Topic 3: Perception, Attributes, and Diversity Flashcards
(31 cards)
What is perceptual defense?
Perceptual defense occurs when our perceptual system defends us against unpleasant emotions, and we “see what we want to see” or hear what we want to hear.”
What are the six steps of Bruner’s model of the perceptual process? How may it apply to the Stanford Engineering graduate with strong grades?
1) Unfamiliar target encountered
-New coworker
2) Openness to target cues
-We make observations and search for information
3) Familiar cues encountered
-We observe that our co-worker is a Stanfrod graduate with strong grades
4) Target categorized
-We assume that their pedigree means they are a “good person” with “great potential.”
5) Cue selectivity
-We overlook and excuse their poor performance.
6) Categorization strengthened
-The co-worker is still seen as a “good person” with “great potential.”
What three important characteristics of the perceptual process does Bruner’s model demonstrate?
1) Perceptual selectiveness: perceivers do not use all available cues, and the cues they do use receive special emphasis.
2) Perceptual constancy: Our perceptual system works to paint a constant picture of the target. Getting off on “the wrong foot” with someone can often be hard to recover from.
3) Perceptual consistency: Our perceptual system seeks to paint a consistent picture of the target, so there is a tendency to select, ignore, and distort cues in such a manner that they fit together to form a homogenous picture of the target.
What are central traits?
Central traits are personal characteristics of the target being assessed that are of particular importance to the perceiver.
What are implicit personality theories?
Implicit personality theories are the individual theories each of us have about which personality characteristics go together. Implicit personality theory suggests that when you see a person demonstrate one characteristic, you immediately assume they have another characteristic. Your assumptions will be different to that of another person’s.
What is projection?
-Projection is the assumption that other’s think like ourselves.
-If we project our own positive characteristics onto others, we may be blindsided by their actions.
-We may project our own negative qualities onto others so we feel less bad about them.
What is stereotyping?
Stereotyping is the tendency to generalize about people in a social category and ignore variations among them. Ties in to the social identity theory that we have a personal identity and a social identity. Our stereotyping correlates to the social identity that we believe other people to have.
How are the impressions we form of others obscured?
The impressions that we form of others are susceptible to a number of perceptual biases.
What is attribution?
Attribution is the process by which we assign causes or motives to explain another person’s behaviour.
What are dispositional attributions?
-Dispositional attributions suggest that some personality or intellectual characteristic unique to the person is responsible for their behaviour and that behaviour reflects the “true person.”
-If we explain a behaviour as a function of intelligence, greed, friendliness, or laziness, we are making dispositional attributions.
What are situational attributions?
-Situational attributions suggest that the external situation or environment the person exists within was responsible for the behaviour.
-By extension, we assume that the person had little control over their behaviour.
-If we explain behaviour as a function of bad weather, good luck, proper tools, or poor advice, we are making situational attributions.
What are consistency cues?
Consistency cues reflect how consistently a person engages in a behaviour over time.
What are consensus cues?
Consensus cues reflect how a person’s behaviour compares with that of others. Acts that deviate from social expectations provide us with more information about the actor’s motives than conforming behaviors do. The person who acts differently to the majority is seen as revealing more of their true motives.
What are distinctiveness cues?
Distinctiveness cues reflect the extent to which a person engages in some behaviour across a wide variety of situations. we believe a behaviour reflects a person’s true motives if it occurs in a wide range of situations.
What is the fundamental attribution error?
The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to overemphasize dispositional explanations for behaviour at the expense of situational explanations–particularly in regards to other people.
What is the actor-observer effect?
The actor-observer effect suggests that actors and observers view the causes for the actors behaviour very differently.
What is self-serving bias?
Self serving bias is the tendency to take credit and responsibility for successful outcomes of their behaviur and deny credit and responsibility for failures.
Which three areas does the interest in diversity stem from?
1) The workforce is becoming more diverse
2) There is growing recognition that many organizations have not successfully managed workforce diversity
3) The murder of George Floyd in the United States resulted in global conversations about policing and racism. The Black Lives Matter conversation has moved to the workplace.
What is diversity climate?
-Diversity climate is the degree to which an organization advocates for fair human resource policies, promotes equal employment and inclusion, and socially integrates underrepresented employees.
-Research shows that high diversity climate organizations have higher job satisfaction, organizational commitment, employee engagement, and performance outcomes, and has less withdrawal outcomes and turnover.
What is stereotype threat?
Stereotype threat occurs when members of a social group feel that may be stereotyped or judged, and that their behaviour will confirm that stereotype.
What is organizational climate?
Organizational climate refers to the shared perceptions that employees have about the organization’s policies, practices, and procedures.
What is a safety climate?
A safety climate refers to employees’ shared perceptions of safety-related events, practices, and procedures–and the safety related behaviours that are encouraged and rewarded.
What is trust?
Trust is the willingness to be vulnerable and to take risks with respect to the potential actions the other party may take. The three key factors influencing trust are ability, benevolence, and integrity.
What is organizational support theory?
Organizational support theory suggests that employees who have strong perceptions of organizational support begin to care about the organization’s welfare.
