Most communication textbooks (including Verderber) include a chapter on perception. For effective communication accuracy of perception is very important. One of the hardest things for many of us to do is to question our perception of the world. I do a simple exercise in class in which I ask students what do they mean by "plenty of gas". The replies range from a full tank to the red light hasn't come on yet. I also have them stand up and ask who is tall and who is short. Both of these demonstrations point out that perception is based upon our view of the world rather than some objective reality.
Our perceptions shape our world and affect how we communicate with others. What we think we see is what we report to others. The awareness that others don't always see the same world that we do is an essential step to effective communication.
One source of information on accuracy of perception is the study of eyewitnesses in court cases. Below are listed some articles that may make you question your own perceptions.
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8 comments:
Perception is such a "Personal" veiw and is greatly effected your own experiences and pesonality. Such as I look at thing from the glass is half full perspective.
"To see or not to see, that is the question"... and as we have learned thru the articles and personal experiences, there are many many answers. Age and preception go hand in hand. Ask a 5 year old who robbed the ice cream truck, and see if you don't get a description of Big Bird or Elmo, ask an elderly person the same question, and you may get a great decription such as, "they looked just like that 'dead-end' kid". Personal prejudices, either conscious or subconscious play a major role in perception too. Unless it's high noon outside, or we are in a room full of light, with the subject just outside our comfort zone, and there is zero stress levels during the incident or pressure to make a positive ID; then no description, no matter how detailed, can be 100%. But then again, that's just the way I see it, you may see something completly different.
M.E. Doss
I think that our perceptions are greatly influenced on a daily basis. Weather this is through friends, family, teachers, textbooks, the media, etc...
I would say that a person runs off of about 30 percent of their original perception and 70 percent of his/her "learned perception" from outside influences. I'm being nice too because not everyone is honestly that original.
For example lets say you saw a ghost. A scientist comes along and says "that wasn't a ghost" and gives you a logical explanation for what you saw. Say it changes your perception but in actuality it was really was a ghost.Perception does not change what it was.
The question "plenty of gas" depends on where you're going. If you're driving from Texas to Tennessee the question becomes pointless because you will obviously run out of gas.
the question "is so and so tall" should depend upon if they are taller then average height for a male or female for that region.
People make things complicated when they waste "perception" on things that are not really debatable. A fact is a fact. There is no debate. Going back to whoever left the comment about the ice cream truck, both parties perceptions don't matter if they were wrong. Its not that they had the wrong perception its just that they were incorrect.
There is a right and wrong perception. The right perception is one based in factual evidence of the circumstance and situation.
Tyler Scalf
If two people see the same event but their perceptions are different can they both be right?
Sure.Provided that they agree on factual evidence of the event, no other people were there to see or document the event, and their perceptions of the event did not break any scientific laws currently in place.
I think that perception and science go hand in hand.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immanuel_Kant
http://magazine.uchicago.edu/0112/campus-news/report-lecture.html
Perceptions and time are relative things. I have had times that I have been discussing about a person that works here and their.....short comings in the work place. The person I was having this conversation with saw the same thing I did and had a different and much nicer perception of what happen than I did. It bascially came down to me being cynical and they other person having a nicer outlook of people.
When we think of perception we need to realize that individuals see thing differently and the same in certain situation. It all depend on what the situation is. I you and your children saw a car accident well with some children it is possible to coach their perception as to what they saw and if you wait awhile before you asks them what they saw depending on their age the story might vary.
Lessie
people can have different views (perceptions) and still be right...For the most part.
but let's not get rediculous..
if you think "plenty of gas" is just above E...then somethings wrong (jk)
You just got to make sure that you understand the other persons perception of things.
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