember selectively
Selective perception
Selective attention
Selective exposure
Selective recall
We thin slice.

Selective perception: process of seeing, hearing, or making sense of the world around us based on factors as our personality, beliefs, attitudes, hopes, fears, and culture, as well as what we like and don’t like
Selective attention: process of focusing on specific stimuli, locking on to somethings in the environment and ignoring others
Selective exposure: tendency to put ourselves in situations that reinforce our attitudes, beliefs, values, or behaviors
Selective recall: process that occurs when we remember things we want to remember and forget or repress things that are unpleasant, uncomfortable, or unimportant to us
Thin-slicing: observing a small sample of someone’s behavior and then making a generalization about what the person is like, based on the sample
*

Understanding Interpersonal Perception (4 of 5)
When we observe others, we gather information about them and ascribe motives and causes to their behaviors—sometimes incorrectly. What do you perceive about this couple’s relationship? What might they be discussing?

Understanding Interpersonal Perception (5 of 5)
The Stages of Perception (continued)
Stage 2: Organizing
Cognitive schema
We create, or superimpose, categories.
We link categories through punctuation.
We seek closure.
Stage 3: Interpreting

Cognitive schema: a mental framework used to organize and categorize human experiences
Superimpose: to place a familiar structure on information you select
Punctuation: process of making sense out of stimuli by grouping, dividing, organizing, separating, and categorizing information
Closure: process of filling in missing information or gaps in what we perceive
*

Figure 3.1 What do you see?

Forming Impressions of Others (1 of 5)
3.2 List and describe the strategies we use to form impressions of others.
The perceptions you use to interpret behavior are impressions.
Impression formation theory explains how we form use, and interpret perceptions about people.

Impressions: collection of perceptions about others that you maintain and use to interpret their behaviors
Impression formation theory: explains how you develop perceptions about people and how you maintain and use those perceptions to interpret those behaviors
*

Forming Impressions of Others (2 of 5)
We Develop Our Own Theories About Others
Implicit personality theory consists of the personal assumptions you make about other people’s personalities.
We develop categories, or constructs.
Uncertainty reduction theory

Implicit assumptions and expectations
color our impressions of others.

Implicit personality theory: your unique set of beliefs and hypotheses about what people are like
Construct: bipolar quality or continuum used to classify people
Uncertainty reduction theory: claims people seek information in order to reduce uncertainty, thus achieving control and predictability
*

Forming Impressions of Others (3 of 5)
We Form Impressions of Others Online: The Social Media Effect
Others evaluate you in interpersonal situations based on what you post on social media.
What others say about you on social media has a greater impact on whether you are perceived positively or negatively than what you post about yourself.

Forming Impressions of Others (4 or 5)
We Emphasize What Comes First: The Primacy Effect
Developed by Solomon Asch
Predicted outcome theory (POV) helps explain the primacy effect in interpersonal relationships.

Primacy effect: tendency to attend to the first pieces of information observed about a person in order to form an impression
Predicted outcome theory (POV): people predict the future of a relationship based on how they size up someone during their first interaction

Forming Impressions of Others (5 of 5)
We Emphasize What Comes Last: The Recency Effect
We Generalize Positive Qualities to Others: The Halo Effect
We Generalize Negative Qualities to Others: the Horn Effect

Recency effect: tendency to attend to the most recent information observed about another person in order to form or modify an impression
Halo effect: attributing a variety of positive qualities to those you like
Horn effect: attributing a variety of negative qualities to those you dislike
*

Interpreting the Behavior of Others (1 of 3)
3.3 List and describe the strategies we use to interpret the behaviors of others.
We Attribute Motives to Others’ Behavior: Attribution Theory
Attribution theory
Casual attribution theory

Attribution theory: theory that explains how you generate explanations for people’s behaviors
Casual attribution theory: identifies the cause of a person’s actions as circumstance, a stimulus, or the person himself or herself
*

Interpreting the Behavior of Others (2 of 3)
We Use Our Own Point of Reference About Power: Standpoint Theory
Developed by Georg Hegel
Explains why people see the world differently, particularly in terms of power and influence

Stand-point theory: a person’s social position, power, or cultural background influences how the person perceives the behavior of others
*

Interpreting the Behavior of Others (3 of 3)
We Draw on Our Own Cultural Background: Intercultural Communication Theory
Cultural elements include
Material culture
Social institutions
Belief systems
Aesthetics
Language

Culture: Learned system of knowledge, behavior, attitudes, beliefs, values, and norms shared by a group of people.
*

Identifying Barriers to Accurate Interpersonal Perception (1 of 6)
3.4 Identify the eight factors that distort the accuracy of interpersonal perception
We Stereotype
We stereotype to meet our own needs for power, authority and structure.
We also overgeneralize.
We Ignore Information
We tend to explain a person’s motives on the basis of what is most obvious rather than the in-depth information we might have.
Social identity model of deindividuation effects (SIDE)

Stereotype: to place a person or group of persons into inflexible, all-encompassing category
Social identity model of deindividuation effects (SIDE): theory that people are more likely to stereotype others with whom they interact online, because such interactions provide fewer relationship cues and the cues take longer to emerge than they would in face-to-face interactions
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Identifying Barriers to Accurate Interpersonal Perception (2 of 6)
We Impose Consistency
We overestimate the consistency and constancy of others’ behaviors when organizing perceptions; we believe that if someone acts one way today, he or she will continue to act that way in the future.
We Focus on the Negative

Identifying Barriers to Accurate Interpersonal Perception (3 of 6)
Stereotypes can help us make sense out of the wide range of stimuli we encounter everyday. But we also need to be sure that we don’t overuse stereotypes and thus fail to see people as individuals.

Identifying Barriers to Accurate Interpersonal Perception (4 of 6)
We Blame Others, Assuming They Have Control
Fundamental attribution error can be avoided by honestly examining our role in the communication process.

Fundamental attribution error: an error that arises from attributing another person’s behavior to internal, controllable causes rather than to external, uncontrollable causes
*

Identifying Barriers to Accurate Interpersonal Perception (5 of 6)
This driver may be making the fundamental attribution error—assuming that the other person’s behavior was under his control, when in fact it may not have been.

Fundamental attribution error: an error that arises from attributing another person’s behavior to internal, controllable causes rather than to external, uncontrollable causes
*

Identifying Barriers to Accurate Interpersonal Perception (6 of 6)
We Avoid Responsibility
People are more likely to save face by believing that they are not the cause of a problem.
Self-serving bias

Self-serving bias: the tendency to perceive our own behavior as more positive than others’ behaviors
*

Improving Interpersonal Perception Skills (1 of 4)
3.5 Identify and apply five suggestions for improving interpersonal perception.
Beware of Your Personal Perception Barriers
You can’t assume that you (and everybody else) will always enact perception barriers.
Becoming familiar with the perception barriers that you are susceptible to will help you draw more accurate perception conclusions in the future.

Improving Interpersonal Perception Skills (2 of 4)
Be Mindful of the Behaviors that Create Meaning for You
Link Details with the Big Picture
Accurate perception begins with taking a big picture approach as they look for clues about a person; don’t form a quick or rigid judgment as it may be inaccurate.

Mindful: being conscious of what you are doing, thinking, and sensing at any given moment
*

Improving Interpersonal Perception Skills (3 of 4)
Be Aware of Others’ Perceptions of You
Accept feedback; it’s difficult to be objective about our own behavior.
Check Your Perceptions
You can check your perceptions of others in two ways.
Indirect perception checking
Direct perception checking

Indirect perception checking: seeking through passive perception, such as observing and listening, additional information to confirm or refute interpretations you are making
Direct perception checking: asking for confirmation from the observed person of an interpretation of a perception about him or her
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Improving Interpersonal Perception Skills (4 of 4)
Become Other-Oriented
Accurate interpersonal perception depends on the ability to understand where others are coming from.

Do you think this father is using direct perception checking, indirect perception checking, or a combination of the two?

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